SOME WILD FLOWERING PLANTS

OF ETHIOPIABY SUE EDWARDS

A • *■ - —

R E L I E F M A P

E T H I O P I A

4 00 K m

C 3

fid *SOME WILD FLOWERING PLANTS OF ETHIOPIA:

AN INTRODUCTION

text by

SUE EDWARDS

illustrations by

JONQUIL W. ASH, SUE EDWARDS and ANNE E. SANDFORD

cover by

_ JILL POOLE

I n s t i t u i i - i r t u . ' l u w l

H e ' e i r c i i

I «b r

A d d i s

Copyright

Addis Ababa University Press. 1976

Printed by

Artistic Printing Press

Addis Ababa

FRONTISPIECE

L iliaceae (p. 26)Aloe berhana Ir6t (A). Orgeesa (G, RV). 'Ir6 (T).

Many species of the genus Aloe are found in Ethiopia, from sea level to Subafroalpine regions. They have tough, succulent leaves, plain, striped or spotted, the majority with toothed edges. When cut, they give out a sticky, yellow, bitter-smelling juice, believed to have medicinal qualities. The flowers are red, orange, yellow or green. Aloe berhana, shown here, grows in rocky places on the Plateau; flowers red, November-March.

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PLATE X. PINK TO PURPLE PLATE 1. Impatiens tinctoria, Balsaminaceae (SE). l.Tap inan thusg lob ife rus, Loranthaceae (JW A). 3. Plectocephalus varians, C om positae (JWA).4. Carissa edulis, Apocynaceae (AES). 5. Tephrosia interrupta, Leguminosae, sub-family Papilionoideae (AES). 6. Ma/va parviflora, M alvaceae (AES). 7. EpHobium hirsutum, O nagraceae (JW A). 8. Merendera abyssinica, Liliaceae (JW A). 9a,b. Falkia canescens, Convolvulaceae (AES).10. Dombeya species, S tercu liaceae (JWA). 11a,b. Scabiosa colum baria; Pterocephalus frutescens, Dipsacaceae (JWA, AES). 12. Nymphaea coeru/ea, Nym phaeaceae (JWA).

PLATE XI. PURPLE TO BLUE PLATE 1. Vernonia ? campanea, Com positae (AES). 2. Carduus nyassanus. Com positae (AES). 3. Ipomoea tenuirostris, Convolvulaceae (JW A).4. Athrixia rosmarinifolia, C om positae (AES). 5. M ille ttia ferruginea, Leguminosae, sub-family Papilionoideae (AES). 6. Calotropls procera, A sclepiadaceae (JW A). 7. Trifolium acaule, Leguminosae, sub-family Papilionoideae (SE). 8. Craterostigma plantagineum 'C . pum ilum . Scrophulariaceae (AES). 9. Solanum incanum. Solanaceae (AES). 10. Lythrum rotundifo lium , Lythraceae (JW A ). 11. Justicia species, Acan- thaceae (AES).

PLATE XII. BLUE PLATE 1. Echinops hispidus. C om positae (AES). 2. Delphinium dasycaulon, Ranunculaceae (AES).3. Delphinium wellbyi, Ranunculaceae (AES). 4. Blepharis ciliaris, A canthaceae (JW A ). 5. Clerodendrum myricoides, Verbenaceae (SE). 6. Parochetus communis, Leguminosae, sub-family Papilionoideae (JW A ). 7. Pentanisia ouranogyne, Rubiaceae (AES). 8. Commelina diffusa, Com m elinaceae (AES). 9. Hygrophila auriculata, Acanthaceae (AES). 10. As­tragalus atropilosulus, Legum inosae, sub-family P apilionoi­deae (AES). 11. Moraea schimperi, Iridaceae (AES). 12. Veronica glandulosa, Scrophulariaceae (SE). 13. Campanula edulis, Cam panulaceae (AES). 14. Plectranthus barbatus, Labiatae (SE).

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H O W TO USE TH IS BOOK

All the 132 plants illustrated in this book are found in Ethiopia. They are usually quite easy to see, in the highlands of Ethiopia in­cluding around Addis Abeba, and in the Rift Valley Lakes area.

Find the Plate showing flowers nearest the colour of the flower you want to identify, and look for a picture of the flower.

If it is illustrated, you will find on the page opposite the Plate the name of the flower with its number as given on the Plate. Check the information given on the altitude and type of place in which the plant grows — do these agree with what you have found ?

Look for the page number under the flower's Family name, printed in bold type opposite its scientific name, and turn to that page in the General Information for more details.

W H A T TH IS BOOK C O N TA IN S

Apart from Plate I, on which only members of the Orchid Family are shown, the Plates in this book illustrate flowering plants accord­ing to their colour — green, white to yellow, red. blue, etc. It is quite simple to reach a quick identification of a flower by its colour, though it is not a scientific method. All the coloured illustrations are half natural size, except where otherwise stated. The black-and- white illustrations show details such as a close-up study of the flower of an Orchid (Plate I, 5) or the habit of growth of a tree, such as the Acacia (Plate IV, 2).

