Small or medium sized tree with clumps of bright red tubular flowers, coral-colored beans and trifoliate leaves. Short curved thorns. |
Large shrub or small tree. Twigs and branches with paired thorns. Twigs, leaves and seeds hirsute. Grows in wet soil. Pith Tree. |
I have not identified this prostrate bean with bright yellow-orange flowers. Found at 2000 m in agricultural area of the Rift Valley. |
Woody plant of wet soil with yellow flowers and long, slender bean pods. Compound leaves with many small leaflets. |
Pinnately compound leaves on a solid tree of woodlands. Flowers in purple clusters. Over-harvested for wood. |
Tree with hard wood and a few spines. Small white flowers in clusters with vague pea-flower shape. |
Vine-like plant with large tri-foliate leaves, spikes of pink-purple flowers, and seeds that adhere to clothing. |
Vine-like plant that scrambles over other plants with large tri-foliate leaves and small red pea flowers. |
The bean pods are segmented and are covered with sticky, hooked hairs. Small, bright pink pea-flowers on intricately branched herb. |
Small, bright pink pea-flowers on intricately branched herb. Bean pods break into sticky one-seed segments. |
Compact spherical heads of small pea flowers on green, leafy forb. The leaves are conspicuously three-parted. |
Herbaceous clover-like plant with trifoliate leaves and blue flowers. Montane areas. |
Vine with trifoliate leaves and large two-lipped pink or purple flower. The flowers appear twisted and cupped on one side. |
Herbaceous, vine bean with trifoliate (3 leaflets) leaves and sky blue flowers. |
Pink flowers on mostly herbaceous, viny plant. Leaf rachis extends beyond last leaflet pair and acts as a climbing tendril. |
Compound leaves are characteristic - leaflet arranged in a circular pattern. Herbaceous plant with blue pea flowers and turgid pods. |
Bright yellow, closely packed flowers on an erect spike. Leaves with three leaflets. Fruit a turgid pod with beans inside that break loose and rattle when the pod is shaken. |
Herbaceous plant with very narrow trifoliate leaflets. Inflated bean pods. |
Leaflets are in sets of three, but are broadly elliptical. Shrubby plant close to 2 m tall. |
The keel petal is very long and sickle-shaped. Inflated bean pods. |
Bright yellow, bilaterally symmetrical flowers have a maroon center. Woody shrub or small tree. Two-lobed leaves are distinctive. |
Wickedly thorny shrubs prized as a barrier fence but also loathed as an invasive weed. Leaves twice compound. |
Robust, largely herbaceous plant with spikes of bright yellow and brown pea flowers. Common at roadsides at mid elevations. |
Robust shrub or even reach small tree size. Pinnate leaves are shiny green about 5 to 7 leaflets. Terrate pods turn black at maturity. |
Bright yellow flowers on shrubby weed of pastures. Long slender bean pods. Compound leaves. |
Very large sprays of yellow flowers on small tree with compound leaves. Frequent ornamental around Nairobi. |
Medium-sized tree with large clusters of yellow flowers is originally from s.e. Asia. Planted for fodder and shade. No thorns. |
Medium-sixed tree with twice-compound leaves and 5-petaled flowers with long, showy stamens. Seeds in flat, woody pods. |
Spectacular landscape tree when in flower. Double pinnate leaves. Long woody bean pods. Non-native. |
Pinnate compound leaves, woody bean pods and flowers with short red petals. Non-native tree planted in Nairobi. |
Long, slender branches of this thorny plant grow up and over other plants. Bright red-pink seeds look like flowers or else maple seeds. |
Groups of low woody stems from a below-ground crown. Flowers whitish. Pods flat, sickle-shaped. |
Flowers in puff-ball clusters, white and pink in color. Leaves shiny dark green; twice compound with 2 to 4 pinnae. No thorns. |
Small non-native tree planted for soil improvelment and forage schemes. Long, pendulous, pink stamens from the flowers. |
Tall acacia with twice-compound leaves with 2 to 3 dozen leaflets. Small white to cream flowers in spikate heads. Mid to higher elevations. |
An elegant flat-topped tree with reddish bark on older trees and peeling on younger trees. |
Tall savanna trees with distinctive yellow, green and brown bark. Leaves twice-compound. White thorns in pairs. Lots of resin oozes from injuries. |
Thorny acacia shrub or small tree common on overgrazed land. Pods are thin, flat and curved. Thorns gray or sparse. |
The very sharp thorns are paired and sharply hooked. Small tree or large shrub. Pods thin. Leaves twice compound. |
Pairs of stout, hooked thorns. Leaves twice pinnate with 6 to 8 sets of 18 leaflets. Pods thin and papery. Medium size tree. |
Paired thorns on a greatly enlarged base that becomes very dark-colored and then inhabited by ants. Spherical clusters of small white flowers. |
Relatively few, large leaflets in double-compound leaves. Beans in flat, twisted pods. Short hooked spines. Usu. a shrub or rarely a small tree. |
Fast growing tree native to Australia. Smooth dark bark. Small pale yellow to white flowers in ball. Seeds in bean pods. |
With good intentions this tree from tropical America was introduced, but now it's an invasive menace. |
Thornless tree with small white flowers in spherical heads. Leaves are twice compound. |
Michael J. Plagens, Page created 02 Feb 2012,
updated 21 Sept. 2017.
By no means am I an expert on the Natural History of Kenya because I am a novice to exploring this part of the World. By creating a page for the species as I learn them I am teaching myself, sharing with others and happy to receive feedback from web site visitors.