The Top Traded Medicinal Plants of southern Africa

The trade in the medicinal plants of southern Africa is a vibrant and growing industry. It is an important livelihood option for rural women, and for those involved, it is a major contributor to household incomes. It is valued at R2.9 billion annually in South Africa and at least 133 000 households in South Africa are dependent on this rich floral heritage.

According to Arnold et.al. (2002), the current number of medicinal plants of southern Africa used in traditional medicine includes 215 families, 1 240 genera, and 3 689 taxa (species, subspecies and varieties), representing 15% of the regional flora. Of these, 771 taxa are actively traded.

From a family herbalist point of view, having such a large number of muthi flora at our disposal is exciting. Very exciting! But it is also overwhelming. Somehow, one has to whittle the list down to a more manageable size.

In this top traded list, we narrow the number down to 125 plants. Enjoy!

Side note: The geographical region of southern Africa is defined by the area south of the Kunene, Okavango and Limpopo Rivers, and includes Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho.

Related: The Muthi Flora of southern Africa Facebook Group

Criteria Used To Compile The Top Traded Medicinal Plant List

#1: Economic Importance

There are an estimated 200 000 traditional healers in South Africa and an estimated 80% of the population use their services.

It is no surprise then that trading in medicinal plants serves as a valuable source of income for several households in South Africa. According to Mander et al., the trade in herbal medicines in South Africa is estimated to generate an income valued at about R2.9 billion per year, representing about 5.6% of the National Health budget.

For example, in KwaZulu, Natal province, between 20 000 and 30 000 people (mostly woman), make a living from trading over 4 000 tonnes of medicinal plant materials valued at R60 million per year.

Dold and Cocks found that a total of 166 medicinal plant species estimated to be 525 tonnes and valued at about R27 million are traded in the Eastern Cape province annually.

In the Limpopo province, research by Botha et al. showed that 70 plant species were traded in Sibasa and Thohoyandou in Vhembe district, Giyani, and Malamulele in Mopani district. Moeng found that each medicinal plant trader in the Limpopo province generated more than R5 000 per month.

Williams et.al. did a semiquantitative survey of 50 umuthi shops on the Witwatersrand and compiled a lexicon of 511 plants traded commercially.

For the purposes of this list, we started with 15 taxa used by Western Herbal Medicine and Big Pharma. Next, we amalgamated the top 25 plants traded at the various muthi markets and muthi shops in southern Africa (as cited by the References used) into a master list of 108 taxa. The final result is 125 taxa that are of significant economic and medicinal importance.

#2: The Threatened Species (Red Data) List

It’s worth noting that in 86% of the plants harvested, the harvesting will result in the death of the entire plant. This has significant implications for the sustainability of supply.

Many of the traded plants are therefore under severe pressure in the wild and have been added to the Red Data List. If you are from southern Africa – whether you like it or not – you are a custodian of this floral heritage and you have a responsibility to protect and preserve it.

Correlating the traded species list with the Red Data list resulted in a list of 86 threatened species that are actively traded. Of these, 25 appear on the Top Traded list (see the Red List), and 61 taxa do not appear on the top 25 traded list. We’ve compiled the latter into an Orange List (see below).

Categories of Traded Medicinal Plants of southern Africa

Using the above criteria we painstakingly combed the literature (see References), and narrowed the list of 771 taxa being traded down to 125 species from 63 families. Now that’s a little more manageable!

We’ve divided the taxa into four categories.

1. Green List: Medicinal Plants used in Western Herbalism and by Big Pharma
2. Red List: Threatened Top Traded Medicinal Plants
3. Blue List: Top Traded Medicinal Plants (Not Threatened)
4. Orange List: Threatened Traded Medicinal Plants (Not in Top 25 traded)

The Green List
Medicinal Plants of southern Africa used in Western Herbalism and by Big Pharma

The Green List consists of 15 plants from 12 families.

