Plant description: E. bulbosa is a perennial herb with narrowly lanceolate leaves, small white evening-blooming flowers, and a red bulb that resembles red onion. It has been naturalised in various regions of Africa, including KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. 

Uses:

• The plant has hallucinatory properties, hence it is used to make a psychoactive mixture used to induce lucid and vivid dreaming or visions.  
• The bulb is used to treat dermatological problems. It contains anti-melanogenesis which is used to whiten the skin by inhibiting the production of the melanin pigment. 
• The bulb is used in combination with Alpinia galanga to treat nasal congestion among children and to relieve colds. It is used to treat coughs, pertussis (whooping cough), and hemoptysis.    
• The bulb is used to treat fertility problems, emmenagogue, menstrual pain, and for enhancing breast-milk production in women. It is also used as an abortive agent.
• The fresh bulb is chewed to treat jaundice and ulcers.
• The bulb is used to make an infusion that is used to relieve flatulence and regulate gastro-intestinal motility.
• The bulb is used to treat coronary disorders such as hypertension (high blood pressure).
• The bulb is used in diabetic treatment.
• The bulb is used in the treatment and management of stroke.
• The bulb is used for wound healing.
• The bulb is used as a purgative. It is used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery. 
• The bulb is used in the treatment of breast cancer.
• The plant is used to make intelezi (a protective charm / mixture) that is sprinkled in and around the home.
• The plant is cultivated as a garden ornamental.

Safety precaution:

Using traditional medicine responsibly can enhance your overall health and well-being. Misuse and abuse can lead to complications. You can inquire about the correct use of traditional medicine from a knowledgeable herbalist and practitioner. You can also visit imithiyesintu.co.za or email: info@imithiyesintu.co.za to learn more about traditional medicine

References and further reading: 

• Goldblatt, P. and Snow, N., 1991. Systematics and chromosome cytology of Eleutherine Herbert (Iridaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, pp.942-949.
• Hutchings, A., Scott, A.H., Lewis, G. and Cunningham, A.B., 1996. Zulu medicinal plants: an inventory. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press.
• Ifesan, B.O.T., Joycharat, N. and Voravuthikunchai, S.P., 2009. The mode of antistaphylococcal action of Eleutherine americana. FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, 57(2), pp.193-201.
• Kamarudin, A.A., Sayuti, N.H., Saad, N., Razak, N.A.A. and Esa, N.M., 2021. Eleutherine bulbosa (Mill.) Urb. Bulb: Review of the pharmacological activities and its prospects for application. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(13), pp.6747.
• Lans, C., 2007. Comparison of plants used for skin and stomach problems in Trinidad and Tobago with Asian ethnomedicine. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 3(1), pp.1-12.
• Leyama, T., Gunawan-Puteri, M.D. and Kawabata, J., 2011. α-Glucosidase inhibitors from the bulb of Eleutherine americana. Food chemistry, 128(2), pp.308-311.
• Lucena, G.M.D.S., Franco, J.L., Ribas, C.M., Azevedo, M.S., Meotti, F.C., Gadotti, V.M., Dafre, A.L., Santos, A.R. and Farina, M., 2007. Cipura paludosa extract prevents methyl mercury‐induced neurotoxicity in mice. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology, 101(2), pp.127-131.
• Sobiecki, J.F., 2008. A review of plants used in divination in southern Africa and their psychoactive effects. Southern African Humanities, 20(2), pp.333-351. 
• Tessele, P.B., Delle Monache, F., Quintão, N.L.M., da Silva, G.F., Rocha, L.W., Lucena, G.M., Ferreira, V.M., Prediger, R.D. and Cechinel Filho, V., 2011. A new naphthoquinone isolated from the bulbs of Cipura paludosa and pharmacological activity of two main constituents. Planta medica, 77(10), pp.1035-1043.
• Villegas, L.F., Fernández, I.D., Maldonado, H., Torres, R., Zavaleta, A., Vaisberg, A.J. and Hammond, G.B., 1997. Evaluation of the wound-healing activity of selected traditional medicinal plants from Peru. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 55(3), pp.193-200.
• Weniger, B., Haag-Berrurier, M. and Anton, R., 1982. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 6(1), pp.67-84.
• World Health Organization, 1990. Medicinal Plants in Viet Nam. WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
• Zhengxiong, C., Huizhu, H., Chengrui, W., Yuhui, L.I., Jianmi, D., Sankawa, U., Noguchi, H. and Iitaka, Y., 1986. Hongconin, a new naphthalene derivative from Hong-Cong, the rhizome of Eleutherine ameicana Merr. et Heyne (Iridaceae). Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin, 34(7), pp.2743-2746.

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