Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Salix | |
| alba * | |
| Household: | Wood used for cricket bats & wooden clogs. |
| Medicinal: | Bark - anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic & analgesic. Aspirin source. |
| babylonica * | |
| Soil Conservation: | Introduced to stabilise banks of rivers & dams. |
| mucronata subsp. woodii (River Willow) umnyetane, umnyezane, | |
| Cultural: | Twigs believed able to ward off storms & lighning when treated. |
| Fodder: | Leaves used for fodder. |
| Household: | Baskets made from branches, household goods and ornaments. |
| Medicinal: | Branch tips and leaves are used for rheumatism and fever. Roots used as bladder purger. |
| Stellaria | |
| media * | |
| Medicinal: | Herb. Skin disorders, itching. |
| Silene | |
| bellidioides ugwayelaso, ugwayintombe, umjuje, | |
| burchellii var. burchellii (Gunpowder Plant) igwayintombe elincane, injuju, umthusi, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm |
| Medicinal: | Medicinally for scrofula & a tonic. |
| Stephania | |
| abyssinica var. tomentella umbombo, umthambana, umthombo, | |
| Cultural: | Charm to find lost articles or discover secrets. |
| Medicinal: | Treatment for boils |
| Schotia | |
| brachypetala (African Walnut) sihlati, sihlazi, thunzikhulu, umgcanu, uvovovo, vovovo, | |
| Honey: | Great producer of nectar. |
| Dyes: | Bark used for tannin & for dye. |
| Cultural: | Decoction of bark used to gain popularity dignity and respect. Acquistion of metaphysical powers. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Dense, hard wood for furniture & flooring. |
| Medicinal: | Bark for heartburn, chest complaints, hangover, to purify blood, an emetic & for vomiting. |
| Food: | Edible nuts & flowers. |
| capitata (Dwarf Boer-bean) mvovovane, thunzikhulu, umvovovane, vovovo, vovovo lomncane, | |
| Honey: | Flowers laden with nectar. |
| Cultural: | Acquistion of metaphysical powers. |
| Household: | Crafts |
| Medicinal: | Emetic. Bark for heart complaints. |
| Senna | |
| didymobotrya * (Peanut Senna) lintongomane, | |
| italica * (Wild Senna) impengu, | |
| Medicinal: | Pain, snakebite and roundworm |
| Food: | Seeds as coffee substitute |
| subsp. arachoides * | |
| subsp. italica * | |
| subsp. italica * | |
| occidentalis * (Wild Coffee) lijoye, likhomlsi letintfwala, linyanyoka, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Antibiotic. Leaves used to treat epilepsy. |
| Food: | Roasted seeds a coffee substitute. Toxic if not roasted. |
| petersiana (Monkey Pod) lifahlawane, lijoyi, lujoyi, | |
| Cultural: | Roots make a good luck charm. |
| Medicinal: | Antibiotic. Purgative & for fevers, skin infections & gonorrhoea. |
| Food: | Pods are eaten and perhaps the seeds. |
| Sesbania | |
| punicea * | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves, flowers & seeds all known to be poisonous. |
| sesban (River Bean) umsokosoko, | |
| Fodder: | Forage & fodder. |
| Medicinal: | Used medicinally in Africa & Asia. |
| subsp. sesban var. nubica | |
| subsp. sesban var. sesban | |
| Sphenostylis | |
| angustifolia (Wild Sweetpea Bush) insololo, ithethe, | |
| Fodder: | Good fodder. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal to cleanse stomach and blood |
| marginata subsp. marginata | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal to cleanse stomach and blood |
| Sphedamnocarpus | |
| pruriens (Lesser Moth-fruit Creeper) isinambuzane, ubangalala, | |
| subsp. galphimiifolius | |
| subsp. pruriens | |
| Suregada | |
| africana (Common Canary-berry) manyokane, sitfubi, ummemezi, velabahleke, vulabahleke, | |
| Cultural: | Roots are a charm to make people laugh. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
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