Eswatini's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses - HYACINTHACEAE
Compiled by Chris Long, © December 2005
| Bowiea | |
| volubilis (Climbing Potato) gibizisila, | |
| Cultural: | Love charm. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for sore eyes,skin complaints, dropsy, headaches, STDs |
| Albuca | |
| fastigiata (Spreading White Albuca) umaphipha-intelezi, | |
| Cultural: | Used as protective charm. |
| setosa (Small White Albuca) gibi'z'phoso, ingcina, mfazothethayo, | |
| Cultural: | Ritual cleansing & to end quarrels. Lightning protection. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| Drimia | |
| altissima (Tall White Squill) kutula, lukhovu, mahlanganisa, silulwane, ukutula, umhlabelo, unshlabelo, | |
| Cultural: | Used for magical-medicinal purposes. |
| Insecticidal: | Bulb is a molluscicide |
| Household: | Soap |
| Medicinal: | Bulbs for fractures & backaches. Leaves & roots for pregnancy oedema. |
| delagoensis (Itch-egg) mahlanganisa, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm. |
| Medicinal: | Splints for bones. Bulbs are purgative. |
| depressa (Itch-egg) | |
| Cultural: | Traditionally used as good luck charm or to harm enemies. |
| elata (Satin Squill) gibizisila, gibi'z'phoso, | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm to treat bad luck. Panacea for evil spirits. |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for pain reliief & colds.. Emetic. Poisonous qualities. |
| sphaerocephala (Satin Squill) | |
| Medicinal: | Treat external tumours. |
| uniflora (Satin Squill) | |
| Medicinal: | Bulbs for expectorants, emetics & diuretics |
| Dipcadi umgcobane, ncamjolo, | |
| ciliare (Satin Squill) | |
| Food: | Edible bulb |
| gracillimum (Satin Squill) | |
| Food: | Edible bulb |
| marlothii (Satin Squill) | |
| Cultural: | To induce good aim in hunters |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diseases of sexual organs |
| Food: | Edible bulb |
| rigidifolium (Satin Squill) | |
| Food: | Edible bulb |
| viride (Satin Squill) | |
| Cultural: | Protective charm against storms. |
| Food: | Edible bulb & leaves. |
| Eucomis | |
| autumnalis subsp. clavata (Common Pineapple Flower) makhandakansele, matfunga, | |
| Cultural: | Stops witchcraft & slow poisoning. |
| Medicinal: | Bulb for backache, stomach-ache, fractures, syphilis, fevers & bilharzia. Heals interior wounds & fractures. |
| Ornithogalum | |
| flexuousum (Common Pineapple Flower) | |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous properties |
| juncifolium (Grass-leaved Chincherinchee) indlolothi encane, | |
| Cultural: | Protection against storms and evil. |
| saundersiae (Grass-leaved Chincherinchee) | |
| Medicinal: | Poisonous properties |
| tenuifolium (Grass-leaved Chincherinchee) | |
| Cultural: | Charm that can be used for good or evil. |
| Food: | Edible bulb roasted it tastes like onion. Also said to be poisonous. |
| subsp. aridum | |
| subsp. tenuifolium | |
| Drimiopsis | |
| maculata (Large-leaved Drimiopsis) injobo, ucibicibane, | |
| Medicinal: | Stomach trouble in children |
| Ledebouria mangulesi, | |
| apertiflora (Common Squill) ingudvudvu, | |
| Fodder: | Heavily grazed |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal |
| cooperi (Common Squill) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal in pregnancy. |
| floribunda (Common Squill) | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal. |
| marginata (Common Squill) | |
| ovalifolia (Common Squill) | |
| ovatifolia (Cooper's Squill) sigadlana, umhlabelo, | |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for diarrhhoea, flu, & backache. Some say poisonous. |
| revoluta (Cooper's Squill) | |
| Medicinal: | Skin irritations, wounds, lumbago |
| Merwilla | |
| plumbea (Large Blue Scilla) hikhoon, inguduza, likhovu, ndvwendiwenduwe, | |
| Household: | Soap |
| Schizocarphus | |
| nervosus (Wild Squill) imbita-yebantfwana, ndvwendvweni, ziyamlandela, | |
| Cultural: | Enhances personal charm especially in affairs of love. Ziyamlandela is alternate name meaning girls follow him! |
| Medicinal: | Medicinal for rheumatic fever & dysentary |
SiSwati names and uses, arranged by botanical name - families:
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