Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses - ASTERACEAE
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
| Ethulia | |
| conyzoides subsp. conyzoides * (Blue Weed) umsokosoko, | |
| Honey: | A honey plant. |
| Medicinal: | Treats colic, intestinal parasites & madness. |
| Vernonia linyatselo, | |
| amygdalina (Blue Weed) | |
| Medicinal: | Root bark a tonic & for bilharzia. Infertility in women. |
| Food: | Edible but bitter leaves & pods. |
| capensis (Blue Weed) | |
| 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 (Quilted-leaved Vernonia) | |
| Food: | Plant reported as edible in Transkei. |
| myriantha (Poison Tree Vernonia) lihwabahwaba, | |
| Cultural: | Hunting dog treatment |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for the mentally afflicted. |
| natalensis (Poison Tree Vernonia) | |
| 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 (Bicoloured-leaved Vernonia) | |
| 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. |
| Ageratum | |
| conyzoides * (Floss Flower) mafodlwane, | |
| Medicinal: | Antiseptic for wounds, respiratory tract disorders & worms. Toxic. |
| houstonianum * (Floss Flower) | |
| Medicinal: | May be toxic. |
| Chromolaena | |
| odorata * (Triffid) sandanezwe, wandile, wandzile, | |
| Firewood: | Reported in countryside to be a useful fuel. Very invasive. |
| Mikania | |
| natalensis (Mikania) ihlozi, ikhambi-lesiduli, umdlonzo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for urinary complaints, headache, backache & colds. |
| Aster | |
| bakerianus (Michaelmas Daisy) dlutshana, ndlutjana, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for headaches, & eye infections. An emetic & purgative. |
| harveyanus (Michaelmas Daisy) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Felicia | |
| muricata subsp. muricata (Michaelmas Daisy) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for headaches. |
| Nidorella | |
| auriculata inhlanga, | |
| Conyza | |
| bonariensis * | |
| Food: | Flower heads eaten in Lesotho. |
| canadensis * | |
| Insecticidal: | Insect repellent. |
| Medicinal: | Herb. Astringent, diuretic, diarrhoea,colds. |
| Food: | Ground leaves used to flavor porridge. |
| scabrida | |
| Medicinal: | Early white settlers soaked leaves & used to bandage wounds. |
| ulmifolia umacakaza, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for coughs. |
| Brachylaena | |
| discolor (Coast Silver Oak) mhlume, umhlume, umphahla, umphahlo, | |
| Timber: | Construction timber. Hut building. |
| Honey: | Bees that use this tree produce good honey. |
| Cultural: | Must be incorporated into building of traditional home. |
| Firewood: | Fuel wood |
| Household: | Spears & for carving purposes. |
| ilicifolia (Small Bitter Leaf) umphahla, | |
| Cultural: | Must be incorporated into building of traditional home. |
| Household: | Spears & for carving purposes. |
| Medicinal: | Bitter leaves used for diabetes. |
| Tarchonanthus | |
| camphoratus (Wild Camphor Bush) ligcebe lelimhlophe, | |
| Timber: | Durable termite resistant fence posts & for construction.. |
| Fodder: | Foliage browsed by stock & game. |
| Firewood: | Fuelwood. Will even burn when green. |
| Household: | Leaves used as perfume. Wood for musical instruments & cabinets. |
| Medicinal: | Dried leaves narcotic, sedative for headaches. Leaf poultice for asthma. |
| Food: | Spice |
| trilobus var. galpinii (Camphor Tree) ligcebelematje, phahla, sinukani, umbebase, umncweba, | |
| Medicinal: | Wood used for construction including the King's kraal. |
| Medicinal: | Wood & leaves for essential oils. Circulatory & respiratory stimulant. Roots & bark for libido & vomiting, |
| Blumea | |
| dregeanoides (Camphor Tree) | |
| Honey: | Honey Plant. |
| Pluchea | |
| dioscoridis (Vimba) nukani, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Denekia | |
| capensis (Vimba) | |
| Household: | Making hats. Aromatic |
| Pseudognaphalium | |
| luteo-album (Jersey Cudweed) umgilane, | |
| Household: | Used as room fumigant |
| Food: | Fresh leaves used as relish. Invasive |
| Helichrysum | |
| acutatum (Sticky Everlasting) uzangume, | |
| Cultural: | Prevents lightning striking homestead. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Emetic to stop pains in body |
| adenocarpum subsp. adenocarpum (Pink Everlasting) uhlambahloshane obomvu, | |
| aureonitens (Golden Everlasting) impepho-emhlophe, indondokazane, inkondiwane, | |
