Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses - CUCURBITACEAE
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
| Gerrardanthus | |
| macrorhizus isisema sehlathi, | |
| Medicinal: | Purgative for pregnant women |
| Kedrostis | |
| foetidissima tjwala benyoni, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for hiccups. |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Corallocarpus | |
| bainesii | |
| Food: | Edible fruits when ripe. Leaves and stems cooked as spinach. |
| Acanthosicyos | |
| naudinianus | |
| Food: | Fruit is edible and a major source of water. |
| Momordica | |
| balsamina (Bitter Gourd) inkaka, inkhakha, inkhakhi, | |
| Medicinal: | Fruit is purgative, emetic, antispasmodic & stomachic. |
| Food: | Leaves edible after boiling. Fruits may be poisonous. |
| cardiospermoides (Bitter Gourd) inshubaba, insubaba, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Leaves used for treating diabetes. |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| foetida (Bitter Gourd) inshubaba, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach, boils & high blood pressure. |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Citrullus | |
| lanatus (Bitter Melon) beche, litjoti, | |
| Cultural: | A charm to prevent worms from damaging crops |
| Food: | Fruit is edible & a major source of water. Seeds ground to a meal. |
| Cucumis tjwalabenyoni, | |
| africanus (Bitter Melon) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. An enema & purgative but also poisonous. |
| Food: | Vegetable. But juice can be poisonous. |
| anguria (Bitter Melon) | |
| Food: | Vegetable |
| var. anguria | |
| var. longaculeatus | |
| hirsutus (Bitter Melon) | |
| Medicinal: | Coughs and as purgative |
| Food: | Edible leaves & fruits. (Some say poisonous) |
| melo subsp. melo (Bitter Melon) | |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| metuliferus (Bitter Melon) | |
| Insecticidal: | Pesticidal |
| Insecticidal: | Pesticidal |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| Food: | Edible fruit & leaves |
| myriocarpus subsp. myriocarpus (Bitter Melon) | |
| Food: | Fruit is toxic but can be eaten after much preparation. |
| zeyheri (Wild Cucumber) indzema, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves & fruit medicinal for chest complaints & diarrhoea. |
| Food: | Leaves are cooked as spinach. Fruits poisonous. |
| Trochomeria | |
| macrocarpa subsp. macrocarpa (Wild Cucumber) | |
| Food: | Root roasted and eaten by Bushmen. |
| sagittata sukasambe, | |
| Medicinal: | Roots used for abdominal pain. |
| Lagenaria | |
| siceraria (Wild Melon) inshubaba, iselwa, liselwa, ntshubaba, shubaba, | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| Cultural: | Used in ceremonies after death of a chief. |
| Household: | Gourds used to make containers, utensils and musical rattles. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for stomach ache & glandular swellings. |
| Food: | Edible fruiit & young leaves after much boiling to eliminate toxicity. Mushroom like taste. Seed also said to be edible when roasted. |
| Coccinia | |
| adoensis (Wild Melon) | |
| Food: | Edible leaves & fruit. |
| palmata (Wild Cucumber) uthangazane lwehlathi, uthangazane omncane, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| Food: | Edible leaves. Roots are a famine food. |
| rehmannii (Wild Cucumber) tjwalabetinyoni, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Edible fruit & tubers |
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by botanical name - families:
Search for flora information: Enter any name or part of a name in the appropriate box:
Search for photos/illustrations: Enter any name or part of a name in the appropriate box:
Website hosting sponsored by the Natural History Society of Eswatini
