Bark
is an important source of medicine in South African traditional healthcare but
is poorly documented. From thorough surveys of the popular ethnobotanical
literature, and other less widely available sources, 174 species (spanning 108
genera and 50 families) used for their bark in KwaZulu-Natal, were inventoried.
Vernacular names, morphological and phytochemical properties, usage and
conservation data were captured in a database that aimed to synthesise
published information of such species. Data specificity was found to be the
major limiting factor in the study and resulted in uneven distribution of
information in the database. Overlapping vernacular names recorded in the
literature indicated that it may be unreliable in local plant identifications.
Most (43%) bark medicines were documented for the treatment of internal
ailments. Sixteen percent of species were classed in threatened conservation
categories, but conservation and management data were limited or absent from
a further 62%. There is a need for research and specialist publications to
address the gaps in existing knowledge of medicinal bark species and their
management to conserve the South African flora.

South African Journal of Botany
2003, 69:
301–363