| Cultural: | Used to invoke goodwill of ancestorsand by diviners to induce trance. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| caespititium (Golden Everlasting) | |
| Medicinal: | To treat colds & nausea. |
| candolleanum maphipha, | |
| cooperi (Yellow Everlasting) umadotsheni, | |
| Cultural: | Used as love charm |
| decorum impepho, | |
| kraussii (Straw Everlasting) isipheshane, isiqoqo, | |
| Medicinal: | Aromatic & pesticidal |
| lepidissimum emakha, | |
| Household: | Perfume. |
| mundtii | |
| Medicinal: | Chest complaints |
| nudifolium (Hottentot's Tea) imphepho, ludvutfane, lulwini levenkhomo idunye, luphephetse, lute emanyava, sontfo lute emanyeva, | |
| Cultural: | Burnt to invoke goodwill of ancestors and to deter ghosts. |
| Medicinal: | Poultice for chest, head, fevers & burns. Roots for otitis. |
| Food: | Herbal teas. Leaves also eaten. |
| var. nudifolium | |
| var. oxyphyllum | |
| var. pilosellum | |
| odoratissimum (Everlasting) imphepho, | |
| Cultural: | Ritual incense to invoke goodwill of ancestors |
| Medicinal: | Aromatic sedative for insomnia. Burnt as fumigant. Treats colds. |
| panduratum (Everlasting) | |
| Food: | Herbal teas |
| var. panduratum | |
| var. transvaalense | |
| rugulosum (Everlasting Plant) impepho, imphepho, | |
| Cultural: | Ingredient in protective charm. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. Fumigate huts after illness |
| splendidum (Cape Gold) impepho, imphepho, umgobandvodza, | |
| Firewood: | Used for fuel in mountains. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colds, rheumatism & anal prolapse. |
| stenopterum impepho, imphepho, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Athrixia luphephetse, | |
| elata (Daisy Tea) umnondvo, | |
| Food: | Tea making. Edible portions |
| phylicoides (Zulu Tea) sephomolo, | |
| Household: | Brooms |
| Medicinal: | Used to treat coughs, sores & boils. |
| Food: | Tea making |
| Geigeria | |
| burkei (Zulu Tea) | |
| Medicinal: | Bulb for infectious dermatitis. Poisonous for stock. |
| subsp. burkei var. burkei | |
| subsp. burkei var. elata | |
| subsp. valida | |
| Callilepis | |
| laureola (Ox-eye Daisy) mila, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for burns & as a tonic. Also for tapeworms. Poisonous. |
| leptophylla (Ox-eye Daisy) imphila, imphilane, impila, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Acanthospermum sanama, dilizumgcabho, | |
| glabratum * (Ox-eye Daisy) | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves, seeds & stem medicinal |
| hispidum * umgcabo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Ambrosia | |
| artemisiifolia * | |
| Medicinal: | Major cause of hayfever |
| Xanthium | |
| spinosum * (Cockleburs) iligcume, | |
| Medicinal: | Seeds, seedling leaves & young shoots are poisonous to stock. |
| strumarium * (Cockleburs) | |
| Medicinal: | Seeds, seedling leaves & young shoots are poisonous to stock. |
| Eclipta | |
| prostrata * (Eclipta) ungcolosi, | |
| Cultural: | An annual weed used for love charms and sorcery. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for skin infections & hepatitis. |
| Tithonia | |
| diversifolia * (Mexican Sunflower) umbabane, | |
| Melanthera | |
| scandens subsp. dregei * ikhaphanyongo, isihiyapice, ulimi-lwenkomo, | |
| Spilanthes | |
| mauritiana imfe yemacoco lenabako, | |
| Honey: | Attracts bees. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for gums and sore throat |
| Bidens chuchuza, | |
| bipinnata * | |
| Food: | Edible leaves & shoots. High food value but astringent taste. |
| biternata * | |
| Food: | Edible leaves & shoots |
| pilosa * (Black-Jack) cadvolo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for rheumatism, diarrhoea & ear ailments. |
| Food: | Edible leaves |
| Tridax | |
| procumbens * (Black-Jack) | |
| Soil Conservation: | Used in gardens as soil binder and ground cover. |
| Galinsoga | |
| ciliata * (Peruvian daisy) mabuyejazi, | |
| Food: | Food crop |
| parviflora * (Potato weed) mabuyejazi, | |
| Food: | Food crop |
| Schkuhria | |
| pinnata * (Potato weed) | |
| Food: | Listed as edible in Transkei. A problem weed in R.S.A. |
| Tagetes | |
| minuta * (Tall Khaki Bush) nukani, | |
| Dyes: | Dye |
| Insecticidal: | Insecticide for weevils & a nematode deterrent. |
| Household: | Aromatic for perfumes. Leaf extract used in perfume industry. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for nematode Infections. |
