Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses - COMBRETACEAE
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
| Combretum imbondvo, | |
| apiculatum subsp. apiculatum (Red Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo lemnyama, umbondomnyama, | |
| Timber: | Fence posts & construction timber. Termite resistant. |
| Cultural: | Used in Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Fodder: | Fodder |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Medicinal: | Decoction of leaves for stomach disorders. Ash paste treats conjunctivitis. Roots & bark for treating wounds. |
| collinum (Weeping Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, | |
| Cultural: | Used for Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Food: | Produces an edible gum. |
| subsp. collinum | |
| subsp. suluense | |
| erythrophyllum (River Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, umdvubu, | |
| Timber: | Timber & construction |
| Dyes: | Brown dye obtained from roots. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Cattle troughs. Hoe handles. |
| Medicinal: | Cure for venereal disease from roots. Roots for assisting abortion. |
| hereroense (Russet Bushwillow) livimbela, sihlalavane, umdvubu, umklalavane, umphulumbu, | |
| Timber: | Hard, tough,durable wood. Termite and borer proof. Used in hut roofs |
| Fodder: | Leaves browsed by cattle. Useful fodder. |
| Firewood: | Excellent firewood. |
| Household: | Furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Infusion of roots for stomach disorders. |
| Food: | Edible fruit eaten fresh. Leaves for tea substitute. |
| imberbe (Leadwood) impondozendhlovu, liphodva lendlovu, luphondvo lwendlovu, mpondozendlovu, phondotendlovu, ummono, umphulumbu, | |
| Timber: | Exceptionally hard wood for fencing, mine props & railway sleepers. |
| Cultural: | Hereros believe the trees are ancestors. |
| Firewood: | Excellent firewood. Extensively used as braaiwood. |
| Household: | Handicrafts & furniture but difficult to work. Fruits used for necklaces. Ash used as toothpaste. |
| Medicinal: | Roots medicinal to reduce fever. Smoke from burning leaves for coughs & colds. |
| Food: | Produces an edible gum. |
| kraussii (Forest Bushwillow) imbondvo lemhlophe, umdvubu, | |
| Household: | Handicrafts. Hoe handles. |
| microphyllum (Flame Climbin Bushwillow) umhlalanyosi, | |
| molle (Velvet Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo lemnyama, inkhukutwane, umhlakuvane, | |
| Timber: | Timber and fencing posts. Termite resistant. Construct King's kraal. |
| Dyes: | Red dye |
| Firewood: | Branches & stem for firewood. |
| Household: | Furniture & implement handles |
| Medicinal: | Leaves for wounds. Leaf & root is snakebite antidote. Root used to treat abortion and constipation. Bark infusion as enema. |
| paniculatum (Velvet Bush Willow) | |
| Medicinal: | Root used medicinally. |
| sericeum (Velvet Bush Willow) | |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| woodii (Large-leaved Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, imbondvo mahlatsi, umbhondvo sehlatsi, | |
| Timber: | Timber and fencing posts |
| Household: | Trunk used for cattle yokes. |
| zeyheri (Large-fruited Bush Willow) imbondvo lemhlophe, immbondvo lemhlophe, | |
| Timber: | Fencing posts & construction. All round termite resistant timber. |
| Cultural: | Used in Royal cattle-kraal at Incwala ceremonies & funerals. |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Fibrous roots for baskets and fishing traps. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for nose bleeds & with fat make an ointment. |
| Terminalia mangwe, umhonono, sihhomuhhomu, | |
| phanerophlebia (Lebombo Cluster-leaf) mambonjwane, umangwe, | |
| Timber: | Timber |
| Firewood: | Firewood |
| Household: | Furniture |
| Medicinal: | Bark & roots are medicinal |
| sericea (Silver Cluster-leaf) emangwe, mangwelamhlophe, | |
| Timber: | General purpose timber and good fence posts. |
| Cultural: | Sticks of this tree should be stuck into floor of a shrine at planting time in homage to ancestors. Cutting down a tree may induce hailstorms. |
| Firewood: | Excellent fuel. |
| Household: | Rope and twine. Also furniture. |
| Medicinal: | Root decoction for diarrhoea, colic, stomach disorders & pneumonia. Bark medicinal & a posion antidote. Bilharzia. |
| Food: | Leaf used by Bushmen as supplementary food. Edible gum. |
| Pteleopsis | |
| myrtifolia (Pteleopsis) umwandla, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by botanical name - families:
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