These plants are well known, well documented, and heavily traded. Any family herbalist from anywhere in the world should be familiar with these plants.

Side note: We’ve included five naturalized species on the Green List. 

In alphabetical order, family first, then genus, then species. Naturalized species are indicated with an *

Apiaceae: Centella asiatica, Foeniculum vulgare *
Apocynaceae: Catharanthus roseus *
Asphodelaceae: Aloe ferox
Asteraceae: Artemisia afra
Cannabaceae: Cannabis sativa * Please note: It is illegal to trade in this species.
Cucurbitaceae: Momordica charantia
Euphorbiaceae: Ricinis communis *
Fabaceae: Aspalathus linearis,  Cyclopia genistoides,  Sutherlandia frutescens
Geraniaceae: Pelargonium sidoides
Moringaceae: Moringa oleifera
Pedaliaceae: Harpagophytum procumbens
Rutacea: Ruta graveolens *

The Red List
Threatened Top Traded Medicinal Plants of southern Africa

The Red List consists of 25 plants from 17 plant families.

Because of over-harvesting, and the rapid loss of the natural habitats of many of the medicinal plants of southern Africa, the documentation of the medicinal and cultural uses of these plants is becoming a pressing need.

These 25 plants are under severe pressure and they urgently need our attention. Make it a priority to add them to your materia medica. Especially those from your region.

Plants listed in Bold Red are on the Critically Endangered or Endangered Red Data list.

Amaryllidaceae: Clivia caulescens, Clivia nobilis
Apiaceae: Alepedia amatymbica
Apocynaceae: Hoodia gordonii
Asphodelaceae: Haworthia limifolia, Haworthia limifolia var. gigantea, Haworthia limifolia var. limifolia, Haworthia limifolia var. ubomboensis
Canellaceae: Warburgia salutaris
Celastraceae: Elaeodendron croceum, Elaeodendron transvaalense
Cornaceae: Curtisia dentata
Hyacinthaceae: Bowiea volubilis, Eucomis autumnalis, Eucomis autumnalis subsp. autumnalis, Eucomis autumnalis subsp. clavata
Hypoxidaceae: Hypoxis hemerocallidea
Lauraceae: Ocotea bullata
Malpighiaceae: Acridocarpus natalitius
Myrsinaceae: Rapanea melanophloeos
Ochnaceae: Brackenridgea zanguebarica
Passifloraceae: Adenia gummifera var. gummifera
Ranunculaceae: Knowltonia bracteata
Rutaceae: Agathosma betulina (has Green List status in terms of use in Western Herbal Medicine), Agathosma crenulata
Zingiberaceae: Siphonochilus aethiopicus

The Blue List
Top Traded Medicinal Plants of southern Africa (Not Threatened)

The Blue List consists of 85 plants from 39 plant families.

These plants are very popular and traded in large quantities at the muthi markets and shops – ranking under the top 25. Any family herbalist worth her salt will be familiar with the plants on the Blue List used in your own region.

Alliaceae: Tulbaghia acutiloba, Tulbaghia alliacea, Tulbaghia capensis, Tulbaghia violacea
Amaryllidaceae: Brunsvigia grandiflora, Bunsvigia natalensis, Brunsvigia radulosa, Clivia miniata, Haemanthus albiflos
Anacardiaceae: Harpephyllum caffrum, Protorhus longifolia, Sclerocarya birrea, Secamone gerrardii
Aquifoliaceae: Ilex mitis
Asparagaceae: Asparagus africanus
Asphodelaceae: Aloe maculata, Aloe tenuior, Bulbine abyssinica, Bulbine asphodeloides, Bulbine latifolia
Asteraceae: Achyrocline stenoptera, Callilepsis laureola, Helichrysum cymosum, Helichrysum decorum, Helichrysum epapposum, Helichrysum gymnocomum, Helichrysum kraussii, Helichrysum natalitium, Helichrysum nudifolium, Helichrysum odoratissimum
Caryophyllacea: Dianthus mooiensis, Dianthus thunbergii
Celastraceae: Gymnosporia buxifolia, Hippocratea longipetiolata, Pleurostylia capensis
Combretaceae: Terminalia sericea
Crassulaceae: Kalanchoe crenata, Kalanchoe crenata var. crenata, Kalanchoe paniculata, Kalanchoe rotundifolia, Kalanchoe thyrsiflora
Dioscoreaceae: Dioscorea dregeana, Dioscorea sylvatica
Dipsacaceae: Cephalaria humilis, Cephalaria natalensis
Dracaenaceae: Dracaena aletriformis
Eriospermaceae: Eriospermum cooperi
Euphorbiaceae: Croton gratissimus, Tragia meyeriana
Fabaceae: Albizia adianthifolia, Vachellia (Acacia) xanthophloea
Gentianaceae: Enicostema axillare
Geraniaceae: Monsonia angustifolia
Hyacinthaceae: Drimia elata, Eucomis pallidiflora, Merwilla plumbea, Ornithogalum longibracteutum
Hypoxidaceae: Hypoxis argentea var. argentea, Hypoxis colchicifolia, Hypoxis iridifolia
Kirkiaceae: Kirkia wilmsii
Meliaceae: Turraea floribunda
Melianthaceae: Bersama lucens, Bersama steyneri, Bersama swinnyi, Bersama tysoniana
Menispermaceae: Cissampelos capensis
Mesembryanthemaceae: Aptenia cordifolia
Myrsinaceae: Maesa lanceolata
Orchidaceae: Satyrium parviflorum
Passifloraceae: Adenia gummifera
Polygalaceae: Polygala serpentaria, Securidaca longepedunculata
Portulacaceae: Talinum caffrum
Rubiaceae: Burchelia bubalina, Rubia petiolaris
Rutaceae: Zanthoxylum capense
Santalaceae: Osyris lanceolata, Thesium pallidum
Strychnaceae: Strychnos decussata,  Strychnos henningsii
Tiliaceae: Corchorus asplenifolius
Vitaceae: Rhoicissus digitata, Rhoicissus tomentosa, Rhoicissus tridentata

The Orange List
Threatened Traded Medicinal Plants of southern Africa (Not in Top 25 Traded)

The Orange List consists of an additional 61 medicinal plants from 31 plant families.

The fact that they are not on the Top 25 Traded Medicinal Plants list does not make them less important. Focus your materia medica on the plants from your region – you are a custodian of these plants, whether you like it or not

Plants listed in Bold Red are on the Critically Endangered or Endangered Red Data list.

Acanthaceae: Thunbergia venosa
Amaryllidaceae: Boophone disticha, Clivia miniata var. miniata, Crinum bulbispermum,  Crinum macowanii, Crinum moorei, Cyrtanthus mackenii subsp. cooperi, Cyrtanthus obliquus, Haemanthus deformis
Anacardiaceae: Loxostylis alata
Apiaceae: Alepidea macowani
Apocynaceae: Hoodia officinalis subsp. officinalis, Hoodia pilifera subsp. pilifera, Mondia whitei
Aquifoliaceae: Ilex mitis var. mitis
Asphodelaceae: Aloe cooperi subsp. cooperi, Aloe linearifolia,  Aloe thraskii,  Gasteria croucheri, Haworthia fasciata, Haworthia koelmaniorum var. koelmaniorum
Asteraceae: Callilepis leptophylla
Balanitaceae: Balanites maughamii subsp. maughamii
Begoniaceae: Begonia dregei, Begonia homonyma
Celastraceae: Pterocelastrus rostratus
Colchicaceae: Sandersonia aurantiaca
Crassulaceae: Cotyledon orbiculata var. flanaganii
Cyathaceae: Cyathea capensis var. capensis
Dioscoreaceae: Dioscorea elephantipes, Dioscorea sylvatica var. sylvatica
Euphorbiaceae: Euphorbia bupleurifolia, Euphorbia woodii
Fabaceae: Albizia suluensis, Erythrophleum lasianthum, Umtiza listeriana
Gunneraceae: Gunnera perpensa
Hyacinthaceae: Eucomis bicolor, Eucomis comosa var. comosa, Eucomis pole-evansii
Hydrostachyaceae: Hydrostachys polymorpha
Lauraceae: Cryptocarya latifolia, Cryptocarya myrtifolia, Ocotea kenyensis
Orchidaceae: Ansellia africana, Eulophia speciosa
Passifloraceae: Adenia fruticosa subsp. fruticosa, Schlechterina mitostemmatoides
Proteaceae: Faurea macnaughtonii
Ranunculaceae: Anemone fanninii
Rhizophoraceae: Cassipourea gummiflua var. verticillata, Cassipourea malosana
Rosaceae: Prunus africana
Rubiaceae: Alberta magna
Sapotaceae: Vitellariopsis dispar
Stangeriaceae: Stangeria eriopus
Zamiaceae: Encephalartos heenanii, Encephalartos laevifolius, Encephalartos lebomboensis,  Encephalartos natalensis, Encephalartos ngoyanus

References

[1] Arnold. T.H., Prentice, C.A., Hawker, L.C., Snyman, E.E., Tomalin, M., Crouch, N.R. and Pottas-Bircher, C.
(2002). Medicinal and magical plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 13. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.

[2] Rasethe MT, Semenya SS, Maroyi A. Medicinal Plants Traded in Informal Herbal Medicine Markets of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:2609532. Published 2019 Apr 16. doi:10.1155/2019/2609532 Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6500648/

[3] Mahomoodally M. F, “Traditional Medicines in Africa: An Appraisal of Ten Potent African Medicinal Plants,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2013, Article ID 617459, 14 pages, 2013. Available at https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/617459 

[4] Williams, Vivienne & Victor, Janine & Crouch, Neil. (2013). Red Listed medicinal plants of South Africa: Status, trends, and assessment challenges. South African Journal of Botany. 86. 23-35. 10.1016/j.sajb.2013.01.006.

[5] Cheikhyoussef, Ahmad & Mapaure, Isaac & Shapi, Martin. (2011). The Use of some Indigenous Plants for Medicinal and other Purposes by Local Communities in Namibia with Emphasis on Oshikoto Region: A Review. Research Journal of Medicinal Plant. 5. 406-419. 10.3923/rjmp.2011.406.419.

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[8] Thembela Kepe (2007) Medicinal plants and rural livelihoods in Pondoland, South Africa: Towards an understanding of resource value, The International Journal of Biodiversity Science and Management, 3:3, 170-183, DOI: 10.1080/17451590709618171 https://doi.org/10.1080/17451590709618171

[9] Ndawonde B. G., Zobolo A. M., Dlamini E. T., Siebert S. J. A survey of plants sold by traders at Zululand muthi markets, with a view to selecting popular plant species for propagation in communal gardens. African Journal of Range & Forage Science. 2007;24(2):103–107. doi: 10.2989/AJRFS.2007.24.2.7.161.

[10] Dold A. P., Cocks M. L. The trade in medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Science. 2002;98(11-12):589–597

[11] Williams V. L., Balkwill K., Witkowski E. T. F. A lexicon of plants traded in the Witwatersrand umuthi shops, South Africa. Bothalia. 2001;31(1):71–98

[12] Mander M. Marketing of Indigenous Medicinal Plants in South Africa: A Case Study in KwaZulu-Natal. Rome, Italy: FAO; 1998.

[13] Mander M. (1997). Medicinal Plant Marketing in Bushbuckridge and Mpumalanga: A Market Survey and Recommended Strategies for Sustaining the Supply of Plants in the Region. Unpublished report, Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development, Danish Environment Protection Agency, Strandgade.