| Phymaspermum | |
| acerosum (Geelblombos) isibhaha-segceke, umhlonishwa, | |
| Cultural: | Used as a charm to avert lightening. |
| Cotula | |
| anthemoides (Geelblombos) | |
| Food: | Eaten as a herb in Transkei. |
| Artemisia | |
| afra (African Wormwood) mhlonyane, umhlonyane, | |
| Medicinal: | Stems & leaves for digestive problems, diabetes, intestinal worms, colds, influenza, asthma, headache and recently possibly malaria. |
| Lopholaena | |
| platyphylla (Large-leaved Fluff Bush) livenge, | |
| Crassocephalum | |
| crepidioides (Large-leaved Fluff Bush) | |
| Food: | Edible leaves. |
| Senecio | |
| albanensis (Large-leaved Fluff Bush) | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| var. albanensis | |
| var. doroniciflorus | |
| barbertonicus (Large-leaved Fluff Bush) | |
| Honey: | Attracts bees. |
| Fodder: | Browsed by game |
| bupleuroides (Yellow Starwort) indabula-luvalo, insangansanga yentaba, isiqandamatshana, unsonkonsoko, | |
| Medicinal: | Chest & heart complaints & for easy childbirth |
| coronatus (Woolly Grassland Senecio) izonkozonko, ubulibazi, | |
| Medicinal: | Poultices, purgatives & stomach ache |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| decurrens isikhathazo esimhlophe, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal emetic. |
| deltoideus | |
| Timber: | Good bee plant. |
| Soil Conservation: | Sand & soil stabiliser. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sore eyes. |
| discodregeanus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for chest colds & madness |
| erubescens | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| var. crepidifolius | |
| var. erubescens | |
| inaequidens | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. Declared a noxious weed in R.S.A. |
| inornatus inkanga, uhlabo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for palpitations & phthisis |
| latifolius (Molteno-disease Plant) idwakala, ingcobangcoba, uhlambahlanyana, uqedizwe, | |
| Medicinal: | Causes diseases in livestock. |
| oxyriifolius (False Nasturtium) idumbe, idumbe lasendhle, ihlula, | |
| Cultural: | To prevent sorcery |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| pleistocephalus liphungula lengati, mnunkhu, suluzabafoti, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| polyanthemoides | |
| Honey: | Visited by bees. |
| polyodon var. polyodon ihubo, | |
| pterophorus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| purpureus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| quinquelobus | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| retrorsus | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal and also poisonous. |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| rhyncholaenus (Groundsel) imfenyane, | |
| Insecticidal: | Repels stalk-borer. |
| Household: | Married women's hair style (isicholo) |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for colds, colic,sore hands & feet. |
| serratuloides var. serratuloides (Two-day Cure) ichazampukane, insukumbili, umaphozisa umkhuthelo, | |
| Medicinal: | Infected sores & burns |
| speciosus (Beautiful Senecio) libohlololo, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats chest complaints, dropsy & headaches. |
| tamoides (Canary Creeper) ihlozi elikhulu, uqobaqoba, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats flatulence. Traditionally also for anthrax in cattle |
| venosus imfenyane, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Food: | Dry leaves and stems used for a beverage. May be toxic. |
| viminalis (Leafless Climbing Senecio) umhlambamasi, uqobaqoba, | |
| Kleinia | |
| fulgens (Leafless Climbing Senecio) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Othonna | |
| natalensis incamu, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal` for nausea & tapeworms |
| Food: | Salad vegetable. |
| Osteospermum | |
| grandidentatum (Yellow Trailing Daisy) umadinsane, uqoboquba, | |
| Medicinal: | A strong emetic. |
| Chrysanthemoides | |
| monilifera (Bush-tick Berry) itholonja, umtholombe, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaf infusions for fevers. Fruit juice for impotence & to purify blood. |
| Food: | Edible berries. Sweet & palatable. |
| subsp. canescens | |
| subsp. septentrionalis | |
| Ursinia | |
| tenuiloba umuthi wezifuba, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for coughs |
| Haplocarpha | |
| scaposa | |
