Table 2.

Plants used for the treatment of cancer in the Eastern Cape province.

S/N	Scientific Name	Local Name	Family	Part Used	Conservation Status	Mode of Preparation (Administration)	Cancer Type Suppressed	References
1	Aloe ferox Mill	IKhala	Xanthorrhoeaceae	Leaf sap, leaves and roots	NT, NE	The sap is applied topically to treat skin cancer	Skin cancer	[89]
2	Aspalathus linearis	Inkanga	Fabaceae	Leaves	NT, E	The leaves are boiled and drunk as tea	Cervical cancer	[55]
3	Agapanthus africanus (L.) Hoffmanns	Mathunga	Agapanthaceae	Root	NT	Dried roots are powdered and infused in water and then taken orally	Uterine and breast cancers	[90]
4	Cannabis sativa L.	Umya	Cannabaceae	Leaves	NT, NE	Crushed leaves of the plant are administered orally	Skin cancer	[91]
5	Catharanthus roseus (L.)	*	Apocynaceae	Leaves, whole plant	NT, NE	The extract from the aerial part is administered orally	Breast, lung and uterine cancers	[92]
6	Celtis africana Burm.f.	UmVumvu	Cannabaceae	Bark and leaves	NT, NE	Dried bark and roots of the plant are pulverized and infused in milk and then taken orally	Unspecified	[59]
7	Cissampelos capensis L.	Umayisake	Menispermaceae	Root	NT, NE	The root is used as a paste and applied directly	Skin and stomach cancers	[93]
8	Curcuma longa	Tumeric	Zingiberaceae	Root	NT, NE	The infusion of the root is taken orally	Unspecified	[55]
9	Curtisia dentata (Burm.f.) C.A.Sm.	UmLahleni, UmGxina	Cornaceae	Bark and leaves	NT, NE	A decoction is prepared from boiled bark and roots and administered orally	Esophageal cancer	[94]
10	Elytropappus rhinecerotis	*	Asteraceae	Whole plants	NT, E	Infusions of young branches in brandy or wine	Stomach cancer	[95]
11	Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt	Umathunga	Hyacinthaceae	Bulbs	V, NT	Decoctions are prepared from warmed bulbs and taken orally	Unspecified	[59]
12	Euphorbia ingens E.Mey. ex Boiss	Nkondze	Euphorbiaceae	Latex	NT, NE	Latex is applied topically on external cancers every day	Skin cancer	[59]
13	Gunnera perpensa L.	Ighobo	Gunneraceae	Rhizomes	NE	A decoction or infusion is prepared from the rhizome and taken orally	Unspecified	[92]
14	Hermannia depressa	Seletjana	Malvaceae	Leaves, roots	NT, NE	Crushed leaves are used to treat cancer	Unspecified	[96]
15	Hypoxis argentea Harv. ex Baker	Inongwe	Hypoxidaceae	Corms	NT, NE	Fresh corms are boiled in water and then administered orally	Unspecified	[59]
16	Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch., C.A.Mey. and Avé-Lall	Ilabatheka, Ilabatheka	Hypoxidaceae	Corms	NT, NE	Pulverized corms are boiled in water and taken orally	Prostate cancer	[59,75]
17	Knowltonia capensis (L.) Huth	*	Ranunculaceae	Leaves	V, E	Crushed leaves are prepared as poultices and applied directly on external tumors	Skin cancer	[59]
18	Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Speta	Umasixabane, Ugontsana	Hyacinthaceae	Bulbs	NT, NE	Decoctions are prepared from warmed bulbs and taken orally	Unspecified	[59]
19	Melianthus major L.	Ubutyayi	Melianthaceae	Leaves	NT, E	Decoctions are prepared from leaves and then administered orally	Unspecified	[97]
20	Pittosporum viridiflorum Sims	Umgqwengqwe	Pittosporaceae	Bark and root	NT, NE	Infusions are prepared from stamped bark and roots and then administered orally	Unspecified	[59]
21	Sarcophyte sanguinea Sparrm. subsp. sanguinea	*	Balanophoraceae	Whole plants	NT, NE	A decoction from the whole plant is administered orally	Unspecified	[97]
22	Solanum aculeastrum Dunal subsp. aculeastrum	Itunga, Umthuma	Solanaceae	Fruits and leaves	NT, NE	A decoction is prepared from boiled fruit is filtered and then administered orally	Breast cancer	[98]
23	Sutherlandia frutescens L. R.Br.	Umnwele	Fabaceae	leaves, flower and seed	V, NE	Decoctions are prepared from all the plant parts and administered orally	Colorectal cancer	[59,86]
24	Tulbaghia violacea Harv	Utswelane	Alliaceae	Leave, bulb	NT, E	The fresh bulbs are boiled in water and the decoctions are taken orally	Esophageal cancer	[92,99]

NT: neither rare nor threatened; V: vulnerable; E: endemic; NE: nonendemic, *: not available.