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SOME FLOWERING PLANTS OF KENYA 
(By L. A. S. Grumbley, Kenya, E. Africa) 
Firstly, I should explain that this is not 
the place of the streaming tropical jungles, 
which so many imagine Central Africa to 
be. We live at an altitude of 6,500 feet in 
pleasant rolling country, and the day temp- 
erature rarely goes above 85 in the shade and 
rarely below 45 at night. In fact the climate 
is temperate, and we grow a vast range of 
flowering plants, ranging from those grown 
in England and North America to the 
truly tropical plants such as Hibiscus and 
Franjipani. Also, as we have an even rain- 
fall of about 70 inches a year, spread over 
ten months, the rate of growth of most 
plants is very fast, and means that you can 
plant for the present and not for posterity! 
My own particlar hobby is rearing flowering 
frees and shrubs, so I will concentrate more 
on these. My wife handles the annual flow- 
ers and small perennials. 
I suppose one of the most spectacular 
flowering trees which is indigneous to these 
parts is the Nandi Flame tree, Spathodea 
Nilotica. This is akin to the Spathodea 
campanulata, and bears masses of bright 
orange-red flowers on its crown. It is a 
quick grower and is an unforgetable sight 
when in full flower. It prefers moist con- 
ditions, but in deep soil can stand a certain 
amount of drought as it has a long tap-root. 
Another fine wild tree is the Flame 
Tree, Erythrina abyssinica, a small stiff 
branched tree which grows up to 20 feet in 
height, and once a year loses its leaves and 
produces upright spikes of brilliant flame- 
colored flowers at the end of the branches. 
This tree will grow in poor or rocky soil. 
A yellow flowering tree is Markhamia 
Hildebrantii or the Mho Tree, as it is called 
by the Africans. This is a husky tree which 
grows up to 30 feet in height and bears 
masses of orange-yellow flowers. It has a 
long tap root so either requires sowing “in 
situ’ or careful transplanting when real 
young. It is valued for its quick growth, 
tolerant of differing conditions and flowers 
for many month of the year. 
For a contrast, rather a joke of a tree, 
is Kigelia Aethopica or the Sausage Tree. 
This small tree has large red flowers hanging 
Acacia lahai— Great Hiff Valley sireching .away in distance; White Pyrethrum in the 
foreground. L. A. S. Grumbley, 
on long strings which afterwards form long 
sausage-like fruits which are most picture- 
sque. It is one tree which cannot be easily 
confused with other species! 
Lastly, I should mention the flat-topped 
Thorn Trees, which are such a _ charact- 
eristic sight in this country and, indeed, in 
most parts of Africa. These are of the 
Acacia family, the most common here being 
Acacia Lahai or Red Thorn. They are most 
picturesque and form a fine background 
for the garden. Being very slow growing, 
however, they are never planted but only 
utilied where they already exist. So much 
for only a few of our trees. 
Of flowering shrubs there are a great 
number worthy of a place in any garden. 
Kenya, 
The most common flowering shrub here is 
Cassia didymbotrya, which is to be seen 
everywhere and is in flower for most of 
the year. It grows up to a height of six 
to eight feet and bears upright spikes of six 
yellow flowers topped with brown. It makes 
a very effective background shrub. 
Of the Bauhinia family, we have a very 
attractive little shrub, Bauhinia tomentosa, 
which bears little yellow flowers with a dark 
brown blotch in the throat and has delicate 
light green leaves of the typical Bauhinia-type 
in two lobes. 
Another pleasing shrub is the Butterfly 
Bush, Clerodendron ugandense, which grows 
up to about ten feet and bears pretty dark 
and light blue flowers which look very much 
like small butterflies. Unfortunetely it does 
not seem to set much seed,. 
Of the Hibiscus family, one attractive 
species is Hibiscus Greenwayi, with large 
pendant flowers of a deep yellow. This also 
grows wild almost everywhere and is) ea 
handsome plant. Beware of the foliage, 
however! This is covered with fine hairs 
which come off on hands and are an efficne- 
ient substitute for itching powder! 
Oncoba Routledgei is a large shrub or 
small tree which is prickly and bears large 
white flowers with yellow stamens which are 
of great beauty. 
Of our indigenous flowering creepers one 
of my favorites is Ipomoea dasysperma, a 
very beautiful annual creeper with deeply 
-gutica, 
jpleased to hear from 
cut leaves and large flowers, three or four 
inches across of a Nanking yellow color 
with a purple throat. I have this every 
year for the fine show of color it produces 
and seed can be collected easily for the next 
year. A perennial species is Ipomoea ber- 
aviensis, Which is a rampant grower and 
has fine bell-shaped flowers, striped with 
yellow and crimson. 
A small creeper well worth planting is 
Thunbergia Gibsonii, with flowers of a deep 
golden color, freely produced throughout 
the year here. Among other Thunbergia 
species growing wild here are Thunbergia 
alata, affinis and Battiscombei. 
I have mentioned only a very few of our 
indigenous plants and there are very many 
more which would merit description but alas 
my space is very limited. I will describe a 
Sfew more for you in a future article. 
SHARDY CLEMATIS 
In the book entitled Clematis, by Mark- 
ham, (listed in the book section) the follow- 
ing species are reported as hardy as far 
Snorth as Manitoba, where 60 degree below 
zero Far. are recorded. and as reported by 
mar. L. Skinner. ae ' ; 
F Clematis aethusifolia, latisecta, — alpina, 
alpina’ siberica, angustifolia, brevicandata, 
Douglasii, Scottii, Fremontii, fusca, ligustici- 
olia, macropetala, recta, serratifolia, tan- 
verticillaris, Wiorua, virginiana and 
iticella. 
Ail these species are not difficult to grow. 
t would be of interest to know if Mr. 
Skinner has been able to add to the above list 
since he made the report some time ago. Of 
course, none of the large flowered Clematis 
jare hardy that far north, 
Farther south, at Montreal, Canada, such 
arge flowered varieties as Beauty of Wor- 
cester, Henryi, Kermesiana, Jackmanii, Mad. 
Edouard Andre, Mrs. George Jackman, 
iNelly Moser, Ramona and Ville de Lyon 
7 
ave proyen hardy. | 
All Clematis species 
increased readily from seed. 
and varieties are 
It would be of 
Svalue to the distributation of more Clematis, 
if those having well established plants, 
not subject to crossing from other varieties 
close by, would gather seeds We would be 
you. 
It must be remembered that seeds of all 
the thousands of beautiful flowers, all over 
the world, cannot be raised by one man 
or even firm and the sources must depend 
upon amateur gardeners, willing to expend. 
some effort on actual gathering of the seed 
close at their hand. 
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEAT 
The brown spongy peat from peat bogs, ig 
the commonly used type where mention is 
made of “peat”. It is acid due to its water 
soaked condition and, due to a lack of air, 
it is in an acid, undecayed condition; its 
main use is mixing in soils for acid-loving 
plants. It has great water holding powers. 
It comes in various sizes as it is chopped. 
up form the peat beds. 
In some countries a grade of peat is used 
that comes from Heath and Bracken lands. 
It is entirely different to the peat as found 
in North America. It comes in a course 
grade full of fibrous but tough, wiry roots 
and is free of soil., It is used in potting 
Orchids but Osmunda fibre is now generally 
preferred. 
The main value in the use of peat, other 
than its being an absolute necessity for peat- 
loving plants, is its moisture holding cap- 
acity. Adding it to the soil mixture, makes 
it light and retentive of moisture. Whether 
a fine or course grade is used, depends upon 
what it is intended for. Mixed in seed 
beds the finer grades are best; in potting 
soils, a littlke courser and in out door beds, 
the real course grade will do. 
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