Mexican Prickly Poppy
Argemone mexicana
In a pasture area adjacent to Lake Bogoria, Kenya. October 2010.
This non-native plant is well defended both chemically and with sharp spines from most herbivores. Thus its abundance is exacerbated by grazing cattle and goats that will avoid it. This plant is native to Mexicao but has been distributed to many tropical and subtropical places around the world. Originally the plant was transported from its origin because people used the the plant medicinally. For sure the highly toxic compounds have received attention from pharmacists and biochemists.