A very short account of each plant illustrated, where it grows and when it flowers, is given opposite the Plate, with its number as shown on the Plate. As well as its scientific name, its name in Ethiopian languages and its approximate name in English are added, if known. More information on naming is provided in the Index o f Scientific and approximate English Names, p. 47, and in the Index o f Names in some Ethiopian Languages, which includes a guide to pronunciation.

The name of the botanical group, the Family to which the plant belongs, is shown on the same line as its scientific name on the page facing each plate. Underneath the Family name is the page number or numbers referring to General Information, which deals with the Family (in small print) and with the plant species itself. The in­formation about the Family tells how to distinguish one Family of plants from another, and it is hoped that this will in a simple way encourage readers to take up a serious study of botany. The information given about the species illustrated is of general interest, mentioning its uses, if any are known, as food or medicine, or in farming or the general economy of the country. Related species may also be noted.

Maps showing Ethiopia's altitudes, regions and place-names used in the book are provided as end-papers inside the front and back cover. Because a certain number of technical terms have to be used, a Glossary is provided on p. 37. A list of Useful Works o f Reference is given on p. 36, and at the end of the list are added a number of sources from which the Ethiopian names for plants were obtained.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

THE PLANTS OF ETHIO PIA

Ethiopia has a very rich flora. There are already over 4000 known species of flowering plants, and still more to be described. This book introduces its readers to a few of the more obvious flower­ing plants found around Addis Abeba, on the Plateau and in the higher parts of the Rift Valley. Nearly all the plants mentioned are herbs, since the East African books on trees and shrubs can be used to identify many of the Ethiopian woody plants. A list of these and other useful reference books is given on p. 36.

A high proportion of Ethiopia's flowering plants are found only in Ethiopia, that is, they are endemics. Part of the reason for this is that Ethiopia contains a block of highland, the Plateau, surrounded by lowlands. This highland block can be likened to an oceanic

island, cut off from contact with neighbouring countries and their plants and animals.

Ethiopia has a wide range in altitude, from 300 metres below sea level in the Dallol Depression to 4620 metres at the summit of Ras Dashen. Rainfall also varies widely both in quantity and season. In the northern areas of the country there is often only one marked, rather short, rainy season. In the middle of the country, in Shoa province, two rainy seasons are recognised. In the south­west these seasons get longer and longer, so that in the provinces of Keffa and lllubabor rain can be expected at most times of the year. In the south-east, particularly in the Ogaden, the rainfall is very variable.

The diagram on p. iii shows the vegetation of Ethiopia broadly divided into zones, each zone affected by a certain altitude and type of rainfall, and therefore containing a number of characteristic plants in it.

Anywhere above 3000 metres (2500 m. in some places), the plants belong to the Afroalpine and Subafroalpine zones. Large areas of Afroalpine vegetation are found in the Bale, Arussi and Simien mountains. The characteristic plants include Giant Lobelia {Lobelia rhynchopetalum). Everlasting Flower (Helichrysum species, Plate V, 10 and Plate IX, 5) and shrubby Lady's Mantle (Alchem illa species). Just below these areas, in the Subafroalpine zone, woods of Asta (Amharic), Tree-heather (Erica arborea), can be found, but these are rare; in most places the Tree-heather has been cut and burnt, leaving shrubs 1.5 to 2 m. tall. The lower part of the Subafroalpine zone may have forests of Kosso (Amharic) (Hagenia abyssinica) and Tree St. John's Wort (Hypericum revo/utum). But usually this zone is a mixed shrubland such as is found at the top of Mt. Entotto, just north of Addis Abeba, including Gnidia giauca (Plate VI, 5) and Bartsia longifiora (Plate V, 3). The rocky outcrops in such areas have many interesting herbs, including Dianthus longiglum is (Plate III, 4 ). In wet parts of the Subafro­alpine zone and at lower altitudes, especially in the south-west, there are extensive thickets of Bamboo, Arundinaria alpina (Plate II, 1).

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The Plateau, as understood in this book, varies in altitude from approximately 2000 to 3000 m. above sea level. This is the most densely inhabited area of Ethiopia. The Plateau has flat, hilly or mountainous areas, as well as cliffs including the escarpment, which can have a drop of 1500 metres. The drier parts of the Plateau were formerly covered with forests of Tid (Amharic), Juniper {Juniperus procera) ; often the only places where it still remains is around churches and on very steep hillsides. Nearly everywhere else it has been cut down and is replaced by scrub, rocky hillsides covered with Aloe species (Frontispiece), or rocks exposed by erosion. The flat areas of the Plateau are natural grassland which becomes swamp during the rainy season. The slopes of the wetter south and west Plateau often still have quite extensive forest of Zigba (Amharic) (Podocarpus gracilio r). The wettest part of the Plateau is in the south-west. This is where the broad-leaved evergreen forests are found, with their wealth of epiphytic Orchids and Ferns. This forest is often mistakenly called a rainforest.

