use the plant for treating wounds and bruises. Zulus are said to use it as a remedy 

 for snakebite and sore throat, 



Ref. 14; 20. 



*288. Lens esculenta Moench. (Papil.) Lentil. 



An annual herb, native of the Orient, cultivated for its seeds in India and China. 

 The seeds are small, spherical and readily split on removing the skin into the familiar 

 orange coloured cotyledons, in which form they are on the European market and 

 commonly used for soup making. 



Eaten by both Europeans and Indians and are grown to a very small extent in 

 this country for sale to Indians, e.g., Mzimba. 



289. Lightfootia sp. ? (Campan.). 



Cisiso (C), ciswayo (Ng). 



A herb whose leaves are cooked as a side-dish with potashes to form a slimy 

 product, thelele. The dish is not bitter and is well liked (Mzimba and Kasungu 

 Districts). 



290. Lippia asperifolia Rich. (Verben.) 



Mcamsi (N), mcasi, mcenjema, cisunganjeu (Y). 



A much-branched shrub up to 15 ft. tall with opposite or ternate strongly 

 aromatic lanceolate crenate leaves, flowers small white in dense globose heads from 

 the leaf axils, fruits small dry. Very common in the hills. 



The roots are mixed with other roots and an infusion of them drunk as a con- 

 traceptive. The roots are mixed with those of many other plants, e.g., manja atali, 

 {Pavetta crassipes) and mlungalunga, nchangwe, kathyothyo and mbambang' oma to cure 

 the disease, so common among the aCewa, called mdulo, which is thought to be 

 caused by breaking various native rules of sexual conduct. The patient's head is 

 covered and he is told to hold it over the pot in which the brew has been heated. 

 At the time of the first menstruation of girls, wakula msinkhu, they drink an infusion 

 of its roots mixed with those offutsa, {Vernonia amygdalina) katunga and mcengwe. 



The plant is also used as a cure for madness, misala. 

 Ref. 14; 26. 



*291. Litchi chinensis Sonner. (Sapind.), Litchis. 



A much-taranched evergreen tree native of Southern China, up to 100 ft. with 

 alternate, leathery, pinnate leaves, leaflets in 2-4 pairs; flowers, small, yellowish- 

 white in short panicles ; fruit, crimson, ovoid with a thick, warted skin containing a 

 large seed covered with white, fleshy, sweetly-acid aril. 



Trees have been planted near Salima, Mzimba and at Zomba and in some of 

 these places they are fruiting well. 



The fruit is edible, resembling a grape somewhat in flavour; in India and 

 China they are often dried. 



Ref. 17; 23; 26. 



292. Loranthus spp. (Loranth.) Mistletoes. 



Thonga (C). 



Parasitic shrubs with normally very showy flowers, found growing on a wide 

 range of tree or shrub hosts, fruits berries, attractive to birds who spread the parasite 

 on to other trees. 



Bird lime, ulimbo, is made in large quantities from the berries (Kota Kota 

 District). 



76 



