Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Viscum | |
| rotundifolium | |
| Medicinal: | To remove warts |
| verrucosum (Warty Mistletoe) liphakama, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Vigna | |
| unguiculata (Cow Pea) tindlubu, tinhlumayo, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm. |
| Medicinal: | Seeds for menstruation, epilepsy & chest pains |
| Food: | Edible leaves, pods & seeds. A commercial crop. |
| subsp. dekindtiana var. dekindtiana | |
| subsp. dekindtiana var. huillensis | |
| subsp. protracta | |
| subsp. stenophylla | |
| subsp. unguiculata | |
| vexillata (Wild Sweet Pea) mgcenga, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm. |
| Medicinal: | Fevers |
| Food: | Edible root |
| var. angustifolia | |
| var. davyi | |
| var. ovata | |
| var. vexillata | |
| Vepris imotane, | |
| lanceolata | |
| Household: | Handles & beams |
| Medicinal: | Powdered root for influenza. |
| reflexa (Rock White Ironwood) motane, umbotane, | |
| Timber: | Wood used for timber. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Crafts |
| Vaccinium | |
| exul | |
| Food: | Edible fruit & good for jam. |
| Vitellariopsis | |
| dispar (Tugela Milkwood) umphumbulu, | |
| Food: | Skin of fruit edible. |
| marginata (Natal Bush Milkwood) umcandza, | |
| Timber: | Trunk used for construction. |
| Household: | Wood used for "carrying sticks". |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| Vitex umkhosikati, | |
| ferruginea (Plum Fingerleaf) umbendula, umphenduka, | |
| harveyana (Scrambling Fingerleaf) mbidvongo, | |
| Food: | Edible fruits when ripe and black. |
| obovata (Hairy Fingerleaf) amakhosikate, bufufu, | |
| Timber: | Trunk used for construction. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| subsp. obovata | |
| subsp. wilmsii | |
| rehmannii (Pipe-stem Tree) bufufu, mbhindvongo, tibhindvolo, | |
| Household: | Hollow stems make pipe stems. Wood for tools & handles. |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of leaves as enemas for stomach ache. Also used for chest complaints and fits. |
| Food: | Edible parts |
| Vangueria emantulwa, | |
| cyanescens (Wild Medlar) umntulu, umntulwa, | |
| Cultural: | Mahhanyu clan do not burn nor eat. Pegs around homestead give lightning protection. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| esculenta (Forest Wild Medlar) umntulu, umntulwa, | |
| Cultural: | Mahhanyu clan do not burn nor eat. Pegs around homestead give lightning protection. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| infausta subsp. infausta (Wild Medlar) imadnulu, imandulu, infahlo, infaylo, infaylo, infayo, limandvulo, mantulwa, mavelo, santudlevane, santulwan, santulwana, santulwane, umfilwa, umgana, umntudlwana, umntuli, umntulu, umntulwa, umvigo, umvile, umviyo, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit with high vitamin C content. Has a mealy texture. In places a brandy or a refreshing drink is made from the fruit. |
| Cultural: | Mahhanyu clan & others do not burn nor eat. Tree believed to have evil powers. Pegs around the homestead give lightning protection. |
| Household: | Can be used for crafts but many will not use as may bring bad luck. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for malaria & pneumonia. Worm remedy & purgative. Bark used to treat blood stool. |
| parvifolia (Small Velvet Leaf.) sikhwakhwane, umntulu, | |
| Cultural: | Pegs around the homestead give lightning protection. |
| Household: | Wood can be used for arrowheads. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Valeriana | |
| capensis var. capensis | |
| Medicinal: | Roots for insomnia, hysteria & epilepsy. Also medicinal fumigant. |
| Vernonia linyatselo, | |
| amygdalina | |
| Medicinal: | Root bark a tonic & for bilharzia. Infertility in women. |
| Food: | Edible but bitter leaves & pods. |
| capensis | |
| Food: | Leaves used for tea. |
| colorata subsp. colorata (Bitter Leaf) lihlunguhlungu, luhlunguhlungu, | |
| Cultural: | Treating hunting dogs |
| Medicinal: | Roots & leaves used as a tonic to treat fevers & coughs & boils. Roots & bark as stomach purger. |
| Food: | Edible leaves. |
| crataegifolia hlunguhlungu, lihlunguhlungu, luhlunguhlungu, uhlunguhlungu, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats colds, stomach ache, hysteria, & epilepsy. Also roots for diarrhoea in children. |
| fastigiata | |
| Food: | Young leaves used by Pedi. |
| glabra | |
| Cultural: | Treating hunting dogs |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diabetes |
| var. glabra | |
| var. laxa | |
| hirsuta (Quilted-leaved Vernonia) ijungitheka, ikhambi lenyongo, uhlunguhlungwana lwentaba, umhlazawentaba, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colic, sore throats, coughs, & headaches |
| mespilifolia | |
| Food: | Plant reported as edible in Transkei. |
| myriantha (Poison Tree Vernonia) lihwabahwaba, | |
| Cultural: | Hunting dog treatment |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for the mentally afflicted. |
| natalensis | |
| Medicinal: | Powdered bark for coughs, malaria & fevers. Smoke for headaches. |
| oligocephala (Bicoloured-leaved Vernonia) ihlambihloshane, uhlunguhloshana, | |
| Cultural: | Used to drive away hailstorms |
| Medicinal: | Leaves& twigs for diabetes, rheumatism & malaise |
| Food: | Leaves used as a tea by Zulus. |
| poskeana subsp. botswanica | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| tigna (Mountain Vernonia) lihlunguhlungu, luhlunguhlungu, | |
| Cultural: | Hunting dog treatment |
| Medicinal: | Mixtures for menstrual irregularities & as abortifacient. Anthelmintic. Leaves & roots treat athritis & to improve male erections. |
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