Useful Plants Guide
Useful Plants Guide - Herbal Recipes
Useful Plants Guide - Cosmetics
Useful Plants Guide - Aromatherapy
Useful Plants Guide - Medicinal
Useful Plants Guide - Medicinal Herbs
Useful Plants Guide - Medicinal Plants
Useful Plants Guide - De-pollutants

Medicine systems are a combination of diagnosis, disease causes, treatments and health maintenance. African cultures have found solutions to prevent cure and promote health by often using herbal remedies. South Africa has thousands of traditional healers that use this method of herbalist healing. These methods have mostly been passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth but are often so successful that western doctors use a combination of herbal- and modern biomedical cures.

Useful Plant Parts:
Bulbs - bulbs, for instance garlic or onion, are underground structures of fleshy scales.
Rhizomes - elongated stems that grow horizontally below the ground, rooting into the ground and producing leaves above the ground.
Tubers - swollen, fat structures below the ground, often part stem part root. (Aim to harvest tubers without destroying the plant).
Gums - the sticky substance that sometimes flows from damaged stems. (When harvesting gum, care needs to be taken to seal off wounds afterwards to keep fungi and bacteria out).
Roots, Stems, Foliage, Flowers, Fruits, Seeds and Nectar.

Many of these plants or plant parts can be dried and stored, although mostly they need to be used freshly.

Preparation Methods:
Extracts - when extracting ingredients with water, alcohol or other suitable solvents. Prepare soft extracts by evaporating the extractive to the point of a soft mass.
Infusions - prepare by standing the plant part in cold- or boiling water for short periods of time and used within 12 hours.
Inhalation - inhaling the steam of liquid preparations, containing volatile ingredients, when vaporized correctly.
Tinctures - a product of alcoholic liquids, containing the active principles of vegetable medicines, that is achieved, through dilution, maceration or percolation.
Snuffs - when drawing finely powdered, dried plant parts into the nose through inhalation.
Other methods may include enemas, nasal drops, linctuses, liniments, mixtures, ointments, and lotions.

Listed Ailments and Plants:
Important: Many plants are toxic, scientific rationale behind some traditional remedies are unsure and dosages are uncertain. Therefore always consult a qualified health practitioner and do not temp to self-treat or self-diagnose.

Asthma, Cough, Bronchitis, Agathosma betulina; Alepidea amatymbica; Ballota africana; Cannabis sativa; Catha edulis; Croton gratissimus; Datura stramonium; Drimia robusta; Glycyrrhiza glabra; Leonotis leonurus; Lippia javanica; Mentha longifolia; Myrothamnus flabellifolius; Osmitopsis asteriscoides; Pellaea calomelanos; Protea repens; Prunus africana; Rapanea melanophloeos; Scadoxus puniceus; Securidaca longipedunculata; Siphonochilus aethiopicus; Tarchonanthus camphoratus; Tetradenia riparia; Thesium hystrix; Tulbaghia violacea; Viscum capense; Warburgia salutaris; Withania somnifera; Xerophyta retinervis; Ziziphus mucronata.

Bleeding
Heteropyxis natalensis; Rumex lanceolatus; Viscum capense; Xerophyta retinervis.

Burns, Boils, Wounds, Sores, Rashes
Agathosma betulina; Aloe spp.; Boophane disticha; Bulbine latifolia; Carpobrotus edulis; Centella asiatica; Chironia baccifera; Cinnamomum camphora; Cissampelos capensis; Cnicus benedictus; Cotyledon orbiculata; Datura stramomium; Dioscorea dregeana; Dodonaea angustifolia; Elephantorrhiza elephantine; Erythrina lysistemon; Glycyrrhiza glabra; Harpagophytum procumbens; Harpephyllum caffrum; Helichrysum spp.; Hypericum perforatum; Jatropha curcas; Kigelia africana; Lannea edulis; Leonotis leonurus; Lobostemon fruticosus; Melianthus comosus; Myrothamnus flabellifolius; Osmitopsis asteriscoides; Ricinus communis; Rumex lanceolatus; Scabiosa columbaria; Haemanthus coccinea; Scilla natalensis; Senecio serratuloides; Terminalia sericea; Withania somnifera; Xysmalobium undulatum; Zantedeschia aethiopica; Ziziphus mucronata;

Conjunctivitis
Aloe ferox; Terminalia sericea; Colds, Fevers, Influenza; Adansonia digitata; Agathosma betulina; Alepidea amatymbica; Artemisia afra; Ballota africana; Cinnamomum camphora; Croton gratissimus; Dicoma capensis; Dodonaea angustifolia; Helichrysum spp.; Heteropyxis natalensis; Lippia javanica; Mentha longifolia; Myrothamnus flabellifolius; Osmitopsis asteriscoides; Rauvolfia caffra; Rhus undulata; Siphonochilus aethiopicus; Salix mucronata; Tarchonanthus camphoratus; Tetradenia riparia; Tulbaghia violacea; Zanthoxylum capense; Zingiber officinale.

Constipation
Acorus calamus; Agothosma betulina; Aloe ferox; Aster bakeranus; Cassine transvaalensis; Cichorium intybus; Curtisia dentate; Dicoma capensis; Foeniculum vulgare; Gethyllis spp.; Glycyrrhiza glabra; Heteromorpha arborescens; Jatropha curcas; Pittosporum viridiflorum; Ricinus communis; Synaptolepis kirkii; Tarchonanthus camphoratus; Zanthoxylum capense; Zingiber officinale.

Diabetes
Artemisia afra; Catharanthus roseus; Cnicus benedictus; Psidium guajava; Terminalia sericea. Diarrhoea, Dysentery
Acacia karroo; Acorus calamus; Cassine transvaalensis; Cissampelos capensis; Curtisia dentate; Dicoma capensis; Dombeya rotundifolia; Elephantorrhiza elephantine; Elytropappus rhinocerotis; Geranium incanum; Hypericum perforatum; Kigelia africana; Lannea edulis; Pelargonium luridum; Psidium guajava; Punica granatum; Rhus undulata; Schotia brachypetala; Sclerocarya birrea; Syzygium cordatum; Terminalia sericea; Viscum capense; Xysmalobium undulatum; Ziziphus mucronata.

Haemorrhoids
Chironia baccifera; Dicoma capensis; Dombeya rotundifoia; Sansevieria hyacinthoides.

Headache
Acokanthera oppositifolia; Artemisia afra; Asclepias fruticosa; Aster bakeranus; Erythrophleum lasianthum; Ocotea bullata; Plumbago auriculata; Ptaeroxylon obliquum; Securidaca longipedunculata; Tarchonanthus camphoratus; Tetradenia riparia.

High Blood Pressure
Dicoma capensis; Olea europaea. Indigestion, Nausea, Heartburn, Colic
Acorus calamus; Agothosma betulina; Aloe ferox; Artemisia afra; Aspalathus linearis; Cichorium intybus; Cissampelos capensis; Cnicus benedictus; Cyclopia intermedia; Elytropappus rhinocerotis; Embelia ruminata; Foeniculum vulgare; Gethyllis spp.; Glycyrrhiza glabra; Harpagophytum procumbens; Lippia javanica; Pentanisia prunelloides; Scabioas columbaria; Schotia brachypetala; Sclerocarya birrea; Strychnos henningsii; Sutherlandia frutescens; Vernonia oligocephala; Viscum capense; Withania somnifera; Zanthoxylum capense; Zingiber officinale.

Infertility, Sterility, Impotence
Bersama lucens; Rhoicissus tridentate; Scilla natalensis; Typha capensis.

Insomnia, Hysteria, Anxiety, Convulsions, Epilepsy
Arctopus echinatus; Ballota africana; Bersama lucens; Boophane disticha; Cannabis sativa; Catha edulis; Datura stramonium; Dioscorea dregeana; Hypericum perforatum; Rauvolfia caffra; Ruta graveolens; Synaptolepis kirkii; Valeriana capensis; Withania somnifera.

Menstrual-, Antenatal-, Postnatal Disorders
Agapanthus africanus; Arctopus echinatus; Bersama lucens; Clivia miniata; Eucomis autumnalis; Geranium incanum; Gunnera perpensa; Harpagophytum procumbens; Pentanisia prunelloides; Rhoicissus tridentate; Scadoxus puniceus; Typha capensis; Viscum capense; Xysmalobium undulatum.

Prostate Troubles
Hypoxis hemerocallidea; Prunus africana.

Rheumatism, Gout, Arthritis
Aloe ferox; Capparis tomentosa; Catharanthus roseus; Cnicus benedictus; Datura stramonium; Dodonaea angustifolia; Erythrina lysistemon; Eucomis autumnalis; Harpagophytum procumbens; Hypericum perforatum; Kigelia africana; Knowltonia vericatoria; Pentanisia prunelloides; Ruta graveolens; Salix mucronata; Securidaca longipedunculata; Withania somnifera.

Toothache, Oral Thrush, Sore Gums, Earache
Acacia karroo; Berula erecta; Carpobrotus edulis; Cotyledon orbiculata; Datura stramonium; Dodonaea angustifolia; Ruta graveolens; Sansevieria hyacinthoides; Securidaca longipedunculata; Tetradenia riparia; Zanthoxylum capense.

Urinary Tract Infections (bladder and kidney)
Agathosma betulina; Arctopus echinatus; Drimia robusta; Foeniculum vulgara; Hypericum perforatum; Hypoxis hemerocallidea; Olea europaea; Peucedanum galbanum; Rhoicissus tridentate; Tetradenia riparia; Xysmalobium undulatum.

Worms
Aster bakeranus; Cotyledon orbiculata; Embelia ruminata; Punica granatum; Rumex lanceolatus; Sansevieria hyacinthoides.

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GENERAL WARNING
This website contains general information about medicinal plants and their uses. It is intended as a general overview and not as a medical handbook for self-treatment. Many of the medicinal plants described are highly toxic and may cause severe allergic reactions or serious poisoning. We cannot be held responsible for claims arising from the mistaken identity of plants or their inappropriate use. Do not attempt self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Always consult a medical professional or qualified practitioner.
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