An Ethnobotanical Survey of a Dryland Botanical Garden and Its Environs in Kenya: The Mutomo Hill Plant Sanctuary

Table 3

An account of the medicinal plants reported in Mutomo hill plant sanctuary and its environs. The relevant reported medicinal uses of the plant species or literature reporting other medicinal applications of the plant species have been indicated where possible.

Family and species name	Local name	Habit	RFC	Parts collected	Drug preparation and administration	Disease treated	Relevant reported disease treated or use
Acanthaceae
Barleria eranthemoides R.Br. Ex C.B.Clarke	Thangila	Shrub	0.06	Leaf, root	A poultice is applied topically	Foreign objects pierced into the skin and boils	References [13, 64]
Amaranthaceae
Achyranthes aspera var. sicula L.	Musekele	Herb	0.02	Whole plant	Burnt to charcoal and ground into a powder which is taken in hot drinks. The powder is alternatively rubbed on a bleeding part of the body that is cut with a razor adjacent to the kidney	Kidney pains	Urinary tract problems [41]
Anacardiaceae
Lannea schweinfurthii Engl.	Kyuasi	Tree	0.02	Bark	An infusion is drunk	Gonorrhea	Gonorrhea, venereal diseases, and gynecological problems [1, 44, 64]
Apiaceae
Steganotaenia araliacea Hochst.	Kivwavui	Tree	0.04	Exudate, aerial parts	An exudate is dropped into the eyes in case of sensitiveness or itching. An infusion from aerial parts is steam bathed for edema	Itching eyes, sensitive eyes, edema	Edema, partial blindness, and body swellings resulting from allergy [1, 41, 64]
Apocynaceae
Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand.	Ilumbu	Shrub	0.04	Exudate	Applied topically	Foreign objects pierced into the body	Removing splinters pierced into the body [64]
Edithcolea grandis N.E.Br.	Mutulya-ndu	Herb	0.02	Exudate	Applied topically on infected skin	Ringworms	Reference [64]
Asparagaceae
Sansevieria perrotti Warb.	Kiwa kya ndui	Herb	0.02	Exudate	The leaf is heated in hot ash and the exudate squeezed into the ear. The treatment is initiated when the ear starts to ooze pus	Earache	Cuts and body aches [1, 65]
Burseraceae
Commiphora baluensis Engl.	Itula	Tree	0.15	Bark	An infusion is drunk. Alternatively, the bark is dried and ground into a powder which is infused in hot drinks	Diarrhea, swollen diaphragm	Peptic ulcers [64]
Commiphora edulis (Klotzsch) Engl.	Kyoa kika	Tree	0.04	Bark	An infusion is drunk	Tapeworms, cough, chest pains	Diarrhea, dysentery, and indigestion [1, 44]
Commiphora habessinica (O.Berg) Engl.	Mutungati	Tree	0.06	Exudate	Applied topically	Septic wounds	Old wounds [64]
Capparaceae
Boscia coriacea Graells	Musivu	Shrub	0.06	Leaf	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea	Stomach-ache [1, 29, 66]
Maerua endlichii Gilg and Bened.	Muthitu	Shrub	0.02	Stem	Burnt into charcoal, ground into a powder, and infused in hot drinks	Swollen diaphragm	Reference [29]
Combretaceae
Combretum hereroense Schinz	Mukokola	Shrub	0.06	Leaf	Chewed and the extract swallowed	Tuberculosis, cough	Chest pains [44]
Terminalia brownii Fresen.	Kiuku	Tree	0.29	Bark	Bark from the stems or roots is chewed and the extracts swallowed for cough. A warm infusion is bathed for yellow fever and drunk against diarrhea	Cough, yellow fever, and diarrhea	Yellow fever, jaundice, stomach-ache, gastrointestinal complications, and cough [1, 29, 34, 36, 66]
Terminalia prunioides M.A.Lawson	Kitoo	Tree	0.02	Bark	A decoction is drunk	Ringworms, peptic ulcers, kidney pains, and aphrodisiac in men	Reference [60]
Compositae
Aspilia pluriseta Schweinf. ex Schweinf.	Muti	Shrub	0.02	Leaf	A poultice is applied topically	Fresh cuts	Wounds and cuts [1, 34, 64, 66]
Kleinia squarrosa Cufod.	Mung’endya Nthenge	Herb	0.13	Aerial parts	An infusion is bathed	Malaria, measles, smallpox, and edema	Malaria and edema [13, 34, 64]
