Message from the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission for World Wildlife Day

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods
Medicinal and aromatic plants are intertwined in Guyanese culture. Many would be familiar with their elder relatives recommending some kind of plant to use whenever they suffer from various ailments. Given their importance, this year, the theme for World Wildlife Day seeks to emphasise the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants.
Across the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 70–95 per cent of human populations in developing countries rely on traditional medicine for primary healthcare. However, in spite of their importance, there is limited scientific data available on medicinal and aromatic plants, and sadly, Indigenous knowledge on these plants is usually underutilised in policy and conservation efforts. Additionally, many medicinal and aromatic plants face growing threats from habitat loss, overharvesting and illegal trade.
Considering all of this, it is therefore important for the traditional knowledge of these plants to be documented and preserved to ensure their preservation and proper utilisation throughout the years.
See below a list of popular medicinal and aromatic plants found in Guyana along with their uses:
Carrion crow bush (Cassia alata) – biliousness, hypertension, laxative, ringworm, griping, eczema, lott
Money bush (Cassia bicapsularis) – rashes, bites, stings, lottas, eczema, scabies, ringworm and thrush.
Congo pump (Cecropia dielsiana) – Back pain, kidney issues
Black sage (Cordia curassavica) – hypertension, biliousness, common cold and diarrhoea.
Fever grass (Cymbopogon citratus) – fever, jaundice, cold
Dove weed/milkweed (Euphorbia hirta) – Cold, flatulence, filaria
Sweet sage (Lantana camara) – Cold, cough, hypertension, malarial fever
Stinging nettles (Laportea aestuans) – Diuretic, laxative, eyewash
Teasam (Lippia alba) – Flu
Wild Carilla (Momordica charantia) – Diabetes, malarial fever, biliousness
Moco moco (Montrichardia arborescens) – Used as a poultice for hypertension and tuberculosis
Tulsie (Ocimum gratissimum) – Cold, chest cold, wind pain
·   Sarsaparilla (Philodendron fragrantissimum) – Aphrodisiac
Bura bura (Plimpla bush) (Solanum jamaicense) – Cold, ant bites, toothache
Aloe (Aloe vera) – Cold, asthma, pneumonia, biliousness
Neem (Azadirachta indica) – Diabetes, jaundice, measles
Monkey ladder (Bauhinia scala-simiae) – Aphrodisiac, back pain
Cockshun (Smilax schomburgkiana) – Aphrodisiac, venereal diseases
Kapadula (Doliocarpus dentatus) – Aphrodisiac, cough, cold
Leaf of life (Bryophyllum pinnatum) – cold, cough, pink eye, pain
Pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan) – Diabetes, anti-perspirant
Crabwood oil (Carapa guianensis) – skin lotion, thrush, insect repellent
Ganges Street, Sophia
(592) 223-0331; 223-0939; 223-0940; 646-1229
wildlife.gov.gy
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Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission