Medicinal plants or herbs are part of plants such as leaves, stem bark, root, flower, fruits, twigs that are often utilize for medicinal purposes. Herbs can also be used for culinary, masticatory, spiritual and aromatic purposes. The recent demand for the use of herbs for both prevention and treatment has risen due to the side effects of synthetic drugs and the cost. Despite the big efforts being made by our local and international researchers to elucidate and potentiate the traditional claims of the use of herbs, often publish in academic journals, the botanical names often used in such publications make it difficult for lay man to understand and identify the plants.
This post is aimed to share images of common Nigerian herbs, botanical names, common and local Nigerian names. Kindly use the comment to share names of the listed plants in your local language or send the picture and name to our E-mail: olasonherbal@gmail.com. Lets help someone identify the plants today.
Family: Amaranthacea
Common Names: forest burr, creeping cock’s comb
Nigerian names: emo-agbo (Yoruba), marin-kasu (Hausa), ose (Igbo), mama-agbo (Bassa Nge)
Family: Meliaceae
Common Names: dry zone cedar, hard cedar mahogany
Nigerian names: akodinrin (Yoruba), juna (Hausa)
Family: Myrtaceae
Common Names: guava
Nigerian names: guaba (Yoruba), goba (Hausa), ugwoba (Igbo)
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Common Names: castor bean
Nigerian names: laa, lara (Yoruba), cika-gida (Hausa), ogili ugba (Igbo), eraogi (Edo)
Family: Fabaceae
Common Names: camel’s foot, monkey bread, wild bauhinia
Nigerian names: abafe (Yoruba), kalgo (Hausa), okpoatu (Igbo), bafe (Bassa Nge), amukpakpa (Igala), nyihar (TIV)
Family: Solanaceae
Common Names: angular winter cherry, balloon cherry, cutleaf ground cherry, gooseberry, hogweed,wild tomato
Nigerian names: koropo (Yoruba), tsaada biri (Hausa), ogwu-ari (Igbo)
Family: Fabaceae
Common Names: African locust bean tree
Nigerian names: igi iru (Yoruba), dorowa (Hausa), ogiri (Igbo), alochi (Bassa Nge)
Family: Apocynaceae
Common Names: giant milk weed
Nigerian names: bomubomu (Yoruba), tumfafiya (Hausa)
Family: Boraginaceae
Common Names: Indian heliotrope, beak of the vulture
Nigerian names: agogo-igun, aparigun (Yoruba), kalkashin kooraama (Hausa), agukwu (Igbo), ampa-angulu (Bassa Nge), ugbe-aiko (Igala)
Family: Tiliaceae
Common Names: nogo duveteux
Nigerian names: origo (Yoruba), dargazu (Hausa), yinyin (Bassa Nge)
Family: Amaranthacea
Common Names: bachelor’s button, postrate globe-amaranth
Nigerian names:
Family: Colchicaceae
Common Names: flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw, fire lily.
Nigerian names: ewe aje, ewe akalamagbo (Yoruba)
Family: Rubiacea
Common Names: large-leaved common gardenia, mutara powder-bark gardenia
Nigerian names:
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Common Names: wild bushweed, white berry-bush
Nigerian names: iranje (Yoruba), itachen en-gado, gwiiwaar karee (Hausa), njisi nta (Igbo)
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Common Names: fence cactus
Nigerian names: oro (Yoruba), garuru (Kanuri), keraana, abananya (Igbo), agondo (Tiv)
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Common Names: fireplant, painted euphorbia, Japanese poinsettia, desert poinsettia, fire on the mountain, milkweed, kaliko plant.
Nigerian names: egele, egunjobi, akun esan (Yoruba), noonon kurciyaa (Hausa), obu ani, oba ala (Igbo), ozigban (Edo)
Family: Leguminosae
Common Names: velvet tamarind, black tamarind, tumble tree, black tumber
Nigerian names: awin, igbaru (Yoruba), tsamiyur kurm (Hausa), icheku (Igbo)
Family: Fabaceae
Common Names: sweet detar, sweet daltock, tallow tree
Nigerian names: arira (Yoruba), taura (Hausa), gogoyi (Gwari)
Family: Papilionoidae
Common Names: chit kiboota, latka (India)
Nigerian names: emo (Yoruba), danka (Hausa), ema (Igala), dafi (Damgere)
Family: Solanaceae
Common Names: Jimsonweed, devil’s snare, thornapple, devil’s weed, mad apple, angel’s trumpet
Nigerian names: gegemu, apikan (Yoruba), zakami (Hausa), myaramuo(Igbo)
Family: Leguminosae
Common Names: African copaiba basalm, West African copal, Ilorin basalm, Benin gum-copal, agbomi
Nigerian names: iya (Yoruba), maje (Hausa)
Family: Cyperaceae
Common Names: dwarf papyrus sedge
Nigerian names: ayaa-ayaa (Hausa)
Family: Poaceae
Common Names: lemon grass, oil gras, French citronelle, fausse citronelle
Nigerian names: tii, oko oba (Yoruba), tsauri (Hausa), akwukwo (Igbo), eti (Edo)