Launaea cornuta (Hochst. ex Oliv. and Hiern) C.Jeffrey	Uthunga	Herb	0.08	Aerial parts	An infusion is bathed	Malaria, smallpox, edema	Malaria, arthritis, and measles [1, 34, 64]
Sphaeranthus kirkii var. cyathuloides (O.Hoffm.) Beentje	Musonzoila	Herb	0.10	Aerial parts	An infusion is bathed	Malaria, edema	Headache [1]
Tridax procumbens (L.) L.	Mumela	Herb	0.04	Leaf	A poultice is applied topically	Fresh cuts, wounds	Wounds [64]
Cucurbitaceae
Kedrostis pseudogijef C. Jeffrey	Mukauw’u	Climber	0.04	Leaf, exudate	A leaf infusion is bathed against measles. An exudate applied on fresh cuts	Measles, fresh cuts	Reference [64]
Euphorbiaceae
Croton dichogamus Pax	Mwalula	Herb	0.13	Bark, leaf	An infusion from the bark is drunk for malaria, back pains, stomach-ache, edema, and cough. An infusion from the leaves is bathed for malaria. A root decoction is drunk for impotence and infertility	Malaria, back pains, stomach-ache, edema, cough, impotence, and infertility	Stomach-ache, chest problems, fever, cough, and as a tonic [1, 60, 66]
Croton megalocarpus Hutch.	Muthulu	Tree	0.19	Bark, leaf	An infusion from the bark is drunk for constipation and stomach-ache. The bark is alternatively dried and ground into a powder which is infused in hot drinks. A warm leaf infusion is bathed against malaria and colds	Constipation, stomach-ache, malaria, colds	Stomach-ache, diarrhea, and malaria [1, 36, 64]
Euphorbia crotonoides Boiss.	Kamweia	Herb	0.02	Exudate	Applied topically	Warts	Warts [1]
Euphorbia scheffleri Pax	Kilembwa	Shrub	0.04	Exudate	Applied topically	Fresh cuts	References [1, 13]
Euphorbia uhligiana Pax	Kyaa kinini	Herb	0.02	Whole plant	Burnt to charcoal and ground into a powder which is infused in hot drinks	Hypertension	References [1, 65]
Ricinus communis L.	Mbaiki	Herb	0.04	Roots, seeds	An infusion from the root is drunk against diarrhea. The anal opening is exposed to smoke from burning seeds as a remedy for pinworms	Diarrhea, pinworms	Diarrhea and stomach-ache, ruminal impaction or constipation and as a laxative [1, 34, 41, 64, 66, 67]
Lamiaceae
Endostemon tereticaulis (Poir.) M.R.Ashby	Mutaa	Herb	0.10	Aerial parts, roots	An infusion from aerial parts is bathed and drunk against malaria, edema, and diarrhea. Powder from dried roots is infused in hot drinks as a remedy against back pains	Malaria, edema and diarrhea, back pains	Reference [1]
Hoslundia opposita Vahl	Musovi	Shrub	0.02	Leaf	An infusion is steam bathed	Edema	Edema [64]
Plectranthus lasianthus (Gürke) Vollesen	Kiyo	Herb	0.02	Whole plant	An infusion is steam bathed	Kwashiorkor, edema in children	Reference [68]
Plectranthus otostegioides (Gürke) Ryding	Kyeu	Shrub	0.02	Whole plant	An infusion is steam bathed	Kwashiorkor, edema in children	Reference [69]
Pycnostachys umbrosa (Vatke) Perkins	Muvou	Shrub	0.02	Root	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea, stomach-ache	Emetic [60]
Volkameria eriophylla (Gürke) Mabb. and Y.W.Yuan	Muumba	Shrub	0.15	Leaf	An infusion is drunk and steam bathed against malaria and edema	Malaria, edema	Edema and malaria [1, 64]
Leguminosae
Acacia brevispica Harms	Mukuswi	Shrub	0.02	Aerial parts	An infusion is steam bathed	Edema	Edema [64]
Acacia mellifera (M.Vahl) Benth.	Kithiia	Shrub	0.02	Bark	An infusion is drunk, sometimes mixed with the bark of Lannea schweinfurthii	Gonorrhea	References [1, 66]
Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile	Kisemei	Tree	0.54	Bark	Chewed and extracts swallowed. An infusion is alternatively drunk	Cough, chest pains, malaria, pneumonia	Malaria, cough, chest pains, and pneumonia [1, 34, 42, 44, 64, 66]
Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne	Mwaa	Tree	0.25	Bark, root	Fresh root is dried in hot ash and smoked like a cigarette as a remedy for flu. The bark is chewed against cough and pneumonia. Alternatively, an infusion from the bark is drunk	Flu, cough, and pneumonia	Cough and colds [29, 64]
Albizia anthelmintica Brongn.	Kyoa kisamba	Tree	0.25	Bark	An infusion is steam bathed against edema and drunk against tapeworm, gonorrhea, and measles. The bark is burnt into charcoal and ground into a powder which is applied on septic wounds	Edema, tapeworm, gonorrhea, measles, and wounds	Intestinal worms, edema, old wounds, and gonorrhea [1, 32, 34, 64, 66, 67, 70]
Cassia abbreviata Oliv.	Kyalandathe	Tree	0.63	Aerial parts, bark	Aerial parts are chewed and the juice retained in the mouth as a remedy for toothache. A decoction or an infusion from the stem or bark is drunk against cough, malaria, gonorrhea, kidney pains, colds, and pain in joints	Toothache, cough, malaria, gonorrhea, kidney pains, colds, and pain in joints	Gonorrhea, malaria, pneumonia and chest complaints [1, 66]
Delonix elata (L.) Gamble	Mwaange	Tree	0.02	Bark	Dried and ground into a powder and topically applied	Septic wounds	Wounds [64].
Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight and Arn.	Munoa-mathoka	Shrub	0.02	Bark	Chewed and the extracts swallowed	Cough	Cough [64]
Entada leptostachya Harms	Mwaitha	Climber	0.10	Exudate, root	The exudate is applied into an injured eye. A root infusion is taken in case of food poisoning or a snake bite. A root poultice is used to message the body in case of an internal injury	Eye injury, food poisoning, snake bite, and internal injury	Snake bites, cuts, arrow poisoning and eye injuries [29, 34, 64]
Indigofera lupatana Baker f.	Muthika	Shrub	0.10	Bark	An infusion from the root bark is drunk for cough, diarrhea, and constipation. The root bark is alternatively chewed and the extracts swallowed	Cough, diarrhea, and constipation	Cough and stomach-ache [29, 34, 64]
Senna occidentalis (L.) Link	Musingili	Herb	0.04	Root	An infusion is drunk	Stomach-ache and diarrhea	Stomach-ache and diarrhea [1, 15]
Tamarindus indica L.	Kithumula	Tree	0.19	Leaf, fruit	An infusion from the fruit is drunk against tonsillitis. The tonsils are also massaged with leaf and fruit poultice. An infusion of fruits and leaves is drunk and bathed against smallpox, measles, and edema	Tonsillitis, smallpox, measles, and edema	Coughs, throat, measles, chicken pox, edema, sore throat, and oral thrush [1, 64]
Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers.	Mwenyu	Herb	0.02	Root	A decoction is drunk	Malaria	Fever [44]
Loganiaceae
Strychnos henningsii Gilg	Muteta	Tree	0.46	Bark, leaf	An infusion is drunk or powder from dried leaves and bark is infused in hot drinks	Malaria, constipation, pneumonia, kidney pains	Body pains, malaria, pneumonia, chest pains, and stomach-ache [1, 32, 34, 64]
Malvaceae
Grewia tembensis Fresen.	Mutuva	Shrub	0.04	Bark	A decoction is drunk or the roots dried, ground into a powder, and infused in hot drinks	Reduced appetite, swollen diaphragm	Heartburn and cough [64, 65]
Grewia tephrodermis K.Schum.	Mulawa	Shrub	0.06	Roots, aerial parts	A root decoction is drunk against diarrhea, stomach-ache, and as an aphrodisiac in men. An infusion from the aerial parts is steam bathed for edema and skin rashes	Diarrhea, stomach-ache, aphrodisiac in men, edema, skin rashes	Dermatitis, diarrhea and restoring female fertility [1, 29, 64]
Grewia villosa Willd.	Muvu	Shrub	0.06	Root	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea	Diarrhea, stomach-ache, and amoeboid dysentery [1, 64, 66]
Sterculia africana (Lour.) Fiori	Kiusya		0.13	Bark, aerial parts	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea	Diarrhea and dysentery [1]
