Medicinal Plants - Soutpansberg

36 MEDICINAL PLANTS<br />

Available information<br />

Species inventory list Table 1<br />

Summary statistics<br />

The plant parts most preferred in medicinal plants are<br />

roots. Of the medicinal plants found in the shops visited,<br />

61% were in the form of roots, 22% in the form of whole<br />

plant, 15% in the form of barks, 1% in the form of fruits<br />

and the other 1% in the form of leaves. The plant parts<br />

most sensitive to harvest are the ones that are most exploited.<br />

Therefore collectors must collect such parts with<br />

extreme care, to ensure plant survival and conservation.<br />

According to Mr. Netshia (personal communication), traditional<br />

healers know the plants by vernacular names<br />

only. This is apparently a way of protecting information<br />

from clients so that they may not recognize the plants<br />

used for treating them are actually the same as perhaps<br />

those growing in their backyard. For example,<br />

Elaeodendron transvaalensis is connotationally referred<br />

to as ‘mukuvhazwivhi/mulumanama’ by traditional healers<br />

whereas laymen commonly know it as<br />

‘mulumanamana’, or ‘muswigiri’. Despite the difference<br />

between ‘mulumanama’ and ‘mulumanamana’ being<br />

small, the traditional healers will simply regard<br />

mulumanamana as an unknown species to them.<br />

MEDICINAL PLANTS<br />

P. Tshisikhawe<br />

University of Venda for Science and Technology<br />

H. Foulquier<br />

Conservation measures for Brackenridgea zanguebarica,<br />

since it is regarded as threatened, have been put in place<br />

by making a reserve around a population of this species.<br />

The conservation authorities and the headman make sure<br />

that there is no collection of medicinal plant materials<br />

from this reserve. Collection of medicinal plant materials<br />

is only done outside the reserve and even this has been<br />

suspended since 1997 so that the trees are given time to<br />

recover. According to headman Nemafukani, seedlings of<br />

this plant which have been seen to establish themselves in<br />

great numbers, will also have enough time to grow into<br />

mature plants. This will ensure a continuous and sustainable<br />

supply of medicinal materials from the area. The territorial<br />

council arrests people found collecting medicinal<br />

materials during the recovery period. Because of the fact<br />

that headmen from the areas where Brackenridgea<br />

zanguebarica is found are given a share in the cash generated,<br />

civic people in such areas also play a conservationist<br />

role by policing the area. This system of managing natural<br />

resources by involving traditional leaders and the<br />

community was found to be very successful.<br />

Traditional healers still practise rituals of collecting medicinal<br />

materials, while in the field. These rituals possibly<br />

ensure that the plant from which medicinal materials are<br />

collected should not die to ensure that the medicine<br />

should work effectively. The interest of traditional healers<br />

in hemiparasites and epiphytes on trees was also observed.<br />

Middlemen are also involved in the collection of<br />

medicinal plant materials, in some cases, and the significance<br />

of their contribution was investigated.<br />

Major studies and publications<br />

MABOGO, D. E. N. 1990. The ethnobotany of the<br />

Vhavenda. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Pretoria.<br />

Pretoria, RSA.<br />

TSHISIKHAWE, M. P. 2002. Trade of indigenous medicinal<br />

plants in the Northern Province, Venda region:<br />

their ethnobotanical importance and sustainable<br />

use. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Venda for Science<br />

and Technology. Thohoyandou, RSA.<br />

Recommendations for priority studies<br />

required to fill any gaps identified<br />

People will always utilize natural resources and it is<br />

therefore important to investigate the sustainability of<br />

their actions.<br />

“Hot spots” of particular importance<br />

Reserves should be constructed in some areas where important<br />

plants are harvested since such plant species<br />

might face extinction.

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MEDICINAL PLANTS 37<br />

TABLE 1: Indigenous medicinal plants traded in Venda, identified by botanical names, common names (C) and/or technical<br />

(T) names<br />

Family Botanical Names Vernacular Names Form<br />

Anacardiaceae<br />

Lannea schweinfurthii (Engl.) Engl. var.<br />

stuhlmannii (Engl.) Kokwaro<br />

Vhulivhadza, Munie-dombo,<br />

Muswoswoto<br />

Lannea edulis (Sond.) Engl. var. edulis Mutshutshungu (C) Shrub<br />

Annonaceae Artabotrys monteiroae Olive Munnamutswu, Mudzidzi Shrub<br />

Apiaceae<br />

Apocyanaceae<br />

Alepidea amatymbica Eckl. & Zeyh. var.<br />

amatymbica<br />

Sungwi Herb<br />

Heteromorpha trifoliata (Wendl.) Eckl. & Zeyh. Muthathavhanna Shrub<br />

Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Codd Musilisili (C) Shrub<br />

Carissa bispinosa (L.) Desf. ex Brenan Tshirungulu (C) Shrub<br />

Landolphia kirkii Dyer Muvhungo (C) Shrub<br />

Rauvolfia caffra Sond. Munadzi (C) Tree<br />

Tabernaemontana elegans Stapf. Muhatu (C) Tree<br />

Wrightia natalensis Stapf. Musunzi (C) Tree<br />

Asparagaceae Asparagus asparagoides (L.)W. Wight Tshiwamatata (T) Climber<br />

Burseraceae Commiphora merkeri Engl. Mutanyambidi (T) Tree<br />

Canellaceae Warburgia salutaris (Bertol.f.) Chiov. Mulanga (C) Tree<br />

Capparaceae<br />

Celastraceae<br />

Capparis sepiaria L. Muobadali Shrub<br />

Maerua caffra (DC.) Pax Mutapatila Shrub<br />

Maerua edulis Gilg & Gilg-Ben.) DeWolf Mutshalimela Shrub<br />

Maerua juncea Pax Mukundulela Shrub<br />

Elaeodendron transvaalensis (Burtt Davy) R.H.<br />

Archer<br />

Mukuvhazwivhi, Mungugunu,<br />

Mulumanamana, Mulumanama<br />

Hippocratea longipetiolata Oliv. Mutshilari Shrub<br />

Maytenus peduncularis (Sond.) Loes. Mukwatukwatu, Mukwatule Shrub<br />

Pleurostylia capensis (Turcz.) Loes. Murumelela Tree<br />

Salacia rehmannii Schinz<br />

Ntsatshilambe, Mupatapani,<br />

Phathatshimima<br />

Shrub<br />

Clusiaceae Garcinia livingstonei T. Anderson Mpimbi, Muphiphi Tree<br />

Cupressaceae Widdringtonia nodiflora (L.) Powrie Thaululo Tree<br />

Dioscoreaceae Dioscorea drageana (Kunth) Dur. & Schinz Gambampengo Climber<br />

Dracaenaceae Sansevieria hyacinthoides (L.) Druce Tshiunza, Savha Herb<br />

Euphorbiaceae<br />

Croton sylvaticus Hochst. Muruthu Tree<br />

Synadenium cupulare (Boiss.) L.C. Wheeler Mulambamanoni, Muswoswo Shrub<br />

Flacourtiaceae Dovyalis caffra (Hook. F. & Harv.) Hook. f. Mutunu Tree<br />

Icacinaceae Pyrenacantha grandiflora Baill.<br />

Gwere,Velavhahleka,<br />

Mbengelele<br />

Tree<br />

Tree<br />

Climber

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38 MEDICINAL PLANTS<br />

Family Botanical Names Vernacular Names Form<br />

Lauraceae<br />

Cassytha filiformis L. Luangalala Climber<br />

Ocotea kenyensis (Chiov.) Robyns Muangata Tree<br />

Liliaceae Ornithogalum ornithogaloides (Kunth) Oberm Tshihatsitshandila Herb<br />

Malpighiaceae Acridocarpus natalitius A.Juss. var. natalitius Mavhofhe, Mabophe Shrub<br />

Meliaceae Trichilia dregeana Sond. Mutuhu Tree<br />

Myrothamnaceae Myrothamnus flabellifolius (Sond.) Welw.<br />

Mafautshivuwa,<br />

Mukangambanzhe<br />

Shrub<br />

Ochnaceae Brackenridgea zanguebarica Oliv. Mutavhatsindi Tree<br />

Orchidaceae Polystachya ottoniana Rchb.f. Thahame Orchid<br />

Passifloraceae Adenia spinosa Burtt Davy Tshivhuyudumbu Shrub<br />

Periplocaceae Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels Muungulawe Climber<br />

Podocarpaceae Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. Muhovhohovho Tree<br />

Polygalaceae Securidaca longepedunculata Fresen. Mpesu Tree<br />

Rubiaceae<br />

Conostomium natalense (Hochst.) Bremek. Ndilela, Phandavhashimana Herb<br />

Gardenia volkensii K. Schum. Tshiralala Tree<br />

Rutaceae Zanthoxylum capense (Thunb.) Harv. Munungu Tree<br />

Santalaceae Osyris lanceolata Hochst. & Steud. Mpeta Shrub<br />

Solanaceae Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal Musalamarubini Shrub<br />

Vitaceae<br />

Rhoicissus tridentata (L.f.) Wild & R.B.<br />

Drumm.<br />

Murumbulashedo, Murunganzie<br />

Murumbulambudzana<br />

Zamiaceae Encephalartos transvenosus Stapf & Burtt Davy Tshifhanga Herb<br />

Climber