Traditional Food Plants of Kenya

Traditional Food Plants of Kenya describes wild and domesticated plants that are traditionally consumed in Kenya.

List of Species by Family
Acanthus Family (Acanthaceae)
 * Asystasia gangetica
 * Asystasia mysorensis

Amaranth Family (Amaranthaceae)
 * Aerva lanata
 * Amaranthus blitum - Purple amaranth
 * Amaranthus dubius - Amaranth
 * Amaranthus graecizans - Amaranth, Prostrate amaranth
 * Amaranthus hybridus - Amaranth, Chinese spinach, Spiny amaranth, Spleen amaranth
 * Amaranthus sparganiocephalus
 * Amaranthus spinosus - Careless weed, Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth
 * Digera muricata

Cashew or Sumac Family (Anacardiaceae)
 * Lannea alata
 * Lannea edulis
 * Lannea rivae
 * Lannea schimperi
 * Lannea triphylla
 * Rhus natalensis - KwaZulu Natal rhus
 * Rhus tenuinervis
 * Rhus vulgaris
 * Sclerocarya birrea - Cider tree, Morula
 * Sorindeia madagascariensis

Custard Apple Family (Annonaceae)
 * Annona senegalensis - Wild custard apple, Wild soursop
 * Uvaria acuminata
 * Urvaria scheffleri

Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae)
 * Acokanthera schimperi - Arrow-poison plant
 * Carissa edulis
 * Landolphia buchananii
 * Landolphia kirkii - Rubber vine
 * Leptadenia hastata
 * Mondia whitei
 * Saba comorensis
 * Stathmostelma propinquum

Palm Family (Arecaceae or Palmae)
 * Borassus aethiopum - Borassus palm, African fan palm, Palmyra palm, Deleb palm
 * Hyphaene compressa - Doum palm
 * Hyphaene coriacea - Doum palm
 * Phoenix reclinata - Wild date palm, Senegal date

Aster Family (Asteraceae)
 * Launaea cornuta
 * Vernonia cinerea

Torchwood Family (Balanitaceae)
 * Balanites aegyptiaca - Desert date
 * Balanites pedicellaris
 * Balanites rotundifolia

Basellaceae Family
 * Basella alba - Vine spinach, Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, Malabar spinach

Trumpet Creeper Family (Bignoniaceae)
 * Kigelia pinnata - Sausage tree

Borage Family (Boraginaceae)
 * Cordia monoica - Sandpaper tree

Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae)
 * Brassica carinata - Ethiopian cabbage, Ethiopian mustard
 * Erucastrum arabicum

Frankincense and Myrrh family (Burseraceae)
 * Boswellia neglecta - Frankincense
 * Commiphora africana
 * Commiphora rostrata
 * Commiphora schimperi

Bellflower Family (Campanulaceae)
 * Cyphis glandulifera

Caper Family (Capparaceae)
 * Boscia coriacea
 * Cleome gynandra - Bastard mustard, Spider herb, Spider flower, Cat's whiskers
 * Maerua decumbens
 * Thylachium thomasii

Bittersweet Family (Celastraceae)
 * Catha edulis - Khat, Abyssinia tea
 * Salacia madagascariensis

Chrysobalanaceae Family
 * Parinari curatellifolia - Mobola plum

Clusiaceae Family
 * Garcinia livingstonei

Dayflower Family (Commelinaceae)
 * Commelina africana
 * Commelina benghalensis
 * Commelina forskaolii

Morning Glory Family (Convolvulaceae)
 * Ipomoea aquatica - Water spinach, Winter spinach
 * Ipomoea lapathifolia
 * Ipomoea longituba
 * Ipomoea mombassana
 * Ipomoea oenotherae

Cucurbit Family (Cucurbitaceae)
 * Citrullus lanatus - Watermelon, Egusi melon
 * Coccinia grandis - Ivy gourd, Scarlet gourd
 * Kedrostis pseudogijef
 * Lagenaria siceraria - Gourd, Bottle gourd, Calabash gourd
 * Momordica rostrata

Sedge Family (Cyperaceae)
 * Cyperus blysmoides

Yam Family (Dioscoreaceae)
 * Dioscorea bulbifera - Potato yam, Air potato
 * Dioscorea dumetorum
 * Dioscorea minutiflora

Ebony and Persimmon Family (Ebenaceae)
 * Diospyros mespiliformis - African ebony, jackal berry
 * Euclea divinorum

Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae)
 * Antidesma venusum
 * Bridelia taitensis
 * Flueggea virosa

Grass Family (Gramineae)
 * Dactyloctenium aegyptium - Crow-foot grass
 * Dactyloctenium giganteum
 * Eleusine coracana - Finger millet
 * Eragrostis tef - Teff
 * Pennisetum glaucum - Bulrush millet, Pearl millet, Spiked millet
 * Sorghum bicolor - Sorghum, Guinea corn