Meliaceae
Melia volkensii Gürke	Mukau	Tree	0.04	Leaf	A decoction is drunk and bathed	Malaria, edema	Edema and malaria [34, 64]
Menispermaceae
Chasmanthera dependens Hochst.	Usyiii	Liana	0.04	Stem	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea	Reference [60]
Cissampelos pareira L.	Kutu kumwe	Climber	0.15	Root	An infusion is drunk	Diarrhea, stomach-ache	Stomach ailments [1, 44]
Moraceae
Ficus sycomorus L.	Mukuyu	Tree	0.02	Exudate	Applied on tooth	Toothache	Toothache [1, 44]
Moringaceae
Moringa borziana Mattei	Mululo	Shrub	0.17	Root	An infusion is bathed against edema and drunk for malaria and gonorrhea. The roots are alternatively dried and ground into a powder which is infused in hot drinks	Edema, malaria, and gonorrhea	References [71, 72]
Phyllanthaceae
Bridelia taitensis Vatke and Pax ex Pax	Kyaanthya	Tree	0.02	Leaf	Is used as a bandage after application of herbal medicine in the form of a powder	Septic wounds	Reference [1]
Plumbaginaceae
Plumbago zeylanica L.	Wala	Shrub	0.10	Root	A decoction is drunk, sometimes mixed with roots of Moringa borziana	Gonorrhea	Gonorrhea [64]
Rubiaceae
Hymenodictyon parvifolium Oliv.	Mulinditi	Shrub	0.02	Root	An infusion is steam bathed	Edema	Edema [64]
Tennantia sennii (Chiov.) Verdc. and Bridson	Kisilingu	Shrub	0.08	Root	A decoction is drunk	Diarrhea, malaria, impotence, and infertility	Literature not found
Rutaceae
Vepris simplicifolia (Engl.) Mziray	Mutuyu	Tree	0.10	Leaf, bark, root	An infusion is drunk and steam bathed	Edema, malaria	General body pains, malaria, and pleurisy [1, 17, 34, 36, 64, 66]
Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl.	Mukenea	Tree	0.27	Bark, fruit	The root bark poultice is applied on an aching tooth as a remedy for toothache. An infusion from the bark or fruit is drunk against malaria, edema and cough. Alternatively, the bark, and the fruit are ground into a powder which is infused in hot drinks	Toothache, malaria, edema, and cough	Malaria, edema, cough, and toothache [1, 17, 29, 34, 64, 66]
Solanaceae
Solanum campylacanthum Hochst.	Kitongu	Shrub	0.15	Root, fruit	An infusion from the root is drunk against diarrhea. Juice from a fruit is retained in the mouth as a remedy for toothache. Juice from a ripe fruit is applied topically on body parts infected with ringworms	Diarrhea, toothache, and ringworms	Stomach-ache, diarrhea, amoeboid dysentery, toothache, and ringworms [1, 32–34, 41, 64, 66, 73]
Solanum tettense Klotzsch	Mutongatongu	Shrub	0.02	Root	A decoction is drunk	Diarrhea and stomach-ache	Stomach-ache [64]
Vitaceae
Cissus aphyllantha Gilg	Muvelengwa	Liana	0.06	Root	An infusion is used as a head wash in case of headache and drunk against diarrhea and pneumonia	Headache, diarrhea, and pneumonia	Diarrhea and amoeboid dysentery [34, 64]
Cissus rotundifolia Vahl	Itulu	Liana	0.02	Leaf	A poultice is used as a bandage	Septic wounds	Septic body swellings, boils, and used as ear drops [32, 44]
Xanthorrhoeaceae
Aloe secundiflora Engl.		Herb	0.31	Exudate, inflorescence	An infusion of the exudate is drunk against malaria, cough, peptic ulcers, and a swelling of the diaphragm. The peduncle of the inflorescence is alternatively burnt to charcoal and ground into a powder which is licked or infused in hot drinks. An exudate from the leaf is dropped on septic wounds	Malaria, cough, peptic ulcers, swelling of the diaphragm, and wounds	Malaria, diarrhea, ulcers, swollen diaphragm, open wounds, and lack of appetite [1, 29, 34, 38, 64, 67, 73]
Zygophyllaceae
Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile	Kilului	Tree	0.08	Fruit	The pulp of a ripe fruit is eaten	Colds, cough, and kwashiorkor	Kwashiorkor, cough, and chest complaints [1, 29, 66]