Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Scabiosa | |
| columbaria (Wild Scabiosa) libheka, lipheka, | |
| Cultural: | Love potion made from roots. |
| Medicinal: | Leaves/roots for colic, heartburn, painful menstruation & sore eyes. |
| Spilanthes | |
| mauritiana imfe yemacoco lenabako, | |
| Honey: | Attracts bees. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for gums and sore throat |
| Schkuhria | |
| pinnata * | |
| Food: | Listed as edible in Transkei. A problem weed in R.S.A. |
| Senecio | |
| albanensis | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| var. albanensis | |
| var. doroniciflorus | |
| barbertonicus | |
| Honey: | Attracts bees. |
| Fodder: | Browsed by game |
| bupleuroides (Yellow Starwort) indabula-luvalo, insangansanga yentaba, isiqandamatshana, unsonkonsoko, | |
| Medicinal: | Chest & heart complaints & for easy childbirth |
| coronatus (Woolly Grassland Senecio) izonkozonko, ubulibazi, | |
| Medicinal: | Poultices, purgatives & stomach ache |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| decurrens isikhathazo esimhlophe, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal emetic. |
| deltoideus | |
| Timber: | Good bee plant. |
| Soil Conservation: | Sand & soil stabiliser. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sore eyes. |
| discodregeanus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for chest colds & madness |
| erubescens | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| var. crepidifolius | |
| var. erubescens | |
| inaequidens | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. Declared a noxious weed in R.S.A. |
| inornatus inkanga, uhlabo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for palpitations & phthisis |
| latifolius (Molteno-disease Plant) idwakala, ingcobangcoba, uhlambahlanyana, uqedizwe, | |
| Medicinal: | Causes diseases in livestock. |
| oxyriifolius (False Nasturtium) idumbe, idumbe lasendhle, ihlula, | |
| Cultural: | To prevent sorcery |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| pleistocephalus liphungula lengati, mnunkhu, suluzabafoti, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| polyanthemoides | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| polyodon var. polyodon ihubo, | |
| pterophorus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| purpureus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| quinquelobus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| retrorsus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal and also poisonous. |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| rhyncholaenus (Groundsel) imfenyane, | |
| Insecticidal: | Repels stalk-borer. |
| Household: | Married women's hair style (isicholo) |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colds, colic,sore hands & feet. |
| serratuloides var. serratuloides (Two-day Cure) ichazampukane, insukumbili, umaphozisa umkhuthelo, | |
| Medicinal: | Infected sores & burns |
| speciosus (Beautiful Senecio) libohlololo, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats chest complaints, dropsy & headaches. |
| tamoides (Canary Creeper) ihlozi elikhulu, uqobaqoba, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats flatulence. Traditionally also for anthrax in cattle |
| venosus imfenyane, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Dry leaves and stems used for a beverage. May be toxic. |
| viminalis (Leafless Climbing Senecio) umhlambamasi, uqobaqoba, | |
| Sonchus ingabe, | |
| asper subsp. asper * | |
| Medicinal: | Salves for hemorrhoids, ulcers & skin irritations. |
| Food: | Leaves eaten as salad. Roots said to be good for bread making. |
| integrifolius var. integrifolius | |
| Food: | Young fresh leaves eaten raw or boiled. |
| nanus | |
| Food: | Young leaves used as vegetable |
| oleraceus * (Thistle) idwingabane, indvwangabane, | |
| Medicinal: | Dried sap has been used to treat opium addiction |
| Food: | Edible leaves & stem & flower. Eaten since ancient times. |
| Selaginella | |
| imbricata | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Sorghum emabele, imfe, libele, | |
| bicolor subsp. arundinaceum | |
| Fodder: | Planted for fodder but a nuisance weed in sugar cane. |
| Medicinal: | Common cause of hay fever. |
| Food: | Edible & for beer. A cereal food. Stalks edible as "famine food". |
| halepense * (Johnsongrass) libendle, | |
| Food: | Edible & for beer. |
| versicolor | |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Food: | Edible & for beer. A cereal food. Stalks edible as "famine food". |
| Sorghastrum | |
| stipoides mafusane, | |
| Household: | Birds nests |
| Schizachyrium | |
| sanguineum | |
| Household: | Thatching. |
| Stenotaphrum | |
| secundatum (Buffalo Grass) umtombo, | |
| Fodder: | Pasture & lawns. |
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