The concept of lekhala and its limitations in understanding the genus aloe in Lesotho

Abstract

The limitations of using vernacular names over scientific ones in relation to flora and fauna have long been discussed by different authors worldwide. A similar observation has been made in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa, with its inhabitants, the Basotho, constituting 99% of the population, and Sesotho as the predominant language. The current study explores the limitations and confusion caused by the use of the vernacular name lekhala in reference to different aloe species and other non-aloe plants, such as Agave americana, in the country. According to the latest preliminary checklist of the flora of Lesotho, there are eight species of the Aloe genus; however, two species have since been transferred to other genera. Literature and our observations show that six aloe species are referred to as lekhala in Sesotho. Curiously, not all aloe species are commonly known as lekhala, for example, Aloe striatula (now Aloiampelos striatula) is known as mohalakane or seholobe, while Aloe ecklonis is referred to as maroba-lihale. Therefore, the study demonstrates that the use of the vernacular name lekhala in reference to the Aloe genus in Lesotho is problematic, confusing and overgeneralising.