Description

This item is from "Some Common Medicinal And Poisonous Plants Used In Ethiopian Folk Medicine" work, by Amare Getahun.

Solanaceae

Capsicum annuum L.

mitmitta (A)

Chili is a spice grown widely in the backyards of many Ethiopians' homes. Both chili and black pepper are common spices used.

There are other uses of chili but the most common and important use is to eat raw meat with, a common dietary practice in Ethiopia. The raw meat is ground and the chili powder is mixed with it. A lavish amount of butter may be added to it. Nowadays the preparation is usually lightly roasted before it is consumed as a popular dish, "kitfo". The Gaurage tribe is noted for its art of making "kitfo". People's ideas differ as to the reason for using mitmitta with raw meat; some maintain the view that it is a flavoring agent while others think it is used to kill "germs" in the meat as well as in the stomach. Those who believe the latter use mitmitta against amoeba infections and stomach worms. There are also reports that it is used externally in ointment as an irritant.

Datura stramonium L.

attefaris, astenagrt (A)

A very common annual weed of cultivated fields and disturbed grounds.

Both seeds and leaves are used in medicine. Dried, ground leaves are mixed with butter and used as a fungicide to treat scalp infections and sometimes on the face.

The vapor of boiled seed pods is inhaled to alleviated the pain of toothache.

The leaves are crushed and made into a paste that is used to treat open sores of pack animals.

The black seeds are poisonous and a few seeds in a cup of tea or coffee are enough to produce instant death resulting from heart paralysis and in smaller quantity the powder from the ground seeds when mixed in local drinks such as areke, tej, and tella causes temporary insanity, a practice often used to make the drink more strong.

All parts of the plant are considered poisonous.

Nicotiana glauca R. Graham

tree tobacco (Eng.)

The tree tobacco is a shrub or small tree up to lO ft. or more. The upright branches tend to be flexible, slender and often green in color. The leaves 2-6 inches in length are characteristically light or grayish green in color due to the tin waxy coating on both surfaces. The leaves are leathery in texture, hence the plant is draught resistant, often preferring well drained limestone areas.

This plant, now quite common in eastern Ethiopia is said to be of recent introduction. It is seen along highways in low to mid-altitude areas. Farmers remark that it was introduced by the desert locust whose droppings produced the first seedlings.

Some people" although they cannot be specific, consider it to be a plant of generally good medicinal value and may be poisonous to cattle.

The shrub contains a powerful insecticide, like nicotins (UNESCO, 1960). The plant, if not for anything else deserves investigation for its insecticidal property. It grows on dry limestones and poor soil.

Solanum incanum L.

ingulla (T)

inboye (A)

hidi (G)

apple of Sodam (Eng.)

Shrubby herb up to 4 ft. high, widely spread throughout the country. Generally very common in overgrazed range areas or road- sides.

The globose fruits are bright orange in color and children are thus tempted to eat them. Poisoning in youngsters is not uncommon. The teeth are damaged and tarnished permanently. The fruits are used to treat gonorrhoea and in leather tannery by mixing with urine.

Solanum marginatum L.f

geber-imbway, zerch-imbway (A)

heda, iddi-orabissa (G)

angulle (T)

Plant up to ane meter in height and quite common im mid to high altitudes, usually occurring in damp spots on roadsides"

It is easily recognizable from the more common imbwav (Solanum incanum)by its larger leaves that are white beneath and the large fruits The flower is white.

The ripe yellow fruits are boiled and used as a soap substitute in clothes.

The seed, roasted lightly, is used as medicine for weak heart and stomach complaints. The fruits are also used in leather tannery.

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal.

gisewa (A)

agolla, athmai (T)

gutita (GH)

shuna (Som)

Shrub usually under l m. in height. Leaves, stems, and fruits are tomentose. Flowers are greenish, fruit red. The plant is common in open grasslands.

This is a widely known medicinal plant in India. The plant is also regarded as narcotic. It is used to treat coughs and asthma and is used as well as an anti-epileptic. However, no specific use was reported to me by Ethiopian natives.

 

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herbs, medical, medicinal, poisonous, plant, folk medicine, ethiopia