Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by alphabetically by botanical name:
| Zantedeschia umfanakamacejane, umdzebedzebe, | |
| aethiopica | |
| Dyes: | Dyes. |
| Fodder: | Tubers eaten by pigs & porcupines |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for wounds, sores & boils |
| Food: | Leaves edible in small quantities but also listed as poisonous. Cooking may destroy the toxins so preparation becomes important. |
| rehmannii | |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Zornia | |
| capensis subsp. capensis (Caterpillar Bean) umkhondo, | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| Cultural: | Charm to protect the unborn |
| Zanthoxylum umtsentse, umnungwane, | |
| capense (Small Knobwood) umhlabanyoni, umnongwane, umnungu mabele, | |
| Household: | The twigs stripped of bark make good toothbrushes. Yellow wood used for implements. |
| Medicinal: | Fruit for colic, flatulence, internal parasites & palsy. Leaves for intestinal disorders and for colds and flu. Bark for toothache & snake bites either orally or applied. Roots treat bilharzia and toothache. |
| davyi | |
| Timber: | Branches used for construction. |
| Firewood: | Branches used for firewood. |
| Household: | Walking sticks, tool handles & fishing rods. Wood polishes well. |
| Ziziphus | |
| mucronata subsp. mucronata (Buffalo Thorn) imphafa, umlahlabantfu, umlahlabantu, umpatle, umphafa, | |
| Timber: | Fencing posts. & construction |
| Honey: | Loved by bees & butterflies. |
| Cultural: | Bearing corpse at funerals. Magical properties to ward off evil. Taken if collecting corpse from accident scene but bearer is silent. |
| Firewood: | Firewood but taboo for some clans to burn. |
| Household: | Wood elasticity makes it useful for bows & hammer handles etc. |
| Medicinal: | Leaf, roots & bark infusions for chest complaints, boils, wounds, pain relief, skin infections & syphilis. |
| Food: | Edible fruit for porridge and meal. Can be fermented for beer. |
| Fodder: | Fodder. Browsed by stock and game |
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
| J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
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