Medicinal Plants of Namibia

Flowers!are!small,!greenishSyellow!with! around!twoSdozen!downward!facing! stamen13.!!C.&mopane!has!a!“kidneySshaped! bean”13.!!This!woody!species!flowers! mainly!December!to!March,!with! occasional!sporadic!flowering13.!!The!fruit! might!be!found!all!year,!most!especially! during!the!period!February!to!May13.!! Mopane!has!leaves!from!November!to!June! dropping!leaves!from!July!to!October12.!( ( Governmental(protection(status:(This!! species!is!protected!under!the!Forestry! Ordinance5.( ( Indigenous(medicinal(use:!! A!bark!decoction!can!be!prescribed!for!diarrhea!and!stomach!complaints47.!!Crushed! fruit,!root,!and!leaves!combined!can!be!used!as!a!skin!cream47.!!Resin!brought!about! from!heated!wood!“heal[s]!the!most!persistent!of!wounds”47.!!The!Kwanyama!also! heat!the!resin,!let!it!cool,!and!apply!several!times!to!a!wound!until!it!heals35.!!The! wood!may!be!utilized!to!help!heal!syphilis!and!eye!irritation47.!!A!traditional! treatment!for!swollen!legs!involves!fresh!leaves!from!which!an!individual!may! recover!from!in!just!one!week9.! ! The!Himba!regard!mopane!as!sacred!to!their!culture13.!!The!Himba!are!particularly! adept!at!utilizing!a!variety!of!C.&mopane&plant!parts.!!Leaves!are!used!to!clean! wounds!and!as!bandages50.!!Fibers!of!the!leaves!“absorb!blood!and!promote! clotting”.!!Consuming!boiled!leaves!helps!with!coughs!and!stomachaches13,!50.!! Chewing!leaves!relieves!nausea,!acting!as!an!emetic13,!50.!!For!headaches!“soft!bark!is! used![by!wrapping!around]!the!head”13,!50.!! ! The!Himba!use!the!leaves!more!than!any!other!part!of!the!plant2.!!For!example,!they! use!the!leaves!of!the!plant!as!a!remedy!for!stomach!problems2.!!The!leaves!are! ground!up!using!two!stones!to!create!a!paste2.!!The!paste!is!then!boiled!in!water!to! create!tea.!!The!leaves,!tea!and!paste!have!multiple!purposes2.!!It!is!prescribed!to! clean!out!a!recent!mother’s!body!post!childbirth2.!!Additionally,!the!paste!is!put!on!a! newborn’s!belly!button!to!separate!umbilical!cord2.!!The!leaves!have!been! postulated!to!“relieve!pain”!as!well!as!the!clotting!and!blood2.!!To!help!reduce!pain! from!snakebites,!white!fibers!in!the!leaves!are!chewed,!spat!on!the!wound,!and! rubbed!in2.!!The!same!process!is!used!for!healing!post!circumcision!at!a!coming!of! age!ceremony2.!!The!same!remedy!is!also!used!for!healing!from!incisor!removal2.!! ( (

Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 19