| Cultural: | Used by sangomas when consulting bones |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal crushed leaves for women during menstruation. |
| Gazania | |
| krebsiana subsp. serrulata (Common Gazania) impephotshani, isiphephane, | |
| Honey: | Bees visit Gazanias |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sick babies, earache & sterility |
| Food: | Edible flowers |
| Berkheya likhakhasi, ikhakhasi, | |
| echinacea subsp. echinacea iphungula, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| montana | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for bruises |
| rhapontica | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for dry coughs. |
| subsp. platyptera | |
| subsp. rhapontica | |
| setifera (Buffalo-tongue Berkheya) lulwimi lwenkhomo, mavambuka, ulimi-lwenkomo, | |
| Cultural: | Repels evil spirits |
| Household: | Leaves used as hairbrush. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for stomach complaints |
| Food: | Young leaves used as spinach. |
| speciosa subsp. lanceolata (Buffalo-tongue Berkheya) | |
| Medicinal: | Abdominal disorders, bilharzia & sore eyes |
| zeyheri (Buffalo-tongue Berkheya) | |
| Firewood: | Firewood. |
| Household: | Furniture and handicrafts. |
| Medicinal: | Bark medicinal for baby's navel, for diarrhoea & as a diuretic. |
| Food: | Edible fruit. |
| subsp. rehmannii var. rehmannii | |
| subsp. rehmannii var. rogersiana | |
| subsp. zeyheri | |
| Dicoma | |
| anomala imbenukela, inkosiyewithi, inyongana, mahlabane, mangwe amancane, | |
| Cultural: | Roots are used to make good luck charms. |
| Medicinal: | Roots for fever, sore throats, diarhoea, dysentary & abdominal pains. |
| Food: | Leaves used for tea. |
| subsp. anomala | |
| subsp. gerrardii | |
| capensis | |
| Food: | Leaves used as spinach. |
| tomentosa (Doll's Protea) somaheva, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Gerbera sanama, | |
| ambigua (Pink & White Gerbera) mabophe, | |
| Medicinal: | Tapeworms & coughs |
| galpinii mabophe, | |
| jamesonii | |
| natalensis | |
| piloselloides (Small Yellow Gerbera) mabophe, umoyawezwe, | |
| Cultural: | Helps a fortune teller get their way very fast. |
| Medicinal: | Tapeworms, earache, headaches, & coughs. |
| viridifolia (Small Yellow Gerbera) | |
| Tolpis | |
| capensis (Small Yellow Gerbera) | |
| Food: | Eaten as spinach in Lesotho. |
| Taraxacum | |
| officinale * (Dandelion) umashwababa, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaves & root a bitter tonic for skin disorders. Diuretic & detoxicant. |
| Food: | Edible leaves & flowers for wine. Roots for coffee substitute. |
| Sonchus ingabe, | |
| asper subsp. asper * (Dandelion) | |
| Medicinal: | Salves for hemorrhoids, ulcers & skin irritations. |
| Food: | Leaves eaten as salad. Roots said to be good for bread making. |
| integrifolius var. integrifolius (Dandelion) | |
| Food: | Young fresh leaves eaten raw or boiled. |
| nanus (Dandelion) | |
| Food: | Young leaves used as vegetable |
| oleraceus * (Thistle) idwingabane, indvwangabane, | |
| Medicinal: | Dried sap has been used to treat opium addiction |
| Food: | Edible leaves & stem & flower. Eaten since ancient times. |
| Lactuca | |
| inermis (Wild lettuce) ingabe, lihabe, | |
| Food: | Edible leaves, stem & flower |
| Pechuel-loeschea | |
| leubnitziae (Wild lettuce) | |
| Insecticidal: | Aromatic & pesticidal. |
| Hypochaeris | |
| radicata * (Wild lettuce) | |
| Food: | Used as a spinach |
| Aspilia | |
| natalensis (Wild Creeping Sunflower) umphamephuce, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal with potent antibiotic, fungicidal & vermicidal properties |
| Dimorphotheca | |
| jucunda (Trailing Mauve Daisy) umasigcolo-nkonekazi, | |
| Medicinal: | Leaf & root remedies for stomach. |
| Cyanthillium | |
| cinereum var. cinereum * (Trailing Mauve Daisy) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Baccharoides | |
| adoensis var. kotschyana imphepho, lincani, linyatsela, linyatselo, mphepho, | |
| Cultural: | Treating hunting dogs |
| Medicinal: | For stomach, chest, skin, head lice & diabetes. Roots are purgative. |
| Distephanus | |
| anisochaetoides ikhambi-lesimungumungwane, | |
| Macledium | |
| zeyheri subsp. zeyheri (Toy Sugarbush) mahlabane, somaheva, umtjwatjophinda, | |
| Medicinal: | Treats chest ailments & a strengthening tonic. Roots to ease pains. Root is used to treat abortion. |
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