The Plateau is divided by the Rift Valley, running north-east to south-west. The vegetation of the highest part around the lakes is mostly Acacia woodland. In the lower and drier areas, such as Awash and around Dire Dawa, it is thorn-scrub. This vegetation gradually thins out to semi-desert and then to desert. In a desert, plants are found only in very special places, such as between rocks and around springs. There is not space here to describe the great variety of vegetation types found in the lower latitudinal zones. However, some of the most noticeable places for special kinds of plants are lakes, rivers, river banks, swamps and very rocky areas.

It is hoped that this book will encourage more people to study and increase their interest in the plants of Ethiopia. The preservation of many natural resources — water, soil and vegetation among them — is interlinked, and Ethiopia's agricultural future, her defence against erosion, may well depend upon it. Moreover, the number of unique endemic plants found in Ethiopia makes in its own right a valuable heritage for future generations.

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A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

To acknowledge generous help is the most pleasant part of writing a book. First of all, I wish to thank my fellow illustrators, Mrs Jonquil W. Ash and Mrs Anne E. Sandford: W /o Metasebia Demissie, who drew the maps; again Mrs Ash, for helping to com­pile the information; Dr William C. Burger, formerly of the College of Agriculture at Dire Dawa, and Oklahoma State University Press for permission to base portions of the text and some of the illustra­tions on his Families o f F lowering Plants in E th iop ia ; Mr Michael G. Gilbert, Director of the University Herbarium, for providing family descriptions; and Dr Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, Dean of the Faculty of Science, for providing the list of names in Ethiopianlanguages. Without the enthusiasm and constant encouragementof these friends, and the patient help of Mrs Innes Marshall of the University Press, this book would not have materialized. Other friends who have given constructive criticism and other forms of help are Dr Amare Getahun and Dr Taye Bezunoh of the College of Agriculture; Dr Dawit Deguefu, former Dean of the Faculty of Science; Dr Fisseha Haile Meskel, former Head of the BiologyDepartment; and Dr Shibru Tedla, present Head of the BiologyDepartment. Staff members of the East African Herbarium, Nairobi, Kenya, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, kindly co-operated in the identification of specimens. Lastly, I wish to acknowledge the work of G. Cufodontis, whose checklist of Ethio­pian flowering plants, Enumeratio Plantarum Aethiopiae Sperma- tophyta, has been of immense value in preparing the book.

Sue Edwards,formerly of the Faculty of Science,The University, Addis Ababa.November, 1975.

C O L O U R P L A T E S

WITH SHORT NOTES ON EACH PLANT ILLUSTRATED

(See also GENERAL INFORM ATION)

*. O R C H ID Family

The genus Habenaria includes many species of medium to large Ground Orchids. 10 cm. to 1 m. toll, found chiefly in wet grassland but also in swamps and forests, from 1000 m. to Subafroalpine forest. The fringed lip of the green - white flower has a long and/or sac-like spur. H. macrantha (1) flowers July- August.

Habenaria species (1) O rch idaceae (pp. 29-30)

Eulophia species (2, 5) Orchidaceae (pp 29-30)

YeLam fu f (A. Gojjam), "C ow 's teat".

This genus includes several species of Ground Orchid, up to ss much as 2 m. tall, often found in large groups among shrubs in rocky areas, along streams or beside the Rift Valley lakes. Eulophia quartiniana (2) grows beside streams in higher woodland; flowers pink. July-August. E. rueppellii (5), endemic, grows |n drier scrub areas of the Plateau, on red soil: flowers yellow February-April

Satyrium species (6) Orchidaceae (pp. 29-30)

A strong-growing Ground Orchid, 10 to 75 cm. tall, found in grassland and swamp areas of the Plateau. The genus can be distinguished from the genus D/so and other Ground Orchids by the hood, which has twin spurs. Satyrium sac cu/otum (6) has light pink flowers, April-December

H o lo th rix species (4, 7) Orchidaceae (pp. 29-30)

Usually very small Ground Orchids, but found up to 30 cm. tall, w ith 1 or 2 large basal leaves lying flat on the ground. Holothrix puberula (4) grows in short turf among shrubs on higher parts of the Plateau. It has blue ffowers. April-June and retains the basal leaves. H. squamata (7) is found in the same type of ground: flowers pele pink or cream, November-April, when the basal leaves are dry

Platycoryne crocea (8) Orchidaceae (pp. 29-30)

Growing about 10 to 40 cm. tall, in grassy meadows about 1800 m. around and in Keffa and Wellega provinces, this is the only small Ground Orchid that has orange-yellow flowers, May-July.

1

Disa species (9) O rch idaceae (pp. 29-30)

This Ground Orchid is found in swampy areas on the Plateau, and is d istin­guished by a dorsal hood w ith a single short spur. Disa concinna (9) grows to 50 cm. tall. The stem has 3 to 5 lance-shaped leaves, 4-8 cm. long; flowers purple. 1.5 cm. long, July-August

Polