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Pharmacogn. Mag. ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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An Ethnobotanical and Ethnomedicinal Survey of Traditionally

Used Medicinal Plants in Seymour, South Africa: An Attempt
toward Digitization and Preservation of Ethnic Knowledge
Lisa Valencia Buwa-Komoreng, Buyisile Mayekiso1, Zoleka Mhinana1, Ariyo Lateef Adeniran2
Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Phuthaditjhaba, 1Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare,
Alice, South Africa, 2Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria

Submitted: 16-05-2018 Revised: 08-06-2018 Published: 23-01-2019

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Medicinal plants have been used for the treatment
of both infectious and noninfectious diseases by the majority of the
world’s population for many years. The low socioeconomic standing
of Eastern Cape population suggests that the majority of people use
traditional methods of health care. Many of the rural communities
in this province have no access to Western medical health care and
rely on traditional medicine for their primary health‑care needs.
Materials and Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from
February 2013 to December 2015 to investigate the use of medicinal
plants by the people of Seymour in the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa. Information was gathered from nine traditional healers, seven
herbalists, and 18 elderly villagers. Results: The information collected
revealed six ailment categories that were treated with a wide range of
medicinal plants. A total of 50 plant species belonging to 29 families
were reported to be used in the treatment of various ailments. Members
of the family Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, and Rutaceae
had the highest number of species used in traditional healing. Leaves
were reported to be the most frequently used plant part, followed by
roots, bark, stem, and then corms and rhizomes. The survey indicated
that the most prominent method of herbal administration used is
orally via extracts that were obtained by boiling, either as a decoction
or concoction. Conclusions: This study has documented important
information on medicinal plants used by people, traditional healers, and
herbalists of Seymour region in the Eastern Cape Province of South
Africa to treat various ailments. Abbreviations used: ACE: Angiotensin-converting enzyme; CNS: Central
Key words: Ailments, ethnobotanical survey, herbalists, medicinal plants, nervous system; ENT: Ear, nose and throat; HIV: Human Immunodeficiency
traditional healers virus; ICF: Informant consensus factor; Nur: Total number of use report;
Nt: Number of taxa; TB: Tuberculosis
Access this article online
SUMMARY Correspondence: Website: www.phcog.com
• Medicinal plants have been used for ages in the treatment and management
Dr. Lisa Valencia Buwa-Komoreng, Quick Response Code:
of various diseases but many of these plants have been poorly described.
Department of Plant Sciences,
In order to optimise the use of these plants, there is a need for proper
Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences,
documentation of the indigenous knowledge that will attract different
University of The Free State, Private Bag X13,
researchers to scientifically validate and do further exploration of these plants Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa.
in the development of drugs. E‑mail: BuwaLV@ufs.ac.za
DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_259_18

This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the
INTRODUCTION Creative Commons Attribution‑NonCommercial‑ShareAlike 4.0 License, which
allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non‑commercially, as long as
Plants have been used as drugs for centuries, initially as traditional appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
preparations.[1] It is estimated that about 85% of traditional medicines
For reprints contact: reprints@medknow.com
used for primary health care globally are derived from plants.[2] Even
with conventional or orthodox medicine available, most people,
Cite this article as: Buwa-Komoren LV, Mayekiso B, Mhinana Z, Adeniran AL. An
especially from rural areas, still prefer using traditional medicine to treat ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal survey of traditionally used medicinal plants in
most ailments. The World Health Organization estimated that 80% of the Seymour, South Africa: An attempt toward digitization and preservation of ethnic
knowledge. Phcog Mag 2019;15:115-23.
developing world population use traditional medicine.[3] In Africa alone,

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LISA VALENCIA BUWA-KOMORENG, et al.: Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants used in Seymour Area

it is estimated that 70%–80% of people still prefer consulting traditional documented information about the traditional medicinal plants and
medical practitioners for health care.[4,5] associated indigenous uses in the area. Accordingly, this article was
In South Africa, like in other African countries, traditional medicine aimed at collecting, documenting, and digitalizing the information for
has a very deep‑rooted and rich cultural heritage.[6,7] An estimate of future referencing.
about 3000 plant species are used by approximately 200,000 traditional
healers in this country.[8] More than 60% of South Africans consult these MATERIALS AND METHODS
traditional healers for their health‑care needs and cultural practices Study area
on a regular basis.[9,10] The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa has
The study was conducted among elderly villagers, traditional healers,
high plant species richness, and the low socio-economic standing of this
and herbalists in four villages (Phakamisa, Old location, Izinyoka,
large, predominantly rural province suggests that the majority of people
and Joza) of Seymour. Seymour is a poor undeveloped rural area located
use traditional methods of health care.[11,12] Conventional medicines, between latitude 32°37’18” S and longitude 26°48’48” E in the Eastern
although helpful, are not easily accessible to many people in rural Cape Province of South Africa. The altitude is approximately 1300 m
communities where there is limited access to medical facilities as well as above the sea level and the vegetation is Veld type 7.[26] The ethnic group
increasing rates of unemployment and rising medical costs.[13] in this area is Xhosa speaking.
In South Africa, there is great cultural diversity and several ethnic
groups. This has resulted in massive use of medicinal plants throughout Data collection
the provinces. Each cultural group has different medicinal solutions Data were collected between February 2013 and December 2015.
for the management of same diseases.[14‑16] The Seymour area of the Following the methods of Jovel et al.,[27] information was compiled
Eastern Cape Province is made up of the Xhosa tribes of South Africa through general conversations with the informants, while structured
and embedded with a strong tradition of using medicinal plants to cure questionnaires [Table 1] were used to obtain additional information
different diseases. about the methods of treatment. The information that was recorded
Few researchers have conducted different researches in Eastern Cape included local names of the plants used, their local uses, parts of the
Province including survey‑based methodology, but mostly focus on single plants used, the mode of preparation and forms of administration of the
ailment such as diarrhea; reproductive system diseases; mental illness; medicinal plants, age group, and gender of the persons interviewed.
respiratory infections; skin ailments; and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) A total of 34 informants, comprising nine traditional healers, seven
infections.[16‑21] There is, however, a need to collect more data from the herbalists, and 18 elderly villagers were interviewed. Eighteen of the
knowledge holders of their use of diverse plants in the management of interviewees were male and were between the ages of 39 and 70 years,
different kinds of diseases. These undisclosed ethnobotanical data are while the remaining 16 were female whose ages ranged between 35 and
important to be collected and urgently documented as the traditional 67 years. Figure 1 shows a female traditional healer being consulted by
knowledge about plants and their medicinal use is fast disappearing one of the inhabitants of Seymour. All the interviewees orally consented,
due to socioeconomic change, land use, climate change, and plant without any financial compensation, to share their knowledge with us for
overexploitation. the purpose of the study. Arranging the interviews was not a hassle as the
Ethnobotanical studies encourage the continuous search for natural researchers are familiar with the location and its residents.
products for use as medicines. Ethnobotanical surveys have been Informants offered to collect plant specimens they use and those
found to be one of the reliable approaches of discovering new drugs they know to be of medicinal value in the area. They accompanied
and new drug development.[22] The decline on the knowledge of the researchers to the field to identify the various plant species which
medicinal plant usage is a concern in Africa. This decline is due to the were not growing or cultivated near their homes. In the process, plant
fact that this significant knowledge is often transmitted from the older specimens concerned were collected. The plants were initially identified
generation to the younger via word of mouth and most of it has not been by their common names (Xhosa) and later validated at Giffen Herbarium
documented.[23] This is worsened by the increase of Western lifestyle
among communities and the lack of interest of the younger generation
Table 1: A questionnaire used during an ethnobotanical study
to carry on the tradition, which leads to the reduction in the number
of traditional healers.[24] Therefore, to protect our ancestral knowledge Parameter Information/Questions
of medicinal plants from completely being lost, we need to record it. Informants’ Name: _____
One of the best modern approaches to the preservation of traditional details Gender: _____
knowledge is documentation in some permanent form and public Age: _____
accessibility. Documentation and digitization of traditional medicine Occupation: _____
knowledge is the surest means of preservation; it ensures preservation Education: _____
of the delicate knowledge and ensures wider dissemination. It will
Location/residence: ______
also result in codification of best practices which can be transmitted Questions For how long have you been a traditional healer?
across communities in developing countries.[25] It is an effective tool for Which plants or plant products have you used for
defensive protection from biopiracy as well as expropriation without medicinal purposes, if any?
compensation by multinational pharmaceutical companies. It is a What ailments do you use?
veritable tool for checking any attempt by multinational corporations
Which part of the plant do you use?
to privatize such knowledge via Intellectual Property Right mechanisms
How is it used? (dried or fresh)
such as patent. Hence, when considering the patentability of any claimed
How do you prepare it for use? (tea, infusion, topical
subject matter, availability of traditional medicine knowledge database
application, etc.)
enables patent examiners all over the world to effectively and efficiently
Describe in detail how do you prepare for each ailment
evaluate the novelty of the claim.
How is the preparation administered?
The majority of the inhabitants of Seymour in the most rural areas rely
For how long do you have to take the preparation?
on traditional medicine for their health‑care problems, and there is no

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LISA VALENCIA BUWA-KOMORENG, et al.: Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants used in Seymour Area

Rutaceae (four species), Apiaceae (three species), Alliaceae (two

species), Amaryllidaceae (two species), Asclepiadaceae (two species),
Polygonaceae (two species), and Solanaceae (two species), while the
remaining 19 families had one species each.
In this survey, nine ailment categories were frequently mentioned and
are treated with a wide range of medicinal plants. These are respiratory
system diseases; reproductive system diseases; musculoskeletal disorder;
gastrointestinal diseases; ulcer, wound, and sores; ENT problems;
fever; infectious diseases; and circulatory system diseases which are
documented in Table 3. Twenty‑three species belonging to 18 families
were reported for the treatment of these ailments, with members of the
families Asteraceae (three species) and Rutaceae (three species) as the
most commonly used. Respiratory system diseases included shortness
of breath, asthma, and bronchitis, which had the highest ICF value of
0.65 followed by reproductive system diseases and musculoskeletal
system of 0.60 and 0.57, respectively [Table 3]. The higher ICF values
observed could be due to the ability of the respondents to easily diagnose
and treat with the available medicinal plants. Studies undertaken in
Morocco and Turkey agree with our finding that respiratory system
diseases had the highest ICF values.[31,32] Reports on pharmacological
activities of Asteraceae and Rutaceae included inhibition of rotavirus,
antileishmanial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimycobacterial,
antimalarial, antibacterial, and antifungal activities.[33‑37] Aloe ferox,
Alepidia amatymbica, Arctotis arctotoides, Taraxacum officinale,
Strychnos henningsii and Tulbaghia violacea were reported to be used in
the treatment of digestive system disorders, which included indigestion,
Figure 1: A patient in consultation with a traditional healer constipation, stomach aches, diarrhea, and vomiting. Twenty‑one
species in 15 families were mentioned to be used in this category,
with members of families Asteraceae (three species), Fabaceae (two
at the University of Fort Hare. Voucher specimens (Makinana 01–50) species), Polygonaceae (two species), Asclepiadaceae (two species), and
were prepared and deposited at the Giffen Herbarium. Euphorbiaceae (two species) as the most commonly used. Gynecological
problems included infertility, dysmenorrhea, and menorrhagia. Nine
Data analysis plant species were reported to be effective in treating these ailments. The
Quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor (ICF) were wounds’ category included severe wounds, cuts, ulcers, sores, rashes,
calculated on Microsoft Excel 2013 spreadsheet and GraphPad Prism and warts. Seven species in six families were reportedly sought for
software version 5 (GraphPad Software, Carlifonia, USA). their effective medicinal curative properties in this category. Six species
including Helychrisum odoratissimum, Ricinus communis, and Leonotis
Informant consensus factor leonurus were reported to be used for headaches. Most of the plant species
ICF was calculated thus as follows: (N ur − N t ) / (N ur − 1) . discovered in this survey were used to treat more than one ailments. For
Where Nur = Total number of use report for each ailment category: example, Strychnos henningsii was reported to be used in the treatment
Nt = Number of taxa used in the category.[28] of tuberculosis (TB), dysmenorrhea, constipation, and rheumatism.
Pharmacological activities reported for Euphorbiaceae families included
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION antidepressant, aphrodisiac, antidiarrheal, antibacterial, anthelmintic,
The survey established that people of Seymour are still making use of deticking, and antimalarial properties and depression of central nervous
medicinal plants. The gathered information was processed and analyzed system (CNS),[38‑40] while Fabaceae properties included antimicrobial,
in order to get the data in these aspects. A total of 34 informants, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, antiviral, anti‑inflammatory, anticancer,
comprising nine traditional healers (26%), seven herbalists (21%), antihypertensive, and antiparasitic.[41‑43] Medicinal plants from Apiaceae,
and 18 elderly villagers (52%) were interviewed. Eighteen of the Polygonaceae, and Solanaceae families were reported by researchers to
interviewees comprised 52% of males and 48% of females. Their possess numerous pharmacological activities, including CNS effect,
respective age range was 39–70 years and 35–67 years for the male antioxidant, antipyretic, antiathric, anti‑inflammatory, antimicrobial,
and female respondents. In the Eastern Cape Province, the care of antidiarrheal, anticancer and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
family is a shared responsibility between the father and mother, inhibitory activities, and effectiveness on serotonin reuptake transport
hence the observed equal representation of gender involved in the protein.[44‑48]
knowledge of different recipes that can be used to manage different Leaves were reported to be the most commonly used part of the
ailments and take care of the family. This result is consistent with other plants (22%) as depicted in Figure 2. This was followed by roots, bulbs,
surveys with similar societal belief.[29,30] The results obtained from this corms, and rhizomes, and then bark and stem. Fruits were reported as
survey [Table 2] indicated that 50 plant species belonging to 29 families the least used part of the plants. The level of consumption of these parts
were used in the treatment of various ailments by the people of Seymour. for medicinal purpose may be due to the presence of active metabolites
The results from the study also showed that members of the family present in them. The leaves is the center of biosynthesis of different
Asteraceae (six species) were the most commonly used plants in this metabolites, which may contain many bioactive principles that have
area, followed by Euphorbiaceae (four species), Fabaceae (four species), good medicinal properties.[49‑51] Different methods of herbal preparation

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Table 2: List of medicinal plants used for the treatment of various ailments common in the Seymour region of the Eastern Cape Province

Family Scientific name Common name (Xhosa) Uses Plant part(s) used Methods of preparation and administration
Alliaceae A. sativum L. Ivimbampunzi Sore throat Whole plant Decoction of leaf and bulb is taken orally.
TB Cloves of the bulb may be chewed four times a
day to treat sore throat
A fresh plant is crushed, boiled, and ¼th of a
cup is taken twice a day
T. violacea Harv. Itswele lomlambo Influenza, Bulb Fresh bulbs are boiled and a ¼th cup of the
fever, sore decoction is taken orally three times a day
throat, asthma,
constipation
Aloaceae A. ferox Mill. Ikhala Constipation, Leaves and roots Mucilaginous sap is collected from the leaves,
stomach ache, mixed with hot water, and ½ cup of infusion
toothache is taken three times a day before meals. Leaves
are also boiled in hot water, cooled, and
filtered, and ½ cup is taken three times a day
before meals
Roots are soaked in hot water and allowed to
cool. A ¼th of a cup is used to rinse the mouth
four times daily, for toothache
Amaryllidaceae Brunsvigia sp. Umayime Women infertility Leaves and roots Roots and leaves are soaked in cold water and
½ of the infusion is taken orally, once a day
C. obliquus (L.f.) Aiton Umathunga Wounds Roots Dried roots are burnt and ash is mixed with a
stomach ache small amount of water and used as a wound
dressing for fast healing. The bandage is
changed daily.
Roots are crushed and then soaked in cold
water and two tablespoons are taken three
times a day before meals
Anacardiaceae S. molle L. Ipepile Cough and colds Leaves and fruits Leaves and fruits are soaked in hot water
and one tablespoon of the infusion is taken
orally before going to bed. The vapor from the
leaf decoction is used as a nebulizer before
bedtime
Apiaceae A. amatymbica Eckl. Iqwili Colds, coughs, Roots and rhizomes Fresh roots and rhizomes may be chewed
and Zeyh. influenza, three times a day for common cold and
chest pains, cough. Dried roots are also boiled and ½
constipation cup of the decoction is taken twice daily for
constipation
C. asiatica (L.) Urb. Ithangazana Infertility, Roots Roots are crushed and then soaked in cold
dysmenorrhea water. The infusion (½ cup) is taken twice
daily
H. arborescens Umbangandlala Headaches, fever, Leaves and roots Leaves or roots are boiled and
(Spreng.) Cham. and and shortness of decoction (1 cup) is taken orally three times
Schltdl. breath a day
Araceae Z. aethiopica (L.) Inyibiba Sore throat Rhizomes and leaves Rhizomes are dried and ground into fine
Spreng. Wounds powders, mixed with cold water, and
administered by gargling three times a day
Fresh leaves are crushed and mixed with little
water. Then, the poultice is used for wounds.
Fresh leaves are also used as poultice
Asclepiadaceae A. fruticosa L. Igwada Blocked nose, Leaves Leaves are dried and ground into fine powder,
diarrhea, stomach and a pinch of powdered plant material is
aches, influenza snuffed.
One cup of leaf decoction or infusion is taken
three times a day
X. undulatum (L.) Itshongwe Headaches, stress Roots and leaves Dried roots are ground into fine powders and
W.T.Aiton stomach aches, used as snuff.
diarrhea, Roots or leaves are boiled and the decoction (1
dysmenorrhea, cup) is taken orally three times a day
high and low
blood pressure
Asphodelaceae B. frutescens (L.) Ibhucu Fever, TB, Roots and leaves Roots or leaves are boiled and about ½ cup of
Willd. diarrhea, vomiting the decoction is taken three times a day

Contd...

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Table 2: Contd...

Family Scientific name Common name (Xhosa) Uses Plant part(s) used Methods of preparation and administration
Asteraceae A. arctotoides (L.f.) Ubushwa Indigestion and Leaves Leaves are boiled in water and ½ cup of the
O.Hoffm. stomach aches decoction is taken three times a day
A. afra Jacq. ex Willd. Umhlonyane Ear aches, Leaves Leaves are boiled, then the warm brew is
coughs and cold, dropped into ears.
blocked nose Leaves are boiled and decoction (1 cup) is
taken orally three times a daily.
Fresh leaves are inserted into the nostrils
‑ B. pinnata Noronha Uvelemampondweni Diarrhea, Leaves Leaves are soaked in hot water and the
influenza, fever, infusion (1 cup) is taken three times daily
cold, hemorrhage
E. munitus (L.f.) Umsola Management of Leaves Leaves are boiled in water and 1 cup is taken
B.Nord. cancer orally, once a day
H. odoratissimum (L.) Impepho Ulcers, insomnia, Leaves Leaves are boiled and decoction (1 cup) is
Sweet low sex drive, taken two times per day. For insomnia, 1 cup
coughs, and chest of the decoction is taken at night
pains Leaves are boiled and the vapor is inhaled
Headaches
T. officinale (L.) Weber Ihlaba Constipation Leaves ½ cup of leaf decoction or infusion is taken
ex F.H.Wigg. orally two times a day
Cactaceae O. vulgaris Mill. Itolofiya Wounds Stem Fleshy stem is cut open, gently heated over
open fire, and applied over wounds once a day
Cannabaceae C. sativa L. Intsangu Coughs and chest Leaves Fresh leaves are boiled in water and a cup of
pains the decoction is taken as tea three times a day
Respiratory Dried leaves are pound and smoked three
ailments times a day
Celastraceae M. heterophylla (Eckl. Umqaqoba Respiratory Leaves A cup of leaf decoction or infusion is taken
and Zeyh.) N.Robson ailments, orally three times a day
dysmenorrhea
Crassulaceae C. orbiculata L. Imphewula Earaches Leaves Leaves are boiled in hot water and then
Warts allowed to cool. The filtered mixture is
used as eardrops three times a day to treat
inflammation.
A leaf is heated until very hot and placed on
the swollen part of the body to remove warts
Euphorbiaceae C. pulchella L. Umbheso Blocked nose Bark Dried bark is ground into fine powders and
snuffed
E. cooperi N.E.Br. ex Umhlontlo Diarrhea, stomach Bark Dried bark is ground, mixed with a sachet of
A.Berger disorders Epsom salt and boiled. The mixture is then
cooled, mixed with vinegar, and taken orally
three times a day
E. hirta L. Intsema Wounds Roots Fresh roots are crushed and used as wound
dressing daily
R. communis L. Umhlakuva Stomach aches, Leaves and roots Leaf infusion is prepared and 1 cup is drank
headaches, three times a day.
wounds, and sores Roots and leaves are used as poultice in
wounds and sores
Fabaceae A. caffra (Thunb.) Umnyamanzi Fever and colds Leaves Leaves are boiled in hot water, cooled, and filtered.
Willd. Decoction is taken as tea, a cup full twice daily
A. karroo Hayne. Umnga Stomach aches Bark Bark is ground and infused into water and a
cup full is taken twice daily
A. mearnsii De Wild. Idywabasi Diarrhoea Bark A cup full of bark infusion is taken orally three
times a day
E. caffra Thunb. Umsintsi Ear aches Leaves Infusion of the leaves is used as eardrops three
times a day
Hypoxidaceae H. colchicifolia Baker Inongwe Urinary tract Corms Fresh corms are crushed, boiled, and a cup full
infection is taken three times daily
Iridaceae Gladiolus sp. Umnunge Colds, Corms A cupful of corm decoction is taken three
stomach aches, times daily
dysmenorrhea, TB
Lamiaceae L. leonurus (L.) R.Br. Imficamficane Coughs, sore Whole plant Leaves, stem, and roots are boiled in water and
throat, cold, a cupful of decoction is taken three times daily
influenza, fever
and headaches

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Table 2: Contd...

Family Scientific name Common name (Xhosa) Uses Plant part(s) used Methods of preparation and administration
Oleaceae O. europaea L. Umnquma Sore throat Leaves and bark Leaves are boiled. Then the tea from the leaves
Diarrhea is used to gargle four times a day.
1 cup of bark decoction is taken orally, twice daily
Poaceae Eragrostis plana Nees Umtshiki Menorrhagia Roots 1 cup of root infusion is taken orally, twice
daily.
Polygonaceae E. australis Steinh. Inkunzane Laxative for Roots Roots are crushed and soaked in cold water.
infants, body One tablespoon of the infusion is taken orally,
pains twice daily
R. lanceolatus Thunb. Idololenkonyane Coughs, diarrhea, Whole plant A cupful of leaf or stem decoction is taken
infertility, orally, three times a day.
dysmenorrhea A cupful of root infusion is taken orally, three
times daily
Rhizophoraceae C. flanaganii (Schinz) Ummemezi Protect the skin Bark A bark is rubbed on a stone with a little
Alston from sunburn amount of cold water. The paste is applied on
the face daily as a cosmetic.
Rutaceae C. anisata (Willd.) Umfutho Headaches, fever, Leaves and roots Decoction of leaves and roots (½ cup) is taken
Hook.f. ex Benth. sore throat, orally, thrice daily.
sinusitis, Fresh leaves are crushed and used as wound
wounds dressing daily
P. obliquum (Thunb.) Umthathi Headaches Stem Stem is ground into fine powders and snuffed
Radlk.
Z. capense (Thunb.) Umlungumabele Severe coughs and Whole plant A stem bark is crushed and cooked and then
Harv. colds, chewed thrice daily.
sore throat, Decoction of leaves, fruits, bark, and roots is
chest pain, fever used for gargling four times a day.
Infusion or decoction of leaves (1 cup) is taken
orally as tea three times a day
Z. davyi Waterm. Umlungumabele Cough, sore Whole plant It is prepared and used the same way as Z.
throat, and fever capense
Salicaceae S. babylonica L. Umngcunube Wounds Bark A dry bark is burnt and then the ash is mixed
with a small amount of water and used as a
wound dressing daily
Salvadoraceae A. tetracantha Lam. Igcegceleya Coughs, asthma, Whole plant Decoction (cupful) is taken thrice daily
bronchitis,
diarrhea
Solanaceae L. ferocissimum Miers Umbhovu Stomach Whole plant A decoction is prepared and a cupful is taken
complaints, thrice daily
asthma, chest
complaints
S. aculeastrum Dunal Umthuma Coughs, fever, Roots, leaves, and Fresh roots and leaves are crushed and boiled,
sore throat, fruit and a decoction (1 cup) is taken three times
abdominal pains, a day.
diarrhea Fruit decoction is used as enema twice daily
Sterculiaceae S. henningsii Gilg Umnonono Dysmenorrhea, Bark Bark is crushed to powder and decoction is
constipation, TB, prepared and taken thrice daily
rheumatism
Urticaceae U. dioica L. Urhawu Nose infections, Leaves Leaves are dried and crushed into fine powders
For controlling and used as a snuff three times a day.
blood pressure Leaves are boiled and decoction (½cup) taken daily
Verbenaceae L. javanica (Burm.f.) Inzinziniba Fever, coughs, Leaves and stem Leaves or stem is boiled in water and taken
Spreng. colds, influenza, orally as tea (1 cup) three times a day.
sore throat, Dried leaves are ground into fine powders and
bronchitis, used as snuff
nose infections
A. sativum: Allium sativum; T. violacea: Tulbaghia violacea; A. ferox: Aloe ferox; C. obliquus: Cyrtanthus obliquus; S. molle: Schinus molle; A. amatymbica: Alepidea
amatymbica; C. asiatica: Centella asiatica; H. arborescens: Heteromorpha arborescens; Z. aethiopica: Zantedeschia aethiopica; A. fruticos: Asclepias fruticos;
X. undulatum: Xysmalobium undulatum; B. frutescens: Bulbine frutescens; A. arctotoides: Arctotis arctotoides; A. afra: Artemisia afra; B. pinnata: Bidens pinnata;
E. munitus: Euryops munitus; H. odoratissimum: Helichrysum odoratissimum; T. officinale: Taraxacum officinale; C. sativa: Cannabis sativa; M. heterophylla: Maytenus
heterophylla; C. orbiculata: Cotyledon orbiculata; C. pulchella: Clutia pulchella; E. cooperi: Euphorbia cooperi; E. hirta: Euphorbia hirta; R. communis: Ricinus communis;
A. caffra: Acacia caffra; A. karroo: Acacia karroo; A. mearnsii: Acacia mearnsii; E. caffra: Erythrina caffra; H. colchicifolia: Hypoxis colchicifolia; L. leonurus: Leonotis
leonurus; O. europaea: Olea europaea; E. australis: Emex australis; R. lanceolatus: Rumex lanceolatus; C. flanaganii: Cassipourea flanaganii; C. anisata: Clausena anisata;
P. obliquum: Ptaeroxylon obliquum; Z. capense: Zanthoxylum capense; Z. davyi: Zanthoxylum davyi; S. babylonica: Salix babylonica; A. tetracantha: Azima tetracantha;
L. ferocissimum: Lycium ferocissimum; S. aculeastrum: Solanum aculeastrum; S. henningsii: Strychnos henningsii; U. dioica: Urtica dioica; L. javanica: Lippia javanica;
E. plana: Eragrostis plana; O. vulgaris: Opuntia vulgaris; TB: Tuberculosis

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LISA VALENCIA BUWA-KOMORENG, et al.: Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants used in Seymour Area

Figure 2: The different parts of plants used against ailments common Figure 3: Mode of preparation of remedies used in the treatment of
among the residents of Seymour area in the Eastern Cape Province, ailments common among the residents of Seymour area in the Eastern
South Africa Cape Province, South Africa

Table 3: Ailment categories and informant consensus factor values extracts or sapping directly into the ear for ear infections; administering
enema through the rectum for digestive problems; and inserting fresh
Ailment category Nur Nt ICF
leaves into the nostrils for blocked nose.
Respiratory system diseases 32 12 0.65
Reproductive system diseases 11 5 0.60 Some plants such as Aloe ferox, Alepidia amatymbica, Artemisia afra,
Musculoskeletal disorder 15 7 0.57 Zantedeschia aethiopica, Arctotis arctotoides, H. odoratissimum, C. sativa,
Gastrointestinal diseases 29 15 0.50 R. communis, A. tetracantha, Olea europaea, L. leonurus, M. heterophylla,
Ulcer, wound, and sores 11 6 0.50 and Xysmalobium undulatum were frequently mentioned by the
Ear, nose, and throat problems 19 12 0.39 traditional healers, herbalists, and villagers during the survey. In addition,
Fever 12 8 0.36 it was interesting to note that Cyrtanthus obliquus, A. arctotoides, A.
Infectious diseases 10 7 0.33
afra, H. odoratissimum, Emex australis, Cassipourea flanaganii, Solanum
Circulatory system diseases 4 3 0.33
aculeastrum, Tulbaghia violacea, Asclepias fruticose, Bulbine frutescens,
Respiratory diseases: Asthma, cough, and colds; shortness of breath; respiratory
Opuntia vulgaris, L. leonurus, O. europaea, and S. henningsii were the
ailments; and bronchitis; Reproductive system diseases: Menorrhagia, urinary
tract infection, low sex drive, infertility, dysmenorrhea, and women infertility; most commonly used species in all the four villages (Phakamisa, old
Musculoskeletal diseases: Headaches, toothache, chest pain, and body pain; location, Izinyoka, and Joza). These plants have previously been cited
Gastrointestinal diseases: Stomach disorders, constipation, vomiting, and in literature for the management and treatment of many ailments in
diarrhea; Ulcer, wound, and sores: Ulcers, wound, sore, and warts; Ear, nose, South Africa, some of which were not mentioned by traditional healers,
and throat problems: Sore throat, ear aches, sinusitis, and blocked nose; Fever: herbalists, and villagers in the study area. For example, A. afra is reported
Fever; Infectious diseases: Influenza and TB; Circulatory diseases: Hemorrhage, to be effective in treating bronchitis, TB, mumps, pneumonia, pimples,
high and low blood pressure. Nur: Number of reports; Nt: Number of taxa; skin rashes, loss of appetite, colic, headache, ear ache, and intestinal
ICF: Informant consensus factor; TB: Tuberculosis worms,[52‑54] whereas L. leonorus is used against diabetes mellitus,
eczema, epilepsy, delayed menstruation, intestinal worms, constipation,
were also mentioned during the interview process. Preparing decoction scorpion stings, snake bites, skin rashes, and boils.[25,55‑57] A. ferox is a very
and infusion from the plant material was the most commonly used popular medicinal plant used to treat sores, wounds, acne, burns, blisters,
method of preparation [Figure 3]. Grinding the plant material into cold sores, cracked lips, insect bites, mouth ulcers, sunburn, rashes, and
fine powder was the preparatory method often used in the treatment of secondary infections of HIV.[53] This is not surprising considering that a
headaches, blocked nose, and other nose infections as well as respiratory single plant species may contain several chemical compounds that may
ailments, while boiling the leaf making a warm brew was mainly used be active against a wide array of diseases.[58] During the survey, some
in the treatment of ear aches. Grinding plant material into fine powder plants were reported to be more effective when used together with other
and making a paste was often used in the treatment of wounds and skin plants for the treatment of a number of ailments, for example, C. asiatica
infections. Heating the leaf and cut open fresh stem, burning the plant was reported to be more effective when mixed with R. lanceolatus for the
material into ashes, and making a paste were other reported preparatory treatment of infertility and other related diseases.
methods used for the treatment of wounds. Using the fresh material as
it is, with no preparations, was another method used in the treatment of CONCLUSIONS
coughs, colds, and blocked nose. This study has revealed important information on medicinal plants used
The application methods of herbal remedies also varied [Figure 4]. by people, traditional healers, and herbalists of Seymour region in the
They included taking the decoctions, infusions, or fresh plant material Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to treat various ailments. It also
orally for most reported ailments; application of plant extracts and paste demonstrates the vital role that medicinal plants play in the primary
directly on wounds and infected areas of skin; snuffing the powdered health care of these people. Fifty plant species, belonging to 29 families,
plant material for headaches and nose infections; smoking the powdered are used to treat a wide range of ailments including respiratory and
plant material for respiratory ailments; squeezing the warm plant reproductive system diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, skin infections,

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LISA VALENCIA BUWA-KOMORENG, et al.: Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants used in Seymour Area

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