Introduction

Background

Botanical and ecological diversity in Kenya

Plants are essential for human existence. They are the direct source of the world's staple foodstuffs in the form of their seeds, fruits, leaves and tubers, for example, or as less important products such as edible gums. Other species provide products or services that people depend on directly or indirectly, e.g. medicine, fodder for livestock, fibre, materials for construction, shade-the list is a long one!

Ecologically, there is a great deal of variation within Kenya which has extremes of environments (see Map 3). Land rises from the coastal zone and the lowlands of the north and north-east-where day temperatures exceed 40°C - to the cool highlands and mountain tops in the centre of the country, including Mt Kenya with a summit at 5,199 m, which is permanently snow covered. This great altitudinal range significantly influences rainfall and temperatures in various areas of the country, which in turn dictate the dominant vegetation types. Precipitation ranges from 150 mm annually in the dry low-lying deserts of the north and north-east to over 2,500 mm on the slopes of Mt Kenya. Likewise, vegetation ranges from almost bare rock and sand dunes in the deserts through Acacia-Commiphora bushland to grassland with scattered trees, dry highland forests, tropical rain forests and to alpine vegetation. This wide ecological range has resulted in a rich flora of about 7,100 distinct plant species and several thousand subspecies and varieties. Some of these species have a wide, almost world-wide distribution (e.g. some weedy species such as Amaranthus spp.), while others, or their subspecies or varieties, may have a more limited distribution. Some, for example Bridelia taitensis, are only found within the country (that is, they are endemic to Kenya), and others occur in even more restricted areas; for example the yet-to-be-described Salacia sp. = ndendela, Thui Hill, has only been reported from a single hill that covers an area of less than 4 hectares.

Ethnic diversity

The population of Kenya is also characterized by high diversity. Kenya is a meeting point of three major groups of people: Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic speakers, each with a diversity of ethnic groups (see Map 1 and Table 1). Altogether, there are over 55 distinct languages and several hundred dialects. Some of these ethnic groups, such as the Kikuyu and Luo, comprise many millions of people, but others, like the Suba and El Molo, are small and their languages are on the verge of extinction. These original inhabitants of Kenya were later joined by people from other continents, e.g. the Arabian peninsular, India and Europe, thus further diversifying the linguistic and cultural situation. With the passage of time, and through observation and trial and error, a wealth of knowledge and experience about the environment, its resources and how best to exploit them was accumulated-for example, knowledge about the uses of plants as food, medicine and as poisons. This deep-rooted indigenous knowledge is necessary for the survival and well-being of a community in its environment. The Mijikenda, for example, use over 80 local species of plants as leafy vegetables, while the Turkana exploit over 140 species of edible plants obtained from their arid environment.

Historical and cultural change

The last century has brought more change for the people of Kenya than perhaps any other before. Western culture and modern science and technology are encroaching on traditional practices and eroding local knowledge. Modern times have brought new food habits and even several new crops. The plants from which traditional foods were obtained are now suffering a double tragedy: genetic erosion and loss of traditional knowledge on how to grow and use them. Many traditional cultivars, which evolved with the cultures concerned as they were consciously selected to meet specific cultural roles, have disappeared within the lifespan of the present generation. In many areas, even outside towns and cities, diets are based on fewer and fewer plant species: one in particular-maize-is becoming an increasingly dominant and widespread staple to the detriment of the health of families and national food security. This, coupled with low incomes and a misguided preference for expensive exotic foods, has contributed significantly to poverty in the country. Traditional farming systems, which are associated with specific traditional crops, varieties and technologies, are being abandoned, also resulting in increasingly monotonous diets and the loss of food-plant resources and indigenous knowledge about them. Specialized habitats such as indigenous forests and wetlands are being destroyed, similarly endangering specific forms and varieties of plants and sometimes resulting in the loss of entire species.

The role of food from the wild

Food from the wide range of traditional food plants makes supplemental, seasonal and emergency contributions to household food supplies.

Supplements to the staple food add flavour, which enhances the appetite. Some foods increase the absorption of vitamins, e.g. gum arabic (from Acacia senegal), and may help maintain the normal intestinal flora.

Many traditional plant foods are characteristically energy rich and play a crucial nutritional role during hunger periods. They may be equally important during periods when people have less time for food preparation, such as during peak agricultural seasons, or in arid regions where seasonal food-supply fluctuations are particularly acute. Commelina spp., for example, are strategically available at the beginning of the rainy season before other species can be harvested.

Perhaps the most common use of food from the wild is as snacks. Traditionally, people ate fruit between meals while herding cattle or working in the fields. Snack foods are especially important for children since they need to eat more frequently than adults. In addition, these wild fruit may supply micronutrients that are very important for the healthy growth of children but may be deficient in the bulky cereal-based diet in the home. Grewia spp., for example, are a major nutritional resource for pastoralists in dry zones.

Leafy vegetables collected from the wild play an important role in traditional diets in rural areas. In some cultures such as the Luhya, Kisii, Luo and Mijikenda, traditional indigenous vegetables are a common food in the diet. While some may be collected from the wild, a sizeable number have now been cultivated, including Cleome gynandra, and Crotalaria, Solarium, and Amaranthus species.

Nutritional value of traditional food plants

If hunger periods lead to actual starvation, or if other calamities such as war cause emergencies, a range of food plants, although sometimes requiring complex preparation to avoid toxicity, can provide a life-saving buffer, as is the case with Balanites pedicellaris and Boscia coriacea among the Turkana of north-western Kenya.

Although malnutrition and famine did also occur in the past, the nutritional benefits that resulted from the consumption of a wide variety of plants in the olden days were undoubtedly great and have been lost in modern times. If these traditional food plants could be promoted through extension work, better nutrition and better health could be achieved (see Appendix 1).

Nutritional problems in Kenya

The main nutritional problems that occur currently in Kenya can be summarized as follows:

Low energy and protein intake

People do not eat enough food of all kinds. In many areas food shortages are seasonal, being most severe at the end of the dry season and at the beginning of the rains. In addition, eating habits are changing-tea, for example, is replacing the more nutritious millet porridge for breakfast among many communities, a habit that is particularly detrimental for children's nutrition.

A number of traditionally used wild plants are good sources of unsaturated fats which, even in small quantities, can play a vital role in increasing the energy content of staple foods while making them more palatable and less bulky for children to eat.

Lack of variety in the diet

A varied diet is likely to be a well-balanced one. More important, the use of different foods, even in small quantities (snack foods), improves the flavour of the staple food and thus tends to increase overall consumption of the staple. Dietary deficiencies and food insecurity are strongly related to the decreasing diversity of traditional diets.

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential for the body's metabolic processes to take place normally.

Lack of Vitamin A: Vitamin A deficiency can lead to dry-eye disease (xerophthalmia), night-blindness and eventually complete blindness. Children who are deficient in vitamin A are more likely than healthy children to die from infectious diseases. Yellow fruits and green vegetables, as well as dark green leaves, are good sources of this vitamin. Fats, protein and zinc help the body to absorb and use vitamin A, thus a diet low in these nutrients can contribute to vitamin A deficiency. Nuts and oil seeds, in addition to fruit and vegetables, help to meet this nutritional shortfall.

Low levels of riboflavin (Vitamin B): Riboflavin deficiency is responsible for eye and skin disorders. Many wild foods, especially leaves, are good sources of this vitamin, and wild leafy vegetables have sometimes been found to have significantly higher riboflavin levels than cultivated varieties.

Other vitamins: Several other vitamins are essential for a healthy body. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is readily obtainable from fruits and fresh vegetables. Fruits such as baobab (Adansonia digitata) and morula (Sclerocarya birrea) are exceptionally rich in the vitamin. Vitamin E is abundant in vegetables such as purslane (Portulaca oleracea).

Iron and iodine deficiency

Iron is essential for the manufacture of haemoglobin, the red pigment in the blood. Low levels of iron lead to anaemia which is a major health problem in many parts of eastern Africa, particularly for women. Many traditional foods, especially dark green leaves, are good sources of iron.

In some areas of Kenya, the soils are deficient in iodine and therefore the diet is also deficient in this mineral. Iodine deficiency causes goitre and mental retardation in children. This deficiency can be prevented by importation of foodstuffs grown in other areas where there is no iodine deficiency and by use of iodized salt.

Table 2. Marketed species

Type/species	Common name	Areas commonly sold
Leafy vegetables
Adansonia digitata	baobab	Kitui, Coast
Amaranthus hybridus	amaranth	countrywide
Amaranthus dubius	amaranth	countrywide
Amaranthus lividus	amaranth	Kisii, Kericho, Nyanza, Western, central Rift Valley
Amaranthus spinosus	spiny amaranth	Nyanza, countrywide
Asystasia mysorensis		Nairobi, West Pokot, Western, Nyanza
Asystasia gangetica		Nyanza, Western
Basella alba	vine spinach	Nairobi, Coast, Western, Nyanza, central Rift Valley
Brassica carinata	kandhira	Nyanza, Western
Cleome (Gynandropsis) gynandra	spider herb	Kisii, Nyanza, Western, Coast, Central and northern Rift Valley, Nairobi
Corchorus trilocularis		Nairobi, Coast, Western, Nyanza, central Rift Valley
Corchorus olitorius	jute	Nairobi, Coast, Western, central Rift Valley, Nyanza
Crotalaria ochroleuca		Nairobi, Western, Nyanza, central Rift Valley
Crotalaria brevidens		Nairobi, Western, Nyanza, central Rift Valley
Digera muricata		northern Rift Valley, Coast
Ipomoea aquatica		Coast, Malindi
Kedrostis pseudogijef		Voi
Launaea cornuta		Western, Nyanza, Coast
Sesamum calycinum	onyulo	Nyanza, Western
Solanum nigrum	black nightshade	Nairobi, Nyanza, Western, Coast, central Rift Valley, countrywide
Vigna unguiculata	cowpea	countrywide
Cucurbits
Citrullus lanatus	water melon	large towns countrywide
Coccinia grandis	ivy gourd	northern Rift Valley, other parts of the world
Cucumis metuliferus	spiny cucumber	Nairobi
Lagenaria siceraria	gourd	Nyanza, Central Rift Valley, Eastern, Coast
Cucurbita maxima	pumpkin	countrywide
Cucumis ficifolia	kahurura	Central
Flavouring/spices
Zanthoxylum chalybeum	mjafari	northern Rift Valley
Lippia carviodora	eur	northern Rift Valley
Tamarindus indica	tamarind	Nairobi, Eastern, Coast, Western, Nyanza
Gums/resins
Acacia Senegal	gum arabic	Maralal, Isiolo, northern Kenya
Acacia seyal		Nairobi, Maralal, Isiolo, northern Kenya, exported
Boswellia neglecta	frankincense	northern Kenya
Pulses/other seeds
Cajanus cajan	pegionpea	countrywide
Lablab purpureus	lablab bean	Nairobi, Central, Eastern, countrywide
Sesamum orientale	sesame	Nairobi, Coast, Western Nyanza, Central Rift Valley
Vigna subterranea	Bambara groundnut	Nairobi, Western, Nyanza, Coast
Vigna unguiculata	cowpea	countrywide
Grains
Eleusine coracana	finger millet	countrywide
Eragrastis tef	teff	Nairobi, northern Kenya
Pennisetum glaucum	pearl millet	Eastern, Nairobi, Coast
Sorghum bicolor	sorghum	countrywide
Fruits
Acacia tortilis		northern Rift Valley
Adansonia digitata	baobab	Coast, Eastern
Annona senegalensis	wild custard apple	Coast
Azanza garckeana		Embu, Tharaka, Kitui
Balanites pedicellaris		northern Rift Valley, Lodwar
Berchemia discolor		northern Rift Valley, Eastern
Borassus aethiopum	African fan palm	Coast
Boscia coriacea		northern Rift Valley
Carissa edulis		Nairobi, central and northern Rift Valley
Citrullus lanatus		Nairobi, northern Rift Valley
Coccinia trilobata		Eastern
Cordia sinensis		Lodwar, northern Rift Valley
Dialium holtzii		Coast
Dialium orientale		Malindi, Coast
Flacourtia indica	Indian plum	Kapenguria, Chepararia, northern Rift Valley
Hyphaene compressa	doum palm	Lodwar, northern Rift Valley
Lagenaria siceraria	gourd	countrywide
Landolphia kirkii	rubber vine	Coast
Landolphia petersiana		Coast
Lannea alata		Eastern, North Eastern
Manilkara sansibarensis		Kilifi
Manilkara sulcata		Kilifi
Myrianthus holstii	giant yellow mulberry	Central
Physalis peruviana*	Cape gooseberry	Nairobi, Western, Nyanza
Salacia madagascariensis		Coast
Sclerocarya birrea	marula	northern Rift Valley, Eastern
Syzygium cumini*		countrywide
Syzygium guineense	water berry	northern Rift Valley
Tamarindus indica	tamarind	countrywide
Vangueria infausta	vangueria	central and northern Rift Valley, Eastern
Vangueria madagascariensis	vangueria	Eastern
Vitex payos	black plum	Embu, Kitui, Kilifi
Ximenia americana	tallow nut	Eastern, northern Rift Valley
Ziziphus mauritiana		Coast, northern Rift Valley
Tubers/roots
Colocasia esculenta*	coco yam	Nairobi, Central, Eastern, countrywide
Dioscorea bulbifera		Western
Dioscorea minutiflora		Nairobi, Embu, Meru, Central
Mondia whitei		Nairobi
Stimulants
Catha edulis	khat	Most towns, exported
Others
Termitomyces spp.	edible fungi	Nyanza, Western, central Rift Valley
Elaeis guineensis	Guinea oil palm	commercial centres
Kigelia pinnata (K. africana)	sausage tree	Eastern, southern Rift Valley

The species listed in Table 2 have either been seen in markets or arc reported to be sold either in the raw or processed form. Most of the species are marketed in specific areas and seasons. The buyers may also be a specific group of people.

* Exotic species

Notes:

1. Many important food plant species are normally protected in their wild state but only a few are widely cultivated.

2. This list excludes those species sold for medicinal and other purposes.

3. Nyanza, Western, Coast, Eastern, North Eastern, Nairobi, Rift Valley and Central refer to Kenyan administrative Provinces.

Economic considerations

Easy access

Many traditional food plants grow wild. Therefore, where they are accessible, they can be collected freely and are thus available to everyone, including the poor. But these traditional vegetables may also conveniently be grown within the homestead in kitchen or homegardens. This is a common practice among the Kisii, Luhya and Mijikenda.

Contributions to household economy

Other traditional food plants are commercial in the sense that they are collected and sold, and yet others are cultivated either for household use or for sale. Many species, especially leafy vegetables, contribute to income generation, and such sources are often important for women and children in poor rural areas (Table 2).

Plant domestication

All wild species treated in this book are occasionally consciously protected by the communities in areas where they occur and therefore are often spared when vegetation is being cleared. A few may also be managed in their natural habitat (e.g. by pruning), while in other species seeds, saplings, cuttings or other parts of the plant are collected for propagation in fields or homegardens. Selection of tree species for domestication or management is based on their overall usefulness (e.g. as a shade tree), availability of propagating material and convenience of growing it.

Table 3. Wild food plants rated highly for domestication

Alcoholic beverage	Parinari curatellifolia	Kedrostis pseudogijef*
Borassus aethiopum	Rubus volkensii	Leptadenia hastata
Cordia sinensis	Saba comorensis	Portulaca oleracea
Sclerocarya birrea	Sclerocarya birrea	Sesamum calycinum*
Tamarindus indica*	Sorindeia madagascariensis	Solanum nigrum*
	Strychnos innocua	Solanum scabrum*
Fermentation media	Strychnos madascariensis	Solanum villosum*
Aloe spp.	Strychnos spinosa	Vatovaea pseudolablab*
Kigelia pinnata (K. africana)	Syzygium guineense	Vernonia amygdalina*
Fruits	Tamarindus indica*	Vernonia cinerea
Annona senegalensis	Uvaria scheffleri	Vigna membranacea
Azanza garckeana	Vangueria infausta	Nuts and roasted seeds
Balanites rotundifolia	Vangueria madagascariensis	Cordeauxia edulis*
Berchemia discolor	Vitex doniana	Sclerocarya birrea
Borassus aethiopum	Vitex payos
Carissa edulis	Ximenia americana	Pulses (legumes)
Coccinia grandis	Zanthoxylum chalybeum	Vatovaea pseudolablab
Cordia sinensis	Ziziphus mauritiana	Roots and tubers
Cucumis metuliferus	Leafy vegetables	Eriosema shirense
Diospyros mespiliformis	Amaranthus dubius*	Ipomoea lapathifolia
Dobera glabra	Amaranthus hybridus*	Stathmostelma propinquum
Flacourtia indica	Amaranthus blitum (A. lividus)*	Spices, flavourings and tea substitutes
	Basella alba*	Lippia carviodora
Garcinia livingstonei	Cleome (Gynandropsis) gynandra*	Ocimum gratissimum
Kedrostis pseudogijef*	Corchorus olitorius*	Zanthoxylum chalybeum
Landolphia buchananii	Corchorus trilocularis*
Landolphia kirkii	Crotalaria brevidens*	Stimulants
Lannea alata	Crotalaria ochroleuca*	Catha edulis
Momordica rostrata
Myrianthus holstii	Digera muricata var. patentipilosa	Others
Pappea capensis	Ipomoea aquatica	Mondia whitei

* = semi-domesticated: this group includes plants whose food resources are picked from the wild but which are also often planted on a small scale in cropland and near the homestead.

Considering the vast number of potentially edible plants that occur in the wild, many of them yet to be discovered, there is considerable scope for domestication and breeding of new crops (Table 3). Introduced crops often require reliable rainfall and large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers to perform well. Indigenous plants exist in a better balance with other components of the ecosystem, and can produce without expensive inputs.

Few of the plants described in this book are currently cultivated and little or no consideration has so far been given to their genetic improvement. Therefore the vast potential of the genetic resource represented by traditional food plants has barely begun to be exploited.

Cultivated species

Out of some 3,000 different plant species that have been commercialized (1% of the total number of plant species in the world) only 20 are consumed on a large scale. In fact, as much as 80% of world human energy intake comes from only 15 species of plants and animals. These 15 main foods are, however, not always the most nutritious. As already pointed out, this concentration on a few species has resulted in a vast number of potential food-plant species being neglected, genetic erosion and loss of associated indigenous knowledge.

The few crops that are now dominant were domesticated long ago, most in just a few regions in the world, e.g. the Middle East, the Ethiopian highlands, South East Asia and the highlands of South America (Table 4).

The promotion of traditional food plants

Traditional food plants, both domesticated and non-domesticated, have been neglected throughout the world. Kenya is no exception. Instead of concentrating on commercial food crops, extension efforts should now be aimed at maintaining, popularizing and improving the accessibility of a wide range of species as this can do much to improve nutrition and food security. A rich flora providing a variety of snack foods located near or in school compounds, for example, would improve the health of school children.

Even as individual citizens we have a responsibility to maintain the maximum possible diversity in our food plants and use them for everyone's well-being. To achieve this we need to:

· Make sure we and our families eat more traditional foods;

· Discard the false and unwarranted notion that traditional foods are inferior;

· Take the initiative to grow those species that we can grow ourselves and to manage others in the wild while preserving their habitats and ecosystems, even in our own back yards;

· Promote and keep alive indigenous knowledge about edible plants, methods of preparation, local names, etc., pass this knowledge on to our children and, where possible, document it;

· Identify rare and endangered cultivars or varieties and liaise with the National Gene Bank at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) for long-term conservation.

Notes on the use of this book

Distribution maps

The maps in the Species Accounts section indicate localities where specimens of each plant were collected and stored by the East African Herbarium at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi. But these maps should not be regarded as providing a complete picture of each species' distribution in Kenya as it may also occur in other areas not represented in the Herbarium collection. In the case of a crop species, the areas indicated are those where it is cultivated.

Information for future editions

The authors welcome comments, corrections and additions from readers. These contributions (to be sent to KENRIK, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi) should be accompanied by details of localities and person(s) supplying the information, and will be acknowledged appropriately.

A note for genetic and information prospectors

The information and knowledge about the plants in this book, and the methods by which they are used traditionally, belong to the communities concerned. Any proposed commercialization of this intellectual property, and the associated genetic resources, should be initiated in good faith, with acknowledgement to and the full participation and knowledge of the relevant peoples.

Table 4. Commonly used cultivated food species and their origins

Species	Common name	Probable origin
Abelmoschus esculentus*	Okra, lady's fingers	Tropics of Old World, eastern Africa
Allium ampeloprasum	Leek	North Africa, Eurasia
Allium cepa	Onion	Mediterranean region
Allium sativum	Garlic	Asia
Amaranthus blitum (A. lividus)*	Amaranth	Southern Europe, northern tropical Africa
Amaranthus cruentus**	Amaranth	Tropical America
Amaranthus dubius**	Amaranth	Tropical America
Amaranthus hybridus**	Amaranth	Central America
Anacardium occidentale**	Cashew nut	South America
Ananas comosa**	Pineapple	Northern South America
Anethum graveolens	Dill	Western Asia
Annona cherimola	Custard apple, cherimoya	Western tropical South America
Annona squamosa	Custard apple	Tropical America
Arachis hypogaea	Groundnut, peanut	Brazil
Asparagus officinalis	Garden asparagus	North Africa to southern Europe
Basella alba*	Vine spinach, Ceylon spinach	Africa, South Asia
Brassica carinata**	Kandhira, Ethiopian cabbage, texsel greens	Ethiopia, north-eastern Africa
Brassica oleracea var. acephala	Sukuma, kale	Western Europe
Brassica oleracea var. capitata	Cabbage	Western Europe
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis	Cauliflower, broccoli	Western Europe
Cajanus cajan	Pigeon pea	? Africa, Asia
Camellia sinensis	Tea	Southern China, South Asia
Capsicum annuum	Pepper	Tropical America
Carica papaya	Pawpaw, papaya	Tropical America, West Indies
Catha edulis*	Khat, Abyssinian tea	Africa
Cinnamomum zeylanicum	Cinnamon	Sri Lanka, South India
Citrullus lanatus	Water melon	Africa
Citrus aurantiifolia	Lime	? India
Citrus aurantium	Sour orange	S.E. Asia
Citrus limon	Lemon	Asia
Citrus reticulata	Tangerine, mandarin	Far East
Citrus sinensis	Sweet orange	China
Citrus x paradisi	Grapefruit	? West Indies
Cleome (Gynandropsis) gynandra*	Spider herb, cat's whiskers	Tropical Africa and Asia
Coccinia grandis*	Ivy gourd	Tropics of the Old World
Cocos nucifera**	Coconut	South Asia
Coffea arabica*	Coffee	Ethiopia, northern Kenya
Colocasia esculenta	Cocoyam, taro	Tropical Asia
Corchorus olitorius*	Jute, Jew's mallow	Africa, tropical Asia (India)
Corchorus tridens (C. trilocularis)*	Mrere	Africa
Cordeauxia edulis	Yeheb, yeheb nut	Somalia, eastern Ethiopia
Coriandrum sativum	Coriander	West Mediterranean
Crotalaria brevidens*	Mito	Tropical Africa
Crotalaria ochroleuca*	Mito	Tropical Africa
Cucumis melo	Sweet melon	? West Africa
Cucumis metuliferus*	Spiny cucumber, horned melon)	Africa
Cucumis sativus	Cucumber	Himalayas, western China
Cucurbita ficifolia	Malabar gourd	Central America, Mexico
Cucurbita maxima	Pumpkin	South America
Cucurbita moschata	Pumpkin	Tropical America
Cymbopogon citratus	Lemon grass	South India, Sri Lanka
Cyphomandra crassicaulis	Tree tomato	South America
Daucus carota	Carrot	Mediterranean region
Dioscorea bulbifera	Aerial yam, air potato	Africa, Asia
Dioscorea minutiflora	Kikuyu yam	Africa
Dovyalis caffra	Kei apple	Southern Africa
Elaeis guineensis*	Oil palm, Guinea oil palm	West to East Africa
Eleusine coracana	Finger millet	N.E. Africa
Ensete ventricosum*	False banana	N.E. and East Africa
Eragrostis tef	Teff	Ethiopia
Eriobotrya japonica**	Loquat	China, Japan
Foeniculum vulgare	Fennel	Mediterranean region
Fragaria spp.	Strawberry	?
Species	Common name	Probable origin
Hordeum vulgare	Barley	N.E. Africa to southern Europe
Ipomoea aquatica*	Water spinach	Tropics of the Old World
Ipomoea batatas	Sweet potato	Central America
Kedrostis pseudogijef*	Mukauwu	East Africa
Lablab purpureus*	Hyacinth bean	Tropical Africa
Lagenaria siceraria	Gourd, calabash gourd	Africa
Lantana camara**	Curse of India	Tropical America
Lycopersicon esculentum	Tomato	The Andes
Macadamia integrifolia	Macadamia nut	Australia (Queensland)
Mangifera indica**	Mango	India, southern Asia
Manihot esculenta	Cassava, manioc, tapioca	Brazil
Momordica charantia	Balsam pear, bitter cucumber	? Tropical Africa, ? Tropical Asia
Moringa oleifera	Ben tree, horseradish tree	N.W. India
Morus alba	White mulberry	China
Morus nigra	Black mulberry	Western Asia
Musa spp.	Banana	Tropical Asia
Musa x paradisiaca	Plantain	Tropical Asia
Ocimum basilicum	Basil, sweet basil	Tropics
Opuntia ficus-indica**	Prickly pear	Mexico
Oryza saliva	Rice	Tropical Asia, ? Africa
Passiflora edulis	Passion fruit, purple granadilla	South America
Passiflora mollissima**	Banana passion fruit	Tropical America
Pennisetum glaucum	Pearl millet, bulrush millet	The Sahel
Persea americana	Avocado pear	Tropical America
Petroselinum crispum	Parsley, garden parsley	Europe, western Asia
Phaseolus aureus	Green gram	Asia
Phaseolus coccineus	Scarlet runner bean	Central America
Phaseolus vulgaris	Kidney bean, French bean	Tropical America
Phoenix dactylifera	Date palm	North Africa, western Asia
Physalis mimina**		Tropical America
Physalis peruviana**	Cape gooseberry	Tropical South America
Pisum sativum	Garden pea	East Mediterranean to Iran
Portulaca oleracea*	Purslane	Africa, Europe, Asia
Psidium guajava**	Guava	Tropical America
Punica granatum	Pomegranate	S.E. Europe, western Asia
Rosemarinus officinalis	Rosemary	Mediterranean region
Rubus niveus**	Ceylon raspberry	India, western China
Saccharum officinarum	Sugarcane	S.E. Asia
Sclerocarya birrea*	Morula plum, morula nut	Tropical Africa
Sesamum calycinum*	Onyulo	Africa
Sesamum orientale*	Sesame, simsim, sesamum	Africa, northern Kenya
Setaria italica	Foxtail millet, Italian millet	East Asia
Solanum macrocarpon	African egg plant	Central to West Africa
Solanum melongena	Egg plant	India, East Indies
Solanum nigrum*	Black nightshade	Tropics and sub-tropics
Solanum scabrum*	Black nightshade, sunberry, wonderberry	Tropics and sub-tropics
Solanum tuberosum	English/Irish potato, potato	Chile, western Argentina
Solarium villosum*	Wonderberry, sunberry	Old World
Sonchus oleraceus**	Sow thistle	Mediterranean region, Eurasia
Sorghum bicolor	Sorghum	The Sahel
Spinacia oleracea	Spinach	? S.W. Asia
Syzygium aromaticum	Clove	Moluccas (S.E. Asia)
Syzygium cumini**	Java plum, jambolan	India, southern Asia
Tamarindus indica*	Tamarind	Tropical Africa and Asia
Triticum aestivum	Bread wheat	Middle East
Vicia faba	Broad bean	Tropics of the Old World
Vigna subterranea	Bambara groundnut	Central to West Africa
Vigna unguiculata*	Cowpea	Tropical Africa and Asia
Zea mays	Maize, com	Mexico
Zingiber officinale	Ginger	India, southern Asia
Ziziphus mauritiana*	Jujube	North Africa, Asia

* = Indigenous to Kenya;
** = Introduced but now naturalized in parts of Kenya;
? = Origin uncertain or disputed

1.	Mandera	12.	Isiolo	23.	West Pokot	34.	Buret	45.	Kiambu	56.	Kisumu
2.	Wajir	13.	Nyambene	24.	Trails Nzoia	35.	Bomet	46.	Nairobi	57.	Nyando
3.	Garissa	14.	Meru	25.	Elgeyo Marakwet	36.	Trans Mara	47.	Mombasa	58.	Nyamira
4.	Lamu	15.	Tharaka-Nithi	26.	Uasin Gishu	37.	Narok	48.	Mt Elgon	59.	Kisii
5.	Tana River	16.	Embu	27.	Baringo	38.	Kajiado	49.	Bungoma	60.	Gucha
6.	Malindi	17.	Mbeere	28.	Koibatek	39.	Nyandarua	50.	Kakamega	61.	Rachuonyo
7.	Kilifi	18.	Mwingi	29.	Samburu	40.	Nyeri	51.	Vihiga	62.	Homa Bay
8.	Kwale	19.	Kitui	30.	Laikipia	41.	Kirinyaga	52.	Teso	63.	Suba
9.	Taita Taveta	20.	Machakos	31.	Nakuru	42.	Murang'a	53.	Busia	64.	Migori
10.	Moyale	21.	Makueni	32.	Nandi	43.	Maragwa	54.	Siaya	65.	Kuria
11.	Marsabit	22.	Turkana	33.	Kericho	44.	Thika	55.	Bondo