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Kilifi Gardens Indexes

Ximenia Caffra

Family: Ximeniaceae
ENG: Sour Plum
KSW: mpingi
GIR: Mtundukula

Self-seeded tree up to 6 m tall with spiney branches.

The flowers are small, sweet-scented and creamygreen edible oval fruits 25 mm long deep red when ripe. The fruit are eaten by birds and monkeys. The single large seed inside contains Ximenia oil which has various uses. The leaves and roots are used for traditional medicine.

Larval foodplant to:

  • Axiocerses harpex – Common Scarlet
  • Axiocerses punicea – Rainforest Scarlet
  • Iolaus pallene – Saffron Saphire
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Cissius Quadrangularis

Family: Vitaceae
KSW: Mbugu-nyama
GIR: Mtsuma-pengo

Perennial deciduous trailing or climbing herb with tuberous rootstock; stems quadrangular, almost
winged, stout, succulent, glabrous. Racemes of small white, yellowish, or greenish flowers; globular
berries are red when ripe.

Medicinally, it is used in the treatment of asthma, hemorrhoids, wounds, broken bones, boils, burns,
rheumatic pains, and indigestion. The young stems are cooked. The leaves and young shoots are used in the preparation of curries and poppadoms. The fruits are eaten and the seeds are used for cooking oil. Ash of the plant is used as a substitute for baking powder.

Self seeded
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Vitaceae

The Checklist of Coastal Forests lists 5 Genera, 31 Species

I have growing:

  • Ampelocissus Africana – to follow
  • Cissus quadrangularis

Violaceae

The Coastal Checklist of Forests lists 2 Genera, 10 Species

I am growing:

  • Rinorea ilicifolia

Deinbollia Borbonica

Family: Sapindaceae
GIR: Mndalamwaka

Small tree or shrub. Cream flowers and yellow berries.

Propagate from seed.
The flowers attract hordes of insects including; moths, butterflies, bees, wasps, ants and beetles. Monkeys and birds eat the fruit. Charaxes butterflies eat the rotting fruit (needs confirming). The fruit is edible. The plant roots are medicinal.

Deinbollia hosts:

  • Egybolis vaillantina
  • Euphedra neophron
  • Euxanthe wakefieldi
  • Charaxes varanes
  • Various Lycaenid Blues which feed on the maturing
    seeds.
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