Coastal Forest Checklist lists 30 Genera, 117 Species
I have growing:
(Previously Clerodendrum Incisum)
Family: Lamiaceae
GIR: Karusapungu
This is a shrub to 2.5M tall. Grows in coastal thicket and forest under-storey. The leaves and bark are
medicinal.
Available from Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery
 |
Family: Lamiaceae
GIR: Mvuma
Self seeded.
Shrub — small tree to 4M. Self seeded. Edible fruits. The twigs and roots have medicinal properties properties and the roots are used to make perfumes.
The shrub is attractive to butterflies
 |
 |
|
Family: Icacinaceae
Swahili: Ria
Climber with large tuberous rootstock.
Self seeded.
The large tubers form the major food resource for the naked mole-rat. The foraging tunnels often run completely through the larger tubers, which are periodically plugged with soil and allowed to regenerate. However, the tubers are randomly distributed and the inter-tuber distances can be relatively high, making them hard to find. (Source : Life of Succulents)
Soaked leaves are placed on the ground against jiggers; leaves used against boils and rushes.
 |
|
(Previous Name Acacia Robusta)
Family: Fabaceae, Leguminosae – Mimosaceae
KWS: Mgunga
Gir: Mtsemeri/Mgunga
Self seeded. This is a small to medium, upright, deciduous thorn tree consisting of a narrow crown. Up
to 10m. Creamy pompom flowers. The strongly scented flowers attract bees and butterflies, and many other insects. The seed pods are eaten by herbivores and monkeys. Vachelia roots are nitrogen fixing making it suitable for underplanting. Larval host to many butterflies.
The roots and stem bark as medicines for chest pains, colds and coughs.
Available: Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery.
Valchellia may be host to the below butterflies (refer Valchellia Butterflies):
|
 |
|
|
(Previously Acacia Nilotica)
Family: Fabaceae, Leguminosae – Mimosaceae
ENG: Gum Arabic Tree /Egyptian Acacia
KWS: Mgunga
GIR: Muoti
Tree 5 to 20M. Self seeded.
This is the ancient Egyptian tree of life and the Acacia is derived from Greek.
Flowers are visited by bees and butterflies. Bush babies eat the gum. I wake up to a cacaphony of birds sitting in the tree. The leaves are larval host to azanus species of butterly.
The roots and stem bark are uses as medicines for coughs
Available – Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery.
Valchellia may be host to the below butterflies (refer Valchellia Butterflies):
|
|
|
|
Family: Ebenaceae
GIR: Mpweke
Small tree to 8M high.
Fragrant flowers. The edible, fleshy fruit are harvested locally.
The roots are used for traditional medicine.
Family: Capparaceae.
Self seeded. Grown from seed or cuttings. This plant is often flowering and always covered in Colotis butterflies and ants. Medicinal use in Africa and fruit is eaten. Leaves are toxic to sheep and cattle.
In other parts of Africa, Capparis is recorded as a larval food plant for Appias, Belenois, Colotis, Dixeia, Eronia, Leptosia, Nepheronia, and Pinacopteryx.
There is no evidence from the coast that this is a larval food plant, but Capparis is regularly visited by butterflies.
Monkeys eat the fruit and antelope eat the leaves
|
|
|
|
Family: Bignoniaceae
KSW: Mwegea, Mvungwa
GIR: Muratina
Tree to 20M. Maroon trumpeted flowers. Fruits like giant sausages
Flowers attract. insects and birds. Monkeys and porcupine eat fruit. Monkeys eat flower nectar. Antelope eat fallen flowers. May be pollinated by fruit bats. Charaxes visit the tree.
Fruit is used for skin cream.
Locally available at nurseries.
|
|
|
|
|
Family: Bignoniaceae
GIR: Munyala
Small, often multi-stemmed tree. Flowers orange-red with a yellow centre; corolla bell-shaped, up to 10 cm in diameter. Fruit a long. slender capsule, 30-55 cm long, flattened, spirally twisted.
The leaves and roots are used to treat and protect against snakebites.
Available Kivukoni Indigenous Tree Nursery
Larval foodplant to
Epiphora mythimnia – White-ringed atlas
|
|