Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses - MORACEAE
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
| Ficus umkhiwa, umkhiwane, intfombe, inkhokhokho, | |
| abutilifolia | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves in traditional medicine |
| Food: | Edible fruits but usually infested with insects. The Rock-breaker Fig. |
| benghalensis * (Banyan Tree) intfonja, | |
| bubu (Swazi Fig) ubtfombi, | |
| Cultural: | Widow's headress |
| Medicinal: | Bark an emetic |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| burkei (Swazi Fig) | |
| Medicinal: | Roots used as post-natal supplement. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| burtt-davyi (Scrambling Fig) uluzi, umthombe, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| capreifolia (Sandpaper Fig) inkhiwane, | |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Leaves used as sandpaper. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| craterostoma (Forest Fig) isihlamfane, umbombe, umthombe, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| glumosa (Mountain Rock Fig) inkhokho lemhlophe, lemhlophe kokhokho, maginyela, magnyea, | |
| Dyes: | Tannin |
| Medicinal: | Bark for general malaise and diarrhoea. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leafs |
| ingens var. ingens (Redleaved Rock Fig) inkhiwane, | |
| Medicinal: | Latex is a disinfectant and substitutes for iodine. Bark for diarrhoea. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| lutea (Redleaved Rock Fig) | |
| Household: | Cloth & twine can be made from the bark. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| natalensis subsp. natalensis (Redleaved Rock Fig) | |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Medicinal: | Traditional medicine for gynaecological complaints during pregnancy. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| petersii (Common Wild fig) umbombe, umtfombe, | |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Used in traditional medicine. Roots used as post-natal supplement. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves |
| polita (Common Wild fig) | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| subsp. brevipedunculata | |
| subsp. polita | |
| salicifolia (Wonderbloom Fig) indlaleni, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit. Leaves may be poisonous to cattle. |
| sansibarica (Wonderbloom Fig) | |
| Cultural: | Widow's headdress. |
| Medicinal: | Bark is emetic. |
| Food: | Fruit is edible but bitter. |
| subsp. macrosperma | |
| subsp. sansibarica | |
| stuhlmannii (Wonderbloom Fig) | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| sur (Cape Fig) emakhiwa, makhiwa, mkhiwa, umnungwane, | |
| Cultural: | Symbolic of earth & forest. Appeases ancestors. To eat the first fruits ensures the welfare of the family. |
| Firewood: | Firewood - will produce fire by friction. |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Drums. |
| Medicinal: | Root & bark infusions for many ailments. Latex used for burns & septic conjunctivitis |
| Food: | Edible fruit but sweet & insipid. Used for jam. Edible leafs. |
| sycomorus (Sycamore Fig) umkhiwabovane, umkhiwubovana, | |
| Fodder: | Useful fodder for stock and game. |
| Household: | Used for drums. Rope from inner bark |
| Medicinal: | Bark & latex for chest, glandular complaints, diarrhoea & inflamed throats. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves. The biblical Sycamore tree. |
| subsp. gnaphalocarpa | |
| subsp. sycomorus | |
| tremula subsp. tremula (Quiver-leaf Fig) isihlamfane, | |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| trichopoda (Hippo Fig) umvubu, | |
| Household: | Bark used for twine and plaited rope. |
| Food: | Edible fruit |
| Morus | |
| alba * (White Mulberry) emagumence, liguncumence, | |
| Fodder: | Leaves are fodder for the silkworm |
| Medicinal: | Fruit, leaves & bark. Expectorant & for colds. |
| Food: | Black, sweet fruit |
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by botanical name - families:
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