Legacy of the chameleon: Edible wild plants in the kingdom of Swaziland, Southern Africa. A cultural, ecological, nutritional study. Part III ‐ Cultural and ecological analysis

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Abstract
This paper presents cultural and ecological data on division of labor, collection, storage and the use of edible wild plants. Primary responsibility for the collection of plants is with women. Most collecting occurs just before mealtime. Usually only enough for one meal is gathered. Swazi seldom mark favorite localities where wild plants are obtained; to do so is considered selfish. Of 211 adults surveyed, 50 cultivated edible wild species in household gardens; Momordica spp. and Aloe saponaria were grown most commonly. Trade and exchange of wild species was common between neighbors. While only 25 % sold wild species, 46 % reported regular purchases. A significant association was found between increasing age and the number of species utilized. School age Swazi children, however, knew more total species than adults in the Middleveld ecological zone. Swazi males recognized significantly fewer species than females; immigrants fewer than ethnic Swazi. While Swazi diet focuses on white maize, 39% of adults interviewed reported greater annual consumption of wild plants than domesticated species. Nonetheless, a stigma is attached to eating wild species: 21 % would not serve them to guests; five were taboo to Swazi having specific family names; Swazi women, generally, do not consume edible wild fruits when visiting their prospective mothers‐in‐law.