The Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Solega A Linguistic Perspective

86

Table 3.4 (continued)

Solega name

(complete) Scientifi c name Forest type Use

sipure giḍa # Asparagus sp. all types Appearance of the fruit

indicates time of year when

monitor lizards have large

fat reserves

thuruve mara Ligustrum perrottetii ka:nu, shola Home to hejje:nu and

thuruve je : nu bees

u:li, uḷinelli giḍa# Phyllanthus

reticulatus,

Kirganelia reticulata

(syn.)

male, na:ḍu Commonly home to the

dwarf honeybee

mustakada mara Meliosma pinnata (?) First fl ower of the

monsoons, and a sign of the

approaching rain

Medicine

araḷi mara Ficus religiosa na:ḍu R oṭṭi is baked in these leaves

and given to children who

can’t speak properly

araḷu giḍa Ricinus communis male, na:ḍu Oil is used as hair-oil,

rubbed into scalp for

headache or into joints for

arthritic pains

aranelli mara Garuga pinnata male, na:ḍu

sometimes ka:nu

Fruit eaten by animals; bark

is group up and applied to

the scalp in case of localised

headaches

atti mara Ficus racemosa male, ka:nu,

sometimes na:ḍu

Edible fruit, good for

eyesight

a:guri mara Trema orientalis all types, but

infrequently in

na:ḍu

Bark is ground up, and

extract drunk in cases of

diarrhoea

basale ambu Basella alba na:ḍu In case of mouth ulcers or a

sore throat, the leaves and

stem are consumed and a

string made from the fi bres

is worn around the neck

bejja da mara Anogeissus latifolia male, na:ḍu Resin is eaten to increase

appetite, leaves are often

attacked by smooth white

caterpillars

cennãgi giḍa# Gardenia turgida na:ḍu Waxy covering of young

leaves is melted in castor oil,

and applied to the heads of

children who have a cold

doḍḍa a:luppe

mara

Wrightia tinctoria ka:nu Latex from crushed leaves is

placed on abcesses

doḍḍa uttara:ṇe

giḍa

Stachytarpheta

indica

male Paste of the root is applied

to the body of children

suffering from ‘weakness’

(eḷavu)

(continued)

3 Plants in Solega Language and Culture