Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Steganotaenia | |
| araliacea var. araliacea | |
| Cultural: | Bark & roots used to win law cases. |
| Household: | Stems make pop-guns for children. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for sore throats & bark for asthma |
| Sideroxylon | |
| inerme subsp. inerme (White Milkwood) emaselitfole, emasi elitfole, masethole, umnweba, | |
| Timber: | General purpose hard, strong timber. Resistant to water. |
| Cultural: | Milky latex infused to drive away nightmares & evil spirits. |
| Household: | Wood used for farm implements and spoons. |
| Medicinal: | Bark infusion dispels nightmares. Roots used for wounds & fevers. |
| Food: | Edible sweet tasting fruit. |
| Schrebera | |
| alata (Wing-leaved Wooden Pear) sehlulamanya, sehlulamanye, | |
| Timber: | Hard, heavy durable wood. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Salvadora | |
| australis (Mustard Tree) ichitamuzi, umphene, | |
| Medicinal: | Lotion for treating sore eyes. |
| Food: | Fruit should be edible but mustard tasting. |
| Strychnos | |
| decussata (Cape Teak) umpathawenk, | |
| Cultural: | With crocodile fat will protect from lightning. Ceremonial sticks. |
| Household: | Timber suitable for musical instruments. |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of root bark for stomach disorders and used as snuff. |
| Food: | Edible fruit but also reputed to be poisonous when green. |
| henningsii (Red Bitterberry) manono, mhlophe, silume lesi, umnonono, | |
| Timber: | Makes useful fence posts & used as poles for hut building. |
| Cultural: | Bark & leaves are charm against snakebite. Roots used in sangoma initiations. Stem and branches used in incwala ceremonies. |
| Medicinal: | Bark for nausea & stomach as a purgative. Also for syphilis. Roots for rheumatic pains. Poisonous. |
| madagascariensis (Black Monkey Orange) emkhwakhwa, lihlala, umgulugulu, umhlala, umkhwakhwa, umkhwakhwa, | |
| Cultural: | Root used in sangoma initiations. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of root bark for stomach disorders, |
| Food: | Edible fruit pulp & leaves. Sometimes dried and stored for years. |
| mitis (Yellow Bitterberry) munono, umphatsankhosi, | |
| Household: | Wood difficult to work but used for tool handles & fighting sticks. |
| pungens | |
| Food: | Orange-like fruit with hard skin. |
| spinosa (Green Monkey Orange) emahlala, mahlala, mhlola, umhlala, umkhwakhwa, umsala, | |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Sounding boxes for musical instruments from fruit shells. |
| Medicinal: | Roots & fruits are antidote for snakebite. Grated root with oil for jigger fleas in feet. Root an emetic for fevers & inflamed eyes. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Delicious fresh pulp. |
| usambarensis (Blue Bitterberry) umphatsankhosi lomnyama, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach complaints. Roots for treating snake bites. |
| Sebaea | |
| grandis (Primrose Gentian) umalopha omncane, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm emetic. |
| sedoides isivumelwane esikhulu, umanqweyana, umsolo, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm emetic. |
| Medicinal: | Enemas for children. |
| var. confertiflora | |
| var. schoenlandii | |
| var. sedoides | |
| Strophanthus | |
| gerrardii (Spider Flower Poison Rope) ubuhlungubendlovu, | |
| Cultural: | Charm to ensure good crops. Probably also poisonous. |
| speciosus (Common Poison Rope) amasebele, umhlazazane, umkhukhumeza, umshayimamba, | |
| Medicinal: | Seeds & foliage poisonous. S. kombe is powerful arrow poison |
| Schizoglossum | |
| atropurpureum subsp. atropurpureum (Red Milkwort) ishongwe, | |
| Cultural: | Smoked bundled roots ward off lightning |
| Food: | Edible roots |
| cordifolium (Common Split-tongue) sicadze, | |
| Food: | Edible roots |
| Sarcostemma | |
| viminale subsp. viminale (Caustic Vine) emaphoti, ingotjwa, liphoti, makhombo makhulu, umphangalehaya, | |
| Fodder: | Browsed by animals |
| Medicinal: | Heartburn, ulcers, septic sores, venereal disease. Stem is used. However deemed to be poisonous with toxicity varying with area in which it occurs. Stems and pods stimulate milk in nursing mothers. |
| Food: | Young stems and fruits edible. |
| Secamone | |
| gerrardii (Gerrard's Secamone) insakansaka, umgcobandlovu, | |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots for chest pains, spinal complaints & stomach cramps. Strengthens blood. |
| parvifolia makhukhumetana, makhukhumetane, milimili, | |
| Cultural: | Roots used for bewitchment. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
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