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

Resources and articles

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.