Floristic diversity and uses of medicinal plants sold by street vendors in Gaborone, Botswana

Abstract

The sale of herbal medicine, either as concoctions or single plant specimens, has become common in the streets and main shopping centres of major towns and cities in Botswana. A study was undertaken to collect information on the uses of medicinal plants sold by street vendors in Gaborone, Botswana during June 2008 to December 2008. The indigenous knowledge of the street vendors and the plants used for medicinal purposes were collected through questionnaire and personal interviews during field trips. The survey showed that the street vendors used 47 species of plants distributed in 45 genera belonging to 29 families to treat various diseases and health conditions. The documented medicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin sores, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and asthma. In this study, the most dominat families are the Asteraceae and Fabaceae, each with 5 species and roots were most frequently used for the treatment of diseases accounting for 62% of the medicines sold. This study showed that many people in Botswana still continue to depend on medicinal plants for primary healthcare.