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Medicinal plants used by the Masango people in Gabon
ELSEVIER SCIENCE IRELAND
Journal of Ethnopha~a~lo~
41 (1994) 193-200
Medicinal plants used by the Masango people in Gabon B. AkendenguCaqb, A.M. Louis’ “Department OS Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia, CICIBA, B. P. 770. Libreville, Gabon hDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Libreville. Gabon ’ Narionul Herbarium of Gabon, CENA REST-IPHAMETRA, 5.P. 842, Libreviiie. Gabon
(Received 19 May 1993; revision received 5 November 1993; accepted 19 November 1993)
Abstract Plant species listed are used by the Masango people in two selected villages - Ibagha and Muyanama - in the Ngounie province of Gabon. For each species listed, the family, botanical name, vernacular name, voucher specimen number and medicinal uses are given.
Key words: Masango; Gabon; Healers; Medicinal plants
1. Introduction Masango, who are Bantu speaking people closely related to the Eshira group, inhabit a mountainous region in south central Gabon. Traditionally they are a matrilinear and patrilocal clanic group whose main activities include farming and metal working (Deschamps, 1962; RapondaWalker, 1967). The Masango have been chosen on the basis that they are one of the few ethnic groups in Gabon known to have kept medical practices as part of their cultural heritage. Broadly speaking only general literature exists on the use of medicinal plants in Gabon (Walker and Sillans, 196 1; Adjanohoun et al., 1984; Wagner 1986). By contrast, the present article focuses on the use of medicinal plants relating to a single ethnic group, the Masango.
In the present study we have tried to assess the nature and extent of the knowledge possessed by traditional healers in the two villages by identifying the medicinal plants they use. 2. Methodology Field work was carried out from 10 to 20 February 1990 and from 26 to 3 1 December 1992 in Ibagha and Muyanama villages. It consisted in obtaining from the healers information relating to the identification of plants, medical uses and the preparation of remedies. The informants were two local traditional healers, Mr Mbembo Jeremy and Mr Massala Alo’ise, of good reputation in the area. All the information was given to us in Masango and Mr Pangu Moi’se, native of one of the villages and
* Corresponding author, Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia. CICIBA, B.P. 770, Libreville. Gabon. 0 1994 Eisevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 0378-874i~4/$07.~ SSDI 0378.8741(93)01087-3
194
B. Akendengut!, A.M. Louis/J.
well-known to the healers and familiar with the tradition, provided the translation. The accuracy of the information was checked by asking different elderly people the uses of the plants and by comparing the answers thereof. For every plant indicated by the traditional healers, samples were preserved in alcohol and dried after the fieldwork. Subsequently, proper identification was made in the National Herbarium in Libreville. The voucher specimens are preserved in the Herbarium of ClClBA and the National Herbarium of Gabon.
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
193-200
Leaves together with cola fruit are ground and cooked with monkey head and eaten against acute pains. ANGIOSPERMAE ACANTHACEAE
Acanthus montanus (Nees) T. Anders, ‘Dibangambali’, ‘Mabanga-mbali’. Louis 3146. The pounded leaves, with honey added, are eaten to protect against poison. ANACARDIACEAE
3. Results
Pseudospondias longifolia Engl. ‘Mutsungubali’. Reitsma 1339.
Although we chose traditional healers to be our main informants, most Masango people appear to be familiar with the use of medicinal plants. A total of 1I5 plants were shown to us of which 81 were identified and recorded in the present survey. Food medicinal plants were not included in the present study. The plants are listed botanically by famiiies and in alphabetical order. The information is presented in the following sequence: scientific name of the plant, vernacular name as recorded by us, voucher specimen number, method of preparation and use.
The fruit or bark decoction is drunk against heart palpitation.
PTERIDOPHYTA
Alstonia congensis 3191.
ASPlDlACEAE
Lastreopsis efulensis (Bak.) Tardieu. ingui’. Louis 3148.
‘Ditsengu-
The leaves crushed with Musasa (Huvungu!?cr ~~~~g~~~~~~e~~j~s) are eaten against heart palpitation. The plant is also a stimulant for hunting dogs.
Trichoscypha acuminata Engl. ‘Imbamba’. Floret f401.
The bark macerate is drunk, the ripe fruit eaten or a necklace made from the almonds worn to treat the inflammation of testicles. APOCYNACEAE
Alstonia boonei de Wild. “Mukuka’. L,ouis 3130.
The bark decoction is drunk as a galactagogue. Engl. ‘Mupapuntzti’.
Louis
The leaves or the bark are pounded and applied on sores and wounds. Rauvolfia mannii Stapf. ‘Mupapuntzu’. Louis 3152, Louis 3169.
The powdered bark is applied locally to treat sores and wounds. Mixed with palm oil it is used to remove lice from the hair.
DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. ‘Isselela’. BA 64.
The young plants are pounded and applied on abscesses. The leaves are crushed and the juice used externally as nasal drop to treat syncopa.
Tabernaemontana 3168.
crassa
Benth.
‘Iruhu’.
Louis
The latex is taken to treat abscesses. ARACEAE
SELAGINELLACEAE
Selaginella
cathedr~~~~a ‘Maghiiyu’. Louis 3167.
Spring,
‘Dighhyu’,
The leaf decoction is drunk against dizziness.
Rhektophyllum mirabile N. E. Br. ‘Tara’. Louis 3171.
The leaf decoction is drunk to treat pulmonary diseases.
B. Akendengue,A.M. Louis /J. Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200 ASTERACEAE
Ageratum conyzoides L. ‘Koundi-iwidzi’. Louis 3129. The leaves are eaten together with cola fruit and salt to treat pain in the side.
195
Santiria trimera (Oliv.) Aubr. ‘Tombu’. Louis 2010. The pounded bark is eaten with banana to treat diarrhoea. CARYOPHYLLACEAE
Emilia coccinea (Sims) G. Don. ‘Bambelusa’. Louis 3121. The leaves are crushed and the juice used externally in case of scabies.
Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Roem. et Schult. ‘Landii’. Louis 3181. The leaves are crushed and applied externally to treat snake bite.
Crassocephalum bojeri (DC.) Robyns. ‘Mudiambu’. Louis 3145, Louis 3184. The leaf decoction is drunk against infant diseases. The crushed leaves mixed with an egg are eaten to calm agitation in case of schizophrenia.
