Review

Ethnomedicine in South Africa: The role of weedy species

F. B. Lewu¹* and A. J. Afolayan²

¹Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, Kwa-Dlangezwa, 3886, South, Africa.

²Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, South Africa.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: flewu@pan.uzulu.ac.za. Fax: +2735 9026056.

Accepted 28 January, 2009

Some weedy plant species have competitive advantage over other species found growing in the same habitat due to their efficient utilization of mineral resources, adaptability to the environment and comparative high fecundity. They are often caught in the web of conservation policy which causes the indiscriminate eradication of these species without consideration for other potential economic importance. This review elucidates the medicinal importance of weedy species found growing in South Africa. Twenty four plant families and 34 species were implicated in the treatment of twenty one diseases and sicknesses by the different natives of South Africa. The importance of this work on the future management of weedy species is briefly discussed.

Key words: Medicinal plant, native medicine, South Africa, weedy species.