Research:2011-12-13/Journal article/the-medical-ethnobotany-of-lesotho-a-review

Research record13 December 2011Journal article

The medical ethnobotany of Lesotho: a review

A. Moteetee, B.-E. Van Wyk

Bothalia · 2011

Abstract

Traditional healing in Lesotho is reviewed, focusing on four aspects: 1, cultural practices; 2, traditional health care practitioners; 3, dosage forms; 4, the materia medica. Cultural practices are strongly associated with the belief that intangible forces are responsible for human happiness and misery. A total of 303 plant species are used medicinally (including 25 alien species), representing eight pteridophyte and 75 angiosperm families, of which the most important are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Apocynaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae. Dicoma anomala (used mainly for digestive ailments) and Artemisia afra (used mainly for respiratory ailments) appear to be the best known and most widely used medicinal plants amongst a total of 37 species that have been cited four or more times in the literature. About 50 species are variously employed for magic and sorcery. There are no new species records but 36 new uses are reported. Our conclusion is that the medicinal plants of Lesotho are relatively well recorded and that this review will allow detailed comparisons with other African healing cultures.

The paper's abstract, reproduced as published.

DOI

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Record created 3 July 2026 · maintained by landrace.wiki editors · page history

Published13 Dec 2011

TypeJournal article

VenueBothalia

Year2011

DOI10.4102/abc.v41i1.52

CountryLesotho

DOI

2011-12-13 2026-07-03 The medical ethnobotany of Lesotho: a review Journal article Culture A. Moteetee, B.-E. Van Wyk Bothalia 2011 10.4102/abc.v41i1.52 https://doi.org/10.4102/abc.v41i1.52 A review of the medical ethnobotany of Lesotho recording Sesotho matekoane (Cannabis sativa) and its uses. Cite as Bothalia 41(1):209–228 (2011), not the widely-copied 43(2), 2013. Traditional healing in Lesotho is reviewed, focusing on four aspects: 1, cultural practices; 2, traditional health care practitioners; 3, dosage forms; 4, the materia medica. Cultural practices are strongly associated with the belief that intangible forces are responsible for human happiness and misery. A total of 303 plant species are used medicinally (including 25 alien species), representing eight pteridophyte and 75 angiosperm families, of which the most important are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Hyacinthaceae, Apocynaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae. Dicoma anomala (used mainly for digestive ailments) and Artemisia afra (used mainly for respiratory ailments) appear to be the best known and most widely used medicinal plants amongst a total of 37 species that have been cited four or more times in the literature. About 50 species are variously employed for magic and sorcery. There are no new species records but 36 new uses are reported. Our conclusion is that the medicinal plants of Lesotho are relatively well recorded and that this review will allow detailed comparisons with other African healing cultures. Lesotho