Hydnoraceae Family
 * Hydnora abyssinica

Mint Family (Lamiaceae)
 * Hoslundia opposita

Legume Family (Fabaceae or Leguminosae)
 * Acacia drepanolobium - Whistling thorn, black-galled acacia
 * Acacia hockii
 * Acacia nilotica - Egyptian mimosa, Egyptian thorn
 * Acacia senegal - Gum arabic tree
 * Acacia seyal - Whistling thorn
 * Acacia tortilis - Umbrella thorn
 * Albizia amara
 * Cajanus cajan - Pigeon pea
 * Crotalaria brevidens
 * Crotalaria ochroleuca
 * Dialium holtzii
 * Dialium orientale
 * Eriosema shirense
 * Lablab purpureus - Hyacinth bean, Bonavist bean, Lablab bean
 * Piliostigma thonningii - Camel foot
 * Tamarindus indica - Tamarind
 * Tylosema fassoglense
 * Vatovaea pseudolablab
 * Vigna friesiorum
 * Vigna membranacea
 * Vigna subterranea - Bambarra groundnut, Madagascar groundnut, earthnut, baffin pea, Bambarra bean
 * Vigna unguiculata - Cowpea

Loganiaceae Family
 * Strychnos henningsii
 * Strychnos madagascariensis
 * Strychnos spinosa - Kaffir orange, KwaZulu Natal orange

Mallow Family (Malvaceae)
 * Adansonia digitata - Baobab
 * Azanza garckeana - Tree hibiscus

Mulberry or Fig Family (Moraceae)
 * Ficus sycomorus - Sycamore fig
 * Ficus thonningii
 * Myrianthus holstii - Giant yellow mulberry

Moringaceae Family
 * Moringa oleifera - Ben oil tree, Horseradish tree, Moringo, Drumstick tree

Myrtle Family (Myrtaceae)
 * Syzygium cordatum
 * Syzygium guineense - Waterberry, Water pear

Water Lily Family (Nymphaeaceae)
 * Nymphaea nouchali - Water lily, Blue lotus of Egypt, Blue water lily

Olacaceae Family
 * Ximenia americana - Wild plum, tallow nut, False sandalwood

Sesame Family (Pedaliaceae)
 * Sesamum orientale - Sesame, Baniseed, Sesamum

Buckwheat Family (Polygonaceae)
 * Oxygonum sinuatum
 * Rumex usambarensis - Sorrel

Purslane Family (Portulacaceae)
 * Portulaca oleracea - Purselane, Pursley, Purslane

Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)
 * Berchemia discolor - Bird plum, Brown ivory
 * Scutia myrtina
 * Ziziphus abyssinica - Catch thorn
 * Ziziphus mauritiana - Indian plum, Jujube, Chinese date
 * Ziziphus mucronata - Buffalo horn

Rose Family (Rosaceae)
 * Rubus apetalus
 * Rubus pinnatus
 * Rubus volkensii

Coffee Family (Rubiaceae)
 * Canthium glaucum
 * Canthium lactescens
 * Coffea arabica - Arabian coffee, Arabica coffee, Coffee
 * Meyna tetraphylla
 * Pachystigma schumannianum
 * Vangueria apiculata
 * Vangueria infausta - False medlar
 * Vangueria madagascariensis
 * Vangueria volkensii

Citrus Family (Rutaceae)
 * Zanthoxylum chalybeum - Knobwood

Salicaceae Family
 * Dovyalis abyssinica
 * Dovyalis macrocalyx
 * Flacourtia indica - Governor's plum, Indian plum

Salvadoraceae Family
 * Dobera glabra
 * Salvadora persica - Toothbrush bush, Mustard tree

Soapberry Family (Sapindaceae)
 * Pappea capensis - Jackal plum

Sapotaceae Family
 * Manilkara mochisia
 * Manilkara sansibarensis
 * Manilkara sulcata
 * Mimusops fruiticosa
 * Mimusops kummel

Nightshade Family (Solanaceae]
 * Solanum nigrum - Black nightshade, Wonderberry

Tiliaceae Family
 * Corchorus olitorius - Jute, Bush okra, Jew's mallow
 * Corchorus trilocularis
 * Grewia bicolor
 * Grewia tembensis
 * Grewia tenax
 * Grewia villosa

Nettle Family (Urticaceae)
 * Urtica massaica

Verbena Family (Verbenaceae)
 * Lantana trifolia
 * Lippia carviodora
 * Lippia kituiensis
 * Vitex doniana - Black plum
 * Vitex ferruginea
 * Vitex mombassae
 * Vitex payos - Black plum

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Ethnic Groups of Kenya
 * The Adoption of Maize in Kenya
 * Climate Change in Kenya

External Resources

 * Patrick M. Maundu, Grace W. Ngugi, and Christine H.S. Kabuye, Traditional Food Plants of Kenya, Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, 1999.
 * Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I - Grains
 * Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II - Vegetables
 * Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III - Fruits
 * Bethwell O Owuor and Daniel P Kisangau, "Kenyan medicinal plants used as antivenin: a comparison of plant usage," Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, February 1, 2006.
 * "Africa's Indigenous Crops," Worldwatch Institute, January 2011.

External Articles

 * C Ogoye-Ndegwa, J Aagaard-Hansen, "Traditional gathering of wild vegetables among the Luo of Western Kenya - A nutritional anthropology project," Ecology of Food and Nutrition (2003), Volume: 42, Issue: 1, Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Pages: 69-89.
 * Timothy Johns and John O. Kokwaro, "Food Plants of the Luo of Siaya District, Kenya," Economic Botany, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1991), pp. 103-113.
 * "Traditional Plants in Kenya: Reversing the Apathy," GRAIN, April 15, 1991.
 * Patrick M. Maundu, "The status of traditional vegetable utilization in Kenya," National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.