Herbs (compiled by Mr Musona. 0774377378.

Kadoma Prison)

What is a herb?
-is any useful plant which can be used in cooking, for cosmetics, to sooth ailments or to repel
pests
Herbal medicines
--is the use of any plant’s seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purposes
Herbs from the local environment for health and Agriculture
Ø Zumbani (shona) Lippia javanica (Latin)
Health Functions
-tea sooths fever and headache
Agricultural Functions
-it is pesticide
-it is a pest repellent (ticks in livestock)
Ø Pawpaw (mupopo: shona) Carica papaya (Latin)
Health Functions
-fruit is eaten
-facepack is made from the fruit
-its milk treats ringworm
-seeds expel worms
-poultice treats boils
Agricultural Functions
-it is a pesticide
Ø Moringa (shona) moringa alifera (Latin)
Health Functions
-leaves, flowers and green pods can be eaten
-dried seeds used to purify water
Ø Milk weed (English) Rurimirwemombe (shona) Sonchus oleraceus (Latin)
Health Functions
-milky juice can be used for pimples
Agricultural Functions
-traps aphids away in vegetables in the garden
Ø Guava leaf (English) Psidium guajava (Latin)
Health Functions
-fruits rich in vitamin C
-tea sooth coughs
-chewing fresh young leaves to help in soothing diarrhoea and mouth ulcers 3 times a
day for 3 days
Ø Bonongwe (shona) Amaranthus hybridus (Latin)
Health Functions
-high in iron, calcium, protein, vitamin A and C
-improves appetite
-reduces weight loss
Agricultural Functions

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 -used as liquid fertilizer
-improves soil texture
Ø Blackjack (English) Bidens pilosa (Latin) Muuwu (shona)
Health Functions
-tea soothes diarrhoea
Agricultural Functions
-used as liquid manure
-used as pesticide spray to treat aphids, caterpillars, crickets, mites, whitefly, ants,
termites and beetles
Ø Chilli (mhiripiri (shona) Capsicum annum (Latin)
Health Functions
-flavour soups, stews, curries and sauces
-improves appetite
Agricultural Functions
-its dust repels ants, slugs, cutworms and snails
-repel elephants from crop fields
-its spray treats plant diseases e.g. mosaic virus
Ø Garlic (avium sativum(Latin) )
Health Functions
-stimulates appetite
-the cloves treat flu, thrush, diarrhoea, worms and warts
Agricultural Functions
-helps to treat coccidiosis in livestock
-it is pest repellent
-is used as pesticide against army worm
Ø Ginger (shona: Tsangamidzi)
Health Functions
-stimulates appetite
-tea sooths sore throat, colds, flu, nausea, vomiting, aches and pains

Advantages of using herbs

-cheap
-they are accessible
-have few side effects
-easy to grow (from cuttings or seeds)
-able to grow in poor soils
-able to grow in small spaces e.g. potted
-grown in gardens to repel pests which is cheap as compared to conventional chemicals

Disadvantages of using herbs

-may be dangerous to use plant material which is not properly dried
-some herbs are very strong such that if wrongly used can be dangerous
-people may pick the wrong plant risking their health

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 -no proper quantities or concentration are known

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