Garden Plants in Zimbabwe: Their ethnomedicinal uses and reported toxicity

BACKGROUND

In Zimbabwe, there are several plants that have been grown in homes for primary survival and for aesthetic reasons, both exotic and indigenous species. The properties of some of these plants is unknown yet some have been discovered to be poisonous to humans and livestock. Some cases of plant poison have been accidental, hence there is need to protect the public from the toxicity of these plants.

RESEARCH GOALS AND METHODS

To initiate this study of ethnomedicine and toxicology of garden plants in Zimbabwe, an online literature search was conducted using various scholarly websites and peer reviewed literature. References were also identified by searching the extensive library collections from three universities and the National Herbarium. The libraries were consulted for books on poisonous plants and ethnomedicinal uses of garden and ornamental plants.

CONCLUSIONS AND TAKEAWAYS

According to the authors, certain plants with healing properties can be valuable medicinal drugs if used at a low dosage. Therefore, there is need for further research into the scientific validation of these plants. Ethnomedicine studies must be done with some basic knowledge of botanical identification of the species, as there is a relationship between taxonomy and chemical profile.