CRASSULACEAE
Spilanthes caulirhiza (Delile) DC. ‘Kungui’. Louis 3119. The leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed against cold. Vernonia amygdalina Del. ‘Ndoki’. Reitsma 2066. The leaves are crushed and the juice is used against tinea. Vernonia cinerea (Linn.) Less. ‘Ndzuba’. Louis 3134. The leaves are placed on fire to be softened, then crushed and applied against snake bite in association with Inuka (Solenostemon latifolius) and Mungangati (Adenia reticulata). Vernonia conferta Benth. ‘Mupusa’. Louis 3183. The leaf or bark decoction is drunk against stomach ache. BEGONIACEAE
Begonia sessilifolia Hook. f. ‘Bukolu’. BA 60. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat cough. Begonia elatostemmoides Hook. f. ‘Bukolu’. BA 61. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat cough.
Kalanchoe crenata (Andr.) Haw. ‘Diyuyiha’. Louis 3128. The fresh leaves are crushed and the juice used externally as nasal drop in case of infantile syncope. DILLENIACEAE
Tetracera cf: podotricha Gilg. ‘Muvuva’. BA 62. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat dysmenorrhoea or to clean the urethra. EUPHORBIACEAE
Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. et Thonn.) Mull. Arg. ‘Mbudzi’. Louis 3193. The vapours from boiling leaves are inhaled to relieve toothache. Centroplacus Louis 3197. The leaf schizophrenia.
glaucinus decoction
Pierre. is
‘Pumbangani’. drunk
against
Croton cf longiracemosus Hutch. ‘Dibiimbi’. BA 70. The root decoction mixed with corn is drunk as an anthelmintic. The hot bark is applied locally as an antiinflammatory. Drypetes gossweileri S. Moore. ‘Muyungu’. S. R.F. 863. The pounded fresh bark is used as a cataplasm and as an antirheumatic, whereas the bark decoction is drunk against tilaria.
BURSERACEAE
Aucoumea klaineana Pierre. 1697. The bark macerate is drunk
‘Ngumi’.
Reitsma
to treat diarrhoea.
Euphorhia hirta Linn. ‘Fouarou’. The leaves are crushed and against scabies.
Louis 3354. used externally
196
B. Akendengutt
~u~~~~~~Y~~ $&urn Ii&ill. Arg. ‘Mughughasa’. Louis 3185.
A.M.
Louis /J.
Ethnopharmacol.
41 (I 994)
193-200
IRVINGIACEAE Irvingia grandtfolia (Engl.) Engl. ‘Mulenda’. Louis
drunk as a magic spell. Mudiambu effect.
31.54. The bark decoction is used in a bath to treat asthenia. For children the leaves are pounded and mixed with food,
P~yll~~~~us diandrus Pax. ‘Mub~ngu’. Louis 3190. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat heart palpitation.
LAMIACEAE Hyptis lanceolata Poir. ‘Mukyemou’, “Mukamonghila’. Louis 3122, Louis 3151, Louis 3182.
P~ag~osty~es africana (Miill. Arg.) Prain. ‘Dibouta’. Louis 3142.
The leaves are placed on fire then crushed and the juice is used as a cicatrizant. Mixed with palm oil, they are applied on the body against scabies or as medico-magic.
The decoction of fresh leaves is medico-magic to free someone from a Jt may be associated with (Crassocephalun? bojeri) for the same
The decoction of fresh leaves is drunk against constipation. The velvety part of the fresh leaves is applied on burns. Tetrorchidium didymostemon (Baill.) Pax et K. Hoffm. ‘Ndzodu’. Louis 3I63, Louis 3192. The sap is used externally as an antalgic. The powdered bark mixed with palm oil is applied locally in case of rheumatism. The leaf or bark decoction is used in a bath to treat wounds or against fiiaria. GU'MIFERAE A~Ianbla~k~a~or~b~da
Ohv. ‘Mukumbu’. Louis 3150. The bark is chewed against cold, whereas the bark decoction is drunk against cough. Garcinia punctata Oliv. ‘Utende’. BA 63.
The bark decoction is drunk to treat headache. The bark is also used for the fermentation of palm wine.
gratissimum Linn. “Didudumbe’, ‘Madudembe’. Louis 3127. The leaves are crushed and the juice inhaled or the leaf decoction drunk to treat headache and fever. Ocimum
Soienostemon lat~liu~~ (Hochst. Morton. ‘Inuka’. Louis 3132.
ex Benth.) J.K.
The leaves are crushed and used against snake bite. LECYTHIDACEAE Combretodendrum macrocarpum (P. Beauv.) Keay. ‘Mbindzu’. BA 65.
The bark is eaten to treat cough and as an anthelmintic. LEGUMINOSAE
Symphonia globulifera L. ‘Mubbra’. Walk 547.
subfamily ~AESALPINIOIDEAE Cassia alata Linn. ‘Kinkeliba’. Reitsma 603. The leaves are crushed and used against psoriasis.
The bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk in case of scabies.
Cassia hirsuta Linn. ‘Kinkeliba’. Louis 3358.
HYPERICACEAE madagascar~ensis ~arungana ‘Musasa’. Louis 3138.
The leaf decoction diseases. Lam.
ex
is drunk to treat hepatic
Poir.
The sap of the tree and the bark decoction are used as antiseptic and cicatrizant in case of circumcision.
Copatfera religiosa Leonard. 2600.
‘Mutombi’.
Wilks
The bark macerate is drunk against cough and stomach ache.
B. Akendengu!. A.M. Louis/J.
Dialium pachyphyllum
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
Harms. ‘Pulu’. Louis 31.57. is drunk against cough.
The bark macerate
197
193-200
moussirou’,
‘Madudumba
ma moussirou’.
Louis
3158, Louis 3170, Louis 3356.
The leaves are chewed to treat cough. Distemonanthus
henthamianus
Baillon.
‘Muvengi’.
Reitsma 2600.
Dicellandra barteri Hook. f. ‘Makuku’.
The bark decoction as an antirheumatic. Sindoropsis
or macerate
le testui (Pellegr.)
is used in a bath
Leonard.
‘Ilombi’.
BA 68.
The bark decoction is drunk as anthelmintic or used in a bath as a stimulant. Mixed with palm oil, the resin is used externally against scabies. Subfamily
MIMOSOIDEAE
Cylicodiscus gabonensis
Harms.
‘Muduma’.
Willes
1103.
The bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk to treat back pains, headache and pain in the side. Subfamily
PAPILIONOIDEAE
Desmodium
adscendens (SW.) DC. var. adscendens. ‘Dipinda dimukuyi’. Louis 3180. The leaves are placed on a fire to be softened and used as a cataplasm in case of fracture. The leaf and stem decoction is taken to treat venereal diseases. Eriosema glomeratum (Guill. et Perr.) Hook. f. ‘Tsamu’. Louis 3179. The foliage stem decoction is drunk in case of syncope. The leaves are used for poisoning fish. Pterocarpus soyauxii Gauchotte 1793.
Taub.
‘Ngula’,
‘Digwabi‘.
The bark decoction is used in a bath as a stimulant. Mixed with the decoction of Mughubi (Staudtia gabonensis), it is drunk against dysentery. LILIACEAE Asparagus racemosus
The leaf or tubercle pain in the side.
Willd. ‘Mutuba’. Louis 3187. decoction is drunk to treat
The leaves are cooked against chest pains.
Amphiblemma
setosum
Hook.
f. ‘Didudumba
di
meat
Louis 3188.
and
eaten
Dichaetanthera africana (Hook. f.) Jacques-Felix. ‘Dissessa’. Louis 3139. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat flu or fever. Dinophora spenneroides Louis 3186.
The leaf decoction cold.
Benth.
is drunk
‘Nyenguingui’.
against
cough and
Medinilfa mirabilis (Gilg) Jacques-Felix. ‘Dilimiidikusu’, ‘Dipetu’. Louis 3162, Louis 3189. The leaves are eaten or the leaf decoction drunk to treat flu and fever. MORACEAE Musanga
cecropioides R. Brown ex Tedlie. ‘Musenga’. Louis 2034. The bark decoction is drunk against cough and constipation. Myrianthus
cunelfolius
(Engl.)
Engl.
‘Muvuva’.
Louis 3195.
The leaf decoction is drunk to relieve dysmenorrhoea while the macerate is taken to clean the urethra for men. MYRISTICACEAE Pycnanthus angolensis
(Welw.)
Exell. ‘Dilomba’.
Louis 1941.
The bark decoction is drunk to treat cough, fever, headache, sore throat and quinsy. The decoction of the bark, together with that of Mughubi (Staudtia gabonensis), is recommended in case of diarrhoea and dysentery. Staudtia gabonensis
MELASTOMATACEAE
with
Warb. ‘Mughubi’. Louis 2157. The bark decoction is drunk against dysentery, diarrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, cough and toothache.
B. Akendengub, A.M. Louis/J.
198
Morinda
OLACACEAE
Strombosia
pustulata
Oliv. var. pustulata ‘Ngole’.
BA 66.
The bark decoction side and backache.
is drunk
to treat pain in the
PANDACEAE
Microdesmis
cf. camerunensis
Leonard.
‘Mbasu
munyungui’. Louis 3159. The plant is used as medico-magic.
lucida
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200
Benth.
‘Mururumbi’.
Reitsma
2065.
The leaf or bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk against abdominal pains. Porterandia cladantha (K. &hum.) Keay. ‘Ibandja ndzao’. BA 67. The bark decoction is drunk to treat pain in the side, backache and as an anthelmintic. SCYTOPETALACEAE
Brazzeia
PASSIFLORACEAE
Adenia reticulata (De Wild. et Th. Durand)
Engl. ‘Mungangati’. Louis 3135. The plant is crushed and the juice is used against snake bite in association with Inuka (Solenostemon lat(folius) and Ndzuba ( Vernonia cinerea). Barteria fistulosa
Mast. ‘Mugumina’. Louis 3141. The bark decoction is drunk or taken in food mixture to treat venereal diseases and madness.
soyauxii var. acuminata (Van Tieghem) R. Letouzey. ‘Tsebata’. Louis 3174. The fruit is pounded with water and the juice drunk in case of heart palpitation. The bark decoction is recommended in case of female sterility. SIMAROUBACEAE
Odyendyea gabonensis Reitsma 1396.
(Pierre)
Engl.
‘Musighiti’.
Powdered bark mixed with palm oil is smeared over the affected parts of the body to treat psoriasis.
PIPERACEAE
Piper umbellatum
L. ‘Dilembttogo’. Louis 3140. The leaves are used as medico-magic in the rites made upon the birth of twins. Pounded with water they are used in a bath as a febrifuge for children.
STERCULIACEAE
POLYGALACEAE
Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott et Endl. ‘Muali’. Louis 3156. The bark decoction is used in a bath as a cicatrizant in case of venereal diseases. Mashed roots are also taken to heal wounds.
Carpolobia
alba G. Don.
The root decoction
‘Kuta’. Louis 3172. is drunk as an aphrodisiac.
RUBIACEAE
Geophila afzelii Hiern.
The finely crushed hepatic diseases.
‘Dibali’. Louis 3176. leaves are eaten for treating
Cola verticillata (Thonn.) Stapf ex A. Chev. ‘Muali’. Louis 3173. The bark or leaf macerate is taken to treat cough. ULMACEAE
Celtis tessmanii Rendle. Massularia acuminata (G. Don) Bullock
ex Hoyle.
‘Nama’. Louis 1452. The bark macerate is drunk as a galactagogue. The bark and leaves are also recommended against poison. Mitragyna ciliata Aubr. et Pellegr. ‘Tobu’. Reitsma 799.
The bark chest pains.
macerate
is drunk
against
cold and
The bark decoction side.
‘Musaka’. Louis 3160. is drunk against pain in the
ZlNGiBERACEAE
Ajramomum
giganteum (Oliv. et Hanb.) K. Schum. ‘Diyombu’. Louis 3164. The leaves and stem are pounded and the juice applied to heal wounds. The stem is pounded with water and the filtered juice drunk as an anthelmintic.
B. Akendengue, A.M. Louis/J.
Costus ligularis
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
199
193-200
Bak. ‘Mukuisa’. Louis 3124, Louis
3147.
The leaves and stems are crushed and the filtered juice drunk against cold. The whole plant is crushed and the juice used to hypnotise snake.
Table 1 New recordings in Gabonese pharmacopoeia since 1990 Name of species
Vernacular name
PTERIDOPHYTA
4. Discussion Eighty-one recorded species belong to 35 families, of which the principal ones include the Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Leguminosae-Caesalpinioidae, Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae. Among the identified plants, 24 are new recordings as Gabonese medicinal plants. These are listed in Table 1. One of these plants, Sindoropsis le testui is endemic in the GabonCameroon area (Aubreville, 1968; Vivien and Faure, 1985). On the basis of the recorded information, scabies, diarrhoea, dysentery, cough, sores, cold, headache, chest and abdominal pains, heart and venereal diseases appear to be the most common __ complaints treated by these healers. Many plants are employed as antalgics. Some plants, by themselves or in mixtures, are used to treat snake bites. A few plants are recommended for several conditions. Only two plants - ‘Ditsenguigui’ (Lastreopsis efulensis) and ‘Mukuisa’ (Costus ligularis) - were recorded for veterinary use. -In the study, some families were associated with the treatment of certain diseases. The main indications for which Melastomataceae species are used appear to be cough, flu, cold and fever. The barks of the Burseraceae ‘Ngumi’ (Aucournea klaineana) and ‘Tombu’ (Santiria triinera) were indicated for the treatment of diarrhoea. The barks of ‘Dilomba’ (Pycnanthus angolensis) and ‘Mughubi’ (Staudtia gabonensis), which are both Myristicaceae, were recommended for the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery and cough. By contrast, some medicinal properties described appear to be related to some aspect of the plant itself. For example ‘Imbamba’ (Trichoscypha acuminata) was said to be a plant that heals testiclular inflammation because the fruits look like testicles. Similary ‘Nama’ (Massularia acuminata) is used as a galactagogue because its fruit looks like a breast. Conversely, an aspect of a plant can determine its
ASPIDIACEAE
Lastreopsis efuiensis (Bak.) Tardieu
Ditsenguingui
SELAGINELLACEAE
SelaginellacathedrifoltoSpring
Dighoyu, Maghoyu
ANGIOSPERMAE APOCYNACEAE
Alstoniaboonei de Wild. Rauvolfa monnii Stapf.
Mukuka Mupapuntzir
ASTERACEAE
Crassocephalwn bojeri (DC.) Robyns Mudiambu Kungui Spiianthes caulirhiza (Delile) DC. BEGONIACEAE
Begonia sessilifolia Hook. f. Begonia elatostemmoides Hook. f.
BukBlu BukBlu
EUPHORBIACEAE
Centroplacus glaucinus Pierre Croton cf. longiracemosusHutch.
PhyllanthwdiondrusPax
Pumbangani Dibiimbi MubPngu
GUTTIFERAE
GarciniapunctataOliv.
Utende
Lb4lACEAE
SolenostemonIatifolius(Hochst. ex Benth.) J. K. Morton
Inuka
LEGUMINOSAE
Subfamily
CAESALPINIOIDEAE
Cassia hirsuta Linn. Sindoropsis le testui (Pellegr.)
Kinkeliba
Leonard
Ilombi
LILIACEAE
AsparagusracemosusWilld.
Mutuba
MELASTOMATACEAE
Dichaetanthera africana (Hook. f.)
Jacques-Felix MediniNa mirabilis (Gilg) Jacques-
Felix
Dissessa Dilimii-dikusu, Dipetu
PANDACEAE
Microdesmis cf. camerunensis
Leonard
Mbasu munyungui
B. Akendengue, A.M. Louis/J.
200
Table
I (Continued)
Name of species
Vernacular
name
PASSIFLORACEAE
Adenia reticulata (De Wild. et Th. Durand) Engl.
Mungangati
RUBIACEAE
Geophila afzelii Hiem.
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200
present survey, which was limited to two villages, cannot claim to have covered the pharmacopoeia of the Masango people as a whole. More fieldwork is required if a complete picture of the Masango pharmacopoeia is to be given. Nevertheless, the collected data points to a very rich medical tradition still in practice which deserves a more sustained investigation.
Dibali
6. Acknowledgements SCYTOPETALACEAE
Brazzeia soyauxii var. acuminata (Van Tieghem) R. Letouzey
Tsebata
ULMACEAE
Celiis tessmanii Rendle
Musaka
ZINGIBERACEAE
Costus ligularis Bak.
Mukuisa
name. Medinilla mirabilis, whose leaves look like a tongue, is called ‘Dilimii-dikusu’ literally meaning ‘tongue of the parrot’. Similary Cylicodiscus gabonensis is called ‘Muduma’ meaning ‘snake’ because the bark and the spikes on the trunk of the tree make it look like a snake. On the other hand, it was noticed that the identity of some plants was determined by their medicinal properties. Alstonia congensis and Rauvolfia manii have the same vernacular name ‘Mupapuntzti’ because the plants are used for healing sores and wounds. Myranthius cuneifolius and Tetracera podotricha are both named ‘Muvuva’ because they are used for the same indications in genital area: to treat dysmenorrhoea and to disinfect the urethra. For certain plants the distinction was not made at the level of species. Begonia sessifolia and Begonia elatostemmoides are both identified as ‘Bukulu’. Similary Cassia alata and Cassia hirsuta are known as ‘Kinkeliba’ whereas Cola acuminata and Cola verticillata are called ‘Muali’. 5. Conclusion Although our main objective was to study the medicinal plants used by the Masango people, the
The authors thank the French Ministry of Cooperation and Development which, through the Assistance and Cooperation Fund (FAC) given to CICIBA, has financed the present study. We would also like to thank Mr Pangu Moi’se for providing the translation and for his assistance during the fieldwork. We are equally grateful to the traditional practitioners Messrs Mbembo Jeremy and Massala Aloi’se, and other elders for their valuable contribution to the realization of this work. 7. References Adjanohoun, E.J., Ake Assi, L., Chibon, P., de Vecchy, H., Duboze, E., Eymt, J., Gassita, J.N., Goudote, E., Guinko, S., Keita, A., Koudogbo, B., Le Bras, M., Mourambou, I., Mve-Mengome, E., Nguema, M.G., Ollome, J.-B., Posso, P. and Sita, P. (1984) Medecine Traditionnelle et Pharmacopee. Contribution aux Etudes Ethnobotaniques et Floristiques au Gabon. Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique, Paris, 294 pp. Aubreville, A. (1968) Flore du Gabon. 15. LegumineusesCaesalpiniodees. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire de Phantrogamie, Paris, pp. I7 I - 173. Deschamps, H. (1962) L’Homme d’outre-Mer. Traditions Orales et Archives au Gabon. Berger-Levrault, Paris, pp. 46-49. Raponda-Walker, A. (1967) Contes Gabonais. Presence AfriCaine, Paris, pp. 229-230. Vivien, J. and Faure, J.J. (1985) Arbres des For&s Denses d’Afiique Centrale. Minis&e Francais des Relations Exttrieures, Cooperation et lXveloppement/Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique, Paris, pp. l44- 145. Wagner, A. (1986) Aspects des Medecines Traditionnelles du Gabon. Editions Universelles, Toulouse, 329 pp. Walker, A. and Sillans, R. (1961) Les Plantes C/tiles du Gabon. P. Lechevalier, Paris, 614 pp.
Journal of Ethnopha~a~lo~
41 (1994) 193-200
Medicinal plants used by the Masango people in Gabon B. AkendenguCaqb, A.M. Louis’ “Department OS Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia, CICIBA, B. P. 770. Libreville, Gabon hDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Libreville. Gabon ’ Narionul Herbarium of Gabon, CENA REST-IPHAMETRA, 5.P. 842, Libreviiie. Gabon
(Received 19 May 1993; revision received 5 November 1993; accepted 19 November 1993)
Abstract Plant species listed are used by the Masango people in two selected villages - Ibagha and Muyanama - in the Ngounie province of Gabon. For each species listed, the family, botanical name, vernacular name, voucher specimen number and medicinal uses are given.
Key words: Masango; Gabon; Healers; Medicinal plants
1. Introduction Masango, who are Bantu speaking people closely related to the Eshira group, inhabit a mountainous region in south central Gabon. Traditionally they are a matrilinear and patrilocal clanic group whose main activities include farming and metal working (Deschamps, 1962; RapondaWalker, 1967). The Masango have been chosen on the basis that they are one of the few ethnic groups in Gabon known to have kept medical practices as part of their cultural heritage. Broadly speaking only general literature exists on the use of medicinal plants in Gabon (Walker and Sillans, 196 1; Adjanohoun et al., 1984; Wagner 1986). By contrast, the present article focuses on the use of medicinal plants relating to a single ethnic group, the Masango.
In the present study we have tried to assess the nature and extent of the knowledge possessed by traditional healers in the two villages by identifying the medicinal plants they use. 2. Methodology Field work was carried out from 10 to 20 February 1990 and from 26 to 3 1 December 1992 in Ibagha and Muyanama villages. It consisted in obtaining from the healers information relating to the identification of plants, medical uses and the preparation of remedies. The informants were two local traditional healers, Mr Mbembo Jeremy and Mr Massala Alo’ise, of good reputation in the area. All the information was given to us in Masango and Mr Pangu Moi’se, native of one of the villages and
* Corresponding author, Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia. CICIBA, B.P. 770, Libreville. Gabon. 0 1994 Eisevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 0378-874i~4/$07.~ SSDI 0378.8741(93)01087-3
194
B. Akendengut!, A.M. Louis/J.
well-known to the healers and familiar with the tradition, provided the translation. The accuracy of the information was checked by asking different elderly people the uses of the plants and by comparing the answers thereof. For every plant indicated by the traditional healers, samples were preserved in alcohol and dried after the fieldwork. Subsequently, proper identification was made in the National Herbarium in Libreville. The voucher specimens are preserved in the Herbarium of ClClBA and the National Herbarium of Gabon.
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
193-200
Leaves together with cola fruit are ground and cooked with monkey head and eaten against acute pains. ANGIOSPERMAE ACANTHACEAE
Acanthus montanus (Nees) T. Anders, ‘Dibangambali’, ‘Mabanga-mbali’. Louis 3146. The pounded leaves, with honey added, are eaten to protect against poison. ANACARDIACEAE
3. Results
Pseudospondias longifolia Engl. ‘Mutsungubali’. Reitsma 1339.
Although we chose traditional healers to be our main informants, most Masango people appear to be familiar with the use of medicinal plants. A total of 1I5 plants were shown to us of which 81 were identified and recorded in the present survey. Food medicinal plants were not included in the present study. The plants are listed botanically by famiiies and in alphabetical order. The information is presented in the following sequence: scientific name of the plant, vernacular name as recorded by us, voucher specimen number, method of preparation and use.
The fruit or bark decoction is drunk against heart palpitation.
PTERIDOPHYTA
Alstonia congensis 3191.
ASPlDlACEAE
Lastreopsis efulensis (Bak.) Tardieu. ingui’. Louis 3148.
‘Ditsengu-
The leaves crushed with Musasa (Huvungu!?cr ~~~~g~~~~~~e~~j~s) are eaten against heart palpitation. The plant is also a stimulant for hunting dogs.
Trichoscypha acuminata Engl. ‘Imbamba’. Floret f401.
The bark macerate is drunk, the ripe fruit eaten or a necklace made from the almonds worn to treat the inflammation of testicles. APOCYNACEAE
Alstonia boonei de Wild. “Mukuka’. L,ouis 3130.
The bark decoction is drunk as a galactagogue. Engl. ‘Mupapuntzti’.
Louis
The leaves or the bark are pounded and applied on sores and wounds. Rauvolfia mannii Stapf. ‘Mupapuntzu’. Louis 3152, Louis 3169.
The powdered bark is applied locally to treat sores and wounds. Mixed with palm oil it is used to remove lice from the hair.
DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. ‘Isselela’. BA 64.
The young plants are pounded and applied on abscesses. The leaves are crushed and the juice used externally as nasal drop to treat syncopa.
Tabernaemontana 3168.
crassa
Benth.
‘Iruhu’.
Louis
The latex is taken to treat abscesses. ARACEAE
SELAGINELLACEAE
Selaginella
cathedr~~~~a ‘Maghiiyu’. Louis 3167.
Spring,
‘Dighhyu’,
The leaf decoction is drunk against dizziness.
Rhektophyllum mirabile N. E. Br. ‘Tara’. Louis 3171.
The leaf decoction is drunk to treat pulmonary diseases.
B. Akendengue,A.M. Louis /J. Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200 ASTERACEAE
Ageratum conyzoides L. ‘Koundi-iwidzi’. Louis 3129. The leaves are eaten together with cola fruit and salt to treat pain in the side.
195
Santiria trimera (Oliv.) Aubr. ‘Tombu’. Louis 2010. The pounded bark is eaten with banana to treat diarrhoea. CARYOPHYLLACEAE
Emilia coccinea (Sims) G. Don. ‘Bambelusa’. Louis 3121. The leaves are crushed and the juice used externally in case of scabies.
Drymaria cordata (L.) Willd. ex Roem. et Schult. ‘Landii’. Louis 3181. The leaves are crushed and applied externally to treat snake bite.
Crassocephalum bojeri (DC.) Robyns. ‘Mudiambu’. Louis 3145, Louis 3184. The leaf decoction is drunk against infant diseases. The crushed leaves mixed with an egg are eaten to calm agitation in case of schizophrenia.
CRASSULACEAE
Spilanthes caulirhiza (Delile) DC. ‘Kungui’. Louis 3119. The leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed against cold. Vernonia amygdalina Del. ‘Ndoki’. Reitsma 2066. The leaves are crushed and the juice is used against tinea. Vernonia cinerea (Linn.) Less. ‘Ndzuba’. Louis 3134. The leaves are placed on fire to be softened, then crushed and applied against snake bite in association with Inuka (Solenostemon latifolius) and Mungangati (Adenia reticulata). Vernonia conferta Benth. ‘Mupusa’. Louis 3183. The leaf or bark decoction is drunk against stomach ache. BEGONIACEAE
Begonia sessilifolia Hook. f. ‘Bukolu’. BA 60. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat cough. Begonia elatostemmoides Hook. f. ‘Bukolu’. BA 61. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat cough.
Kalanchoe crenata (Andr.) Haw. ‘Diyuyiha’. Louis 3128. The fresh leaves are crushed and the juice used externally as nasal drop in case of infantile syncope. DILLENIACEAE
Tetracera cf: podotricha Gilg. ‘Muvuva’. BA 62. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat dysmenorrhoea or to clean the urethra. EUPHORBIACEAE
Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. et Thonn.) Mull. Arg. ‘Mbudzi’. Louis 3193. The vapours from boiling leaves are inhaled to relieve toothache. Centroplacus Louis 3197. The leaf schizophrenia.
glaucinus decoction
Pierre. is
‘Pumbangani’. drunk
against
Croton cf longiracemosus Hutch. ‘Dibiimbi’. BA 70. The root decoction mixed with corn is drunk as an anthelmintic. The hot bark is applied locally as an antiinflammatory. Drypetes gossweileri S. Moore. ‘Muyungu’. S. R.F. 863. The pounded fresh bark is used as a cataplasm and as an antirheumatic, whereas the bark decoction is drunk against tilaria.
BURSERACEAE
Aucoumea klaineana Pierre. 1697. The bark macerate is drunk
‘Ngumi’.
Reitsma
to treat diarrhoea.
Euphorhia hirta Linn. ‘Fouarou’. The leaves are crushed and against scabies.
Louis 3354. used externally
196
B. Akendengutt
~u~~~~~~Y~~ $&urn Ii&ill. Arg. ‘Mughughasa’. Louis 3185.
A.M.
Louis /J.
Ethnopharmacol.
41 (I 994)
193-200
IRVINGIACEAE Irvingia grandtfolia (Engl.) Engl. ‘Mulenda’. Louis
drunk as a magic spell. Mudiambu effect.
31.54. The bark decoction is used in a bath to treat asthenia. For children the leaves are pounded and mixed with food,
P~yll~~~~us diandrus Pax. ‘Mub~ngu’. Louis 3190. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat heart palpitation.
LAMIACEAE Hyptis lanceolata Poir. ‘Mukyemou’, “Mukamonghila’. Louis 3122, Louis 3151, Louis 3182.
P~ag~osty~es africana (Miill. Arg.) Prain. ‘Dibouta’. Louis 3142.
The leaves are placed on fire then crushed and the juice is used as a cicatrizant. Mixed with palm oil, they are applied on the body against scabies or as medico-magic.
The decoction of fresh leaves is medico-magic to free someone from a Jt may be associated with (Crassocephalun? bojeri) for the same
The decoction of fresh leaves is drunk against constipation. The velvety part of the fresh leaves is applied on burns. Tetrorchidium didymostemon (Baill.) Pax et K. Hoffm. ‘Ndzodu’. Louis 3I63, Louis 3192. The sap is used externally as an antalgic. The powdered bark mixed with palm oil is applied locally in case of rheumatism. The leaf or bark decoction is used in a bath to treat wounds or against fiiaria. GU'MIFERAE A~Ianbla~k~a~or~b~da
Ohv. ‘Mukumbu’. Louis 3150. The bark is chewed against cold, whereas the bark decoction is drunk against cough. Garcinia punctata Oliv. ‘Utende’. BA 63.
The bark decoction is drunk to treat headache. The bark is also used for the fermentation of palm wine.
gratissimum Linn. “Didudumbe’, ‘Madudembe’. Louis 3127. The leaves are crushed and the juice inhaled or the leaf decoction drunk to treat headache and fever. Ocimum
Soienostemon lat~liu~~ (Hochst. Morton. ‘Inuka’. Louis 3132.
ex Benth.) J.K.
The leaves are crushed and used against snake bite. LECYTHIDACEAE Combretodendrum macrocarpum (P. Beauv.) Keay. ‘Mbindzu’. BA 65.
The bark is eaten to treat cough and as an anthelmintic. LEGUMINOSAE
Symphonia globulifera L. ‘Mubbra’. Walk 547.
subfamily ~AESALPINIOIDEAE Cassia alata Linn. ‘Kinkeliba’. Reitsma 603. The leaves are crushed and used against psoriasis.
The bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk in case of scabies.
Cassia hirsuta Linn. ‘Kinkeliba’. Louis 3358.
HYPERICACEAE madagascar~ensis ~arungana ‘Musasa’. Louis 3138.
The leaf decoction diseases. Lam.
ex
is drunk to treat hepatic
Poir.
The sap of the tree and the bark decoction are used as antiseptic and cicatrizant in case of circumcision.
Copatfera religiosa Leonard. 2600.
‘Mutombi’.
Wilks
The bark macerate is drunk against cough and stomach ache.
B. Akendengu!. A.M. Louis/J.
Dialium pachyphyllum
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
Harms. ‘Pulu’. Louis 31.57. is drunk against cough.
The bark macerate
197
193-200
moussirou’,
‘Madudumba
ma moussirou’.
Louis
3158, Louis 3170, Louis 3356.
The leaves are chewed to treat cough. Distemonanthus
henthamianus
Baillon.
‘Muvengi’.
Reitsma 2600.
Dicellandra barteri Hook. f. ‘Makuku’.
The bark decoction as an antirheumatic. Sindoropsis
or macerate
le testui (Pellegr.)
is used in a bath
Leonard.
‘Ilombi’.
BA 68.
The bark decoction is drunk as anthelmintic or used in a bath as a stimulant. Mixed with palm oil, the resin is used externally against scabies. Subfamily
MIMOSOIDEAE
Cylicodiscus gabonensis
Harms.
‘Muduma’.
Willes
1103.
The bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk to treat back pains, headache and pain in the side. Subfamily
PAPILIONOIDEAE
Desmodium
adscendens (SW.) DC. var. adscendens. ‘Dipinda dimukuyi’. Louis 3180. The leaves are placed on a fire to be softened and used as a cataplasm in case of fracture. The leaf and stem decoction is taken to treat venereal diseases. Eriosema glomeratum (Guill. et Perr.) Hook. f. ‘Tsamu’. Louis 3179. The foliage stem decoction is drunk in case of syncope. The leaves are used for poisoning fish. Pterocarpus soyauxii Gauchotte 1793.
Taub.
‘Ngula’,
‘Digwabi‘.
The bark decoction is used in a bath as a stimulant. Mixed with the decoction of Mughubi (Staudtia gabonensis), it is drunk against dysentery. LILIACEAE Asparagus racemosus
The leaf or tubercle pain in the side.
Willd. ‘Mutuba’. Louis 3187. decoction is drunk to treat
The leaves are cooked against chest pains.
Amphiblemma
setosum
Hook.
f. ‘Didudumba
di
meat
Louis 3188.
and
eaten
Dichaetanthera africana (Hook. f.) Jacques-Felix. ‘Dissessa’. Louis 3139. The leaf decoction is drunk to treat flu or fever. Dinophora spenneroides Louis 3186.
The leaf decoction cold.
Benth.
is drunk
‘Nyenguingui’.
against
cough and
Medinilfa mirabilis (Gilg) Jacques-Felix. ‘Dilimiidikusu’, ‘Dipetu’. Louis 3162, Louis 3189. The leaves are eaten or the leaf decoction drunk to treat flu and fever. MORACEAE Musanga
cecropioides R. Brown ex Tedlie. ‘Musenga’. Louis 2034. The bark decoction is drunk against cough and constipation. Myrianthus
cunelfolius
(Engl.)
Engl.
‘Muvuva’.
Louis 3195.
The leaf decoction is drunk to relieve dysmenorrhoea while the macerate is taken to clean the urethra for men. MYRISTICACEAE Pycnanthus angolensis
(Welw.)
Exell. ‘Dilomba’.
Louis 1941.
The bark decoction is drunk to treat cough, fever, headache, sore throat and quinsy. The decoction of the bark, together with that of Mughubi (Staudtia gabonensis), is recommended in case of diarrhoea and dysentery. Staudtia gabonensis
MELASTOMATACEAE
with
Warb. ‘Mughubi’. Louis 2157. The bark decoction is drunk against dysentery, diarrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, cough and toothache.
B. Akendengub, A.M. Louis/J.
198
Morinda
OLACACEAE
Strombosia
pustulata
Oliv. var. pustulata ‘Ngole’.
BA 66.
The bark decoction side and backache.
is drunk
to treat pain in the
PANDACEAE
Microdesmis
cf. camerunensis
Leonard.
‘Mbasu
munyungui’. Louis 3159. The plant is used as medico-magic.
lucida
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200
Benth.
‘Mururumbi’.
Reitsma
2065.
The leaf or bark decoction is used in a bath or drunk against abdominal pains. Porterandia cladantha (K. &hum.) Keay. ‘Ibandja ndzao’. BA 67. The bark decoction is drunk to treat pain in the side, backache and as an anthelmintic. SCYTOPETALACEAE
Brazzeia
PASSIFLORACEAE
Adenia reticulata (De Wild. et Th. Durand)
Engl. ‘Mungangati’. Louis 3135. The plant is crushed and the juice is used against snake bite in association with Inuka (Solenostemon lat(folius) and Ndzuba ( Vernonia cinerea). Barteria fistulosa
Mast. ‘Mugumina’. Louis 3141. The bark decoction is drunk or taken in food mixture to treat venereal diseases and madness.
soyauxii var. acuminata (Van Tieghem) R. Letouzey. ‘Tsebata’. Louis 3174. The fruit is pounded with water and the juice drunk in case of heart palpitation. The bark decoction is recommended in case of female sterility. SIMAROUBACEAE
Odyendyea gabonensis Reitsma 1396.
(Pierre)
Engl.
‘Musighiti’.
Powdered bark mixed with palm oil is smeared over the affected parts of the body to treat psoriasis.
PIPERACEAE
Piper umbellatum
L. ‘Dilembttogo’. Louis 3140. The leaves are used as medico-magic in the rites made upon the birth of twins. Pounded with water they are used in a bath as a febrifuge for children.
STERCULIACEAE
POLYGALACEAE
Cola acuminata (P. Beauv.) Schott et Endl. ‘Muali’. Louis 3156. The bark decoction is used in a bath as a cicatrizant in case of venereal diseases. Mashed roots are also taken to heal wounds.
Carpolobia
alba G. Don.
The root decoction
‘Kuta’. Louis 3172. is drunk as an aphrodisiac.
RUBIACEAE
Geophila afzelii Hiern.
The finely crushed hepatic diseases.
‘Dibali’. Louis 3176. leaves are eaten for treating
Cola verticillata (Thonn.) Stapf ex A. Chev. ‘Muali’. Louis 3173. The bark or leaf macerate is taken to treat cough. ULMACEAE
Celtis tessmanii Rendle. Massularia acuminata (G. Don) Bullock
ex Hoyle.
‘Nama’. Louis 1452. The bark macerate is drunk as a galactagogue. The bark and leaves are also recommended against poison. Mitragyna ciliata Aubr. et Pellegr. ‘Tobu’. Reitsma 799.
The bark chest pains.
macerate
is drunk
against
cold and
The bark decoction side.
‘Musaka’. Louis 3160. is drunk against pain in the
ZlNGiBERACEAE
Ajramomum
giganteum (Oliv. et Hanb.) K. Schum. ‘Diyombu’. Louis 3164. The leaves and stem are pounded and the juice applied to heal wounds. The stem is pounded with water and the filtered juice drunk as an anthelmintic.
B. Akendengue, A.M. Louis/J.
Costus ligularis
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994)
199
193-200
Bak. ‘Mukuisa’. Louis 3124, Louis
3147.
The leaves and stems are crushed and the filtered juice drunk against cold. The whole plant is crushed and the juice used to hypnotise snake.
Table 1 New recordings in Gabonese pharmacopoeia since 1990 Name of species
Vernacular name
PTERIDOPHYTA
4. Discussion Eighty-one recorded species belong to 35 families, of which the principal ones include the Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Leguminosae-Caesalpinioidae, Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae. Among the identified plants, 24 are new recordings as Gabonese medicinal plants. These are listed in Table 1. One of these plants, Sindoropsis le testui is endemic in the GabonCameroon area (Aubreville, 1968; Vivien and Faure, 1985). On the basis of the recorded information, scabies, diarrhoea, dysentery, cough, sores, cold, headache, chest and abdominal pains, heart and venereal diseases appear to be the most common __ complaints treated by these healers. Many plants are employed as antalgics. Some plants, by themselves or in mixtures, are used to treat snake bites. A few plants are recommended for several conditions. Only two plants - ‘Ditsenguigui’ (Lastreopsis efulensis) and ‘Mukuisa’ (Costus ligularis) - were recorded for veterinary use. -In the study, some families were associated with the treatment of certain diseases. The main indications for which Melastomataceae species are used appear to be cough, flu, cold and fever. The barks of the Burseraceae ‘Ngumi’ (Aucournea klaineana) and ‘Tombu’ (Santiria triinera) were indicated for the treatment of diarrhoea. The barks of ‘Dilomba’ (Pycnanthus angolensis) and ‘Mughubi’ (Staudtia gabonensis), which are both Myristicaceae, were recommended for the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery and cough. By contrast, some medicinal properties described appear to be related to some aspect of the plant itself. For example ‘Imbamba’ (Trichoscypha acuminata) was said to be a plant that heals testiclular inflammation because the fruits look like testicles. Similary ‘Nama’ (Massularia acuminata) is used as a galactagogue because its fruit looks like a breast. Conversely, an aspect of a plant can determine its
ASPIDIACEAE
Lastreopsis efuiensis (Bak.) Tardieu
Ditsenguingui
SELAGINELLACEAE
SelaginellacathedrifoltoSpring
Dighoyu, Maghoyu
ANGIOSPERMAE APOCYNACEAE
Alstoniaboonei de Wild. Rauvolfa monnii Stapf.
Mukuka Mupapuntzir
ASTERACEAE
Crassocephalwn bojeri (DC.) Robyns Mudiambu Kungui Spiianthes caulirhiza (Delile) DC. BEGONIACEAE
Begonia sessilifolia Hook. f. Begonia elatostemmoides Hook. f.
BukBlu BukBlu
EUPHORBIACEAE
Centroplacus glaucinus Pierre Croton cf. longiracemosusHutch.
PhyllanthwdiondrusPax
Pumbangani Dibiimbi MubPngu
GUTTIFERAE
GarciniapunctataOliv.
Utende
Lb4lACEAE
SolenostemonIatifolius(Hochst. ex Benth.) J. K. Morton
Inuka
LEGUMINOSAE
Subfamily
CAESALPINIOIDEAE
Cassia hirsuta Linn. Sindoropsis le testui (Pellegr.)
Kinkeliba
Leonard
Ilombi
LILIACEAE
AsparagusracemosusWilld.
Mutuba
MELASTOMATACEAE
Dichaetanthera africana (Hook. f.)
Jacques-Felix MediniNa mirabilis (Gilg) Jacques-
Felix
Dissessa Dilimii-dikusu, Dipetu
PANDACEAE
Microdesmis cf. camerunensis
Leonard
Mbasu munyungui
B. Akendengue, A.M. Louis/J.
200
Table
I (Continued)
Name of species
Vernacular
name
PASSIFLORACEAE
Adenia reticulata (De Wild. et Th. Durand) Engl.
Mungangati
RUBIACEAE
Geophila afzelii Hiem.
Ethnopharmacol. 41 (1994) 193-200
present survey, which was limited to two villages, cannot claim to have covered the pharmacopoeia of the Masango people as a whole. More fieldwork is required if a complete picture of the Masango pharmacopoeia is to be given. Nevertheless, the collected data points to a very rich medical tradition still in practice which deserves a more sustained investigation.
Dibali
6. Acknowledgements SCYTOPETALACEAE
Brazzeia soyauxii var. acuminata (Van Tieghem) R. Letouzey
Tsebata
ULMACEAE
Celiis tessmanii Rendle
Musaka
ZINGIBERACEAE
Costus ligularis Bak.
Mukuisa
name. Medinilla mirabilis, whose leaves look like a tongue, is called ‘Dilimii-dikusu’ literally meaning ‘tongue of the parrot’. Similary Cylicodiscus gabonensis is called ‘Muduma’ meaning ‘snake’ because the bark and the spikes on the trunk of the tree make it look like a snake. On the other hand, it was noticed that the identity of some plants was determined by their medicinal properties. Alstonia congensis and Rauvolfia manii have the same vernacular name ‘Mupapuntzti’ because the plants are used for healing sores and wounds. Myranthius cuneifolius and Tetracera podotricha are both named ‘Muvuva’ because they are used for the same indications in genital area: to treat dysmenorrhoea and to disinfect the urethra. For certain plants the distinction was not made at the level of species. Begonia sessifolia and Begonia elatostemmoides are both identified as ‘Bukulu’. Similary Cassia alata and Cassia hirsuta are known as ‘Kinkeliba’ whereas Cola acuminata and Cola verticillata are called ‘Muali’. 5. Conclusion Although our main objective was to study the medicinal plants used by the Masango people, the
The authors thank the French Ministry of Cooperation and Development which, through the Assistance and Cooperation Fund (FAC) given to CICIBA, has financed the present study. We would also like to thank Mr Pangu Moi’se for providing the translation and for his assistance during the fieldwork. We are equally grateful to the traditional practitioners Messrs Mbembo Jeremy and Massala Aloi’se, and other elders for their valuable contribution to the realization of this work. 7. References Adjanohoun, E.J., Ake Assi, L., Chibon, P., de Vecchy, H., Duboze, E., Eymt, J., Gassita, J.N., Goudote, E., Guinko, S., Keita, A., Koudogbo, B., Le Bras, M., Mourambou, I., Mve-Mengome, E., Nguema, M.G., Ollome, J.-B., Posso, P. and Sita, P. (1984) Medecine Traditionnelle et Pharmacopee. Contribution aux Etudes Ethnobotaniques et Floristiques au Gabon. Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique, Paris, 294 pp. Aubreville, A. (1968) Flore du Gabon. 15. LegumineusesCaesalpiniodees. Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire de Phantrogamie, Paris, pp. I7 I - 173. Deschamps, H. (1962) L’Homme d’outre-Mer. Traditions Orales et Archives au Gabon. Berger-Levrault, Paris, pp. 46-49. Raponda-Walker, A. (1967) Contes Gabonais. Presence AfriCaine, Paris, pp. 229-230. Vivien, J. and Faure, J.J. (1985) Arbres des For&s Denses d’Afiique Centrale. Minis&e Francais des Relations Exttrieures, Cooperation et lXveloppement/Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique, Paris, pp. l44- 145. Wagner, A. (1986) Aspects des Medecines Traditionnelles du Gabon. Editions Universelles, Toulouse, 329 pp. Walker, A. and Sillans, R. (1961) Les Plantes C/tiles du Gabon. P. Lechevalier, Paris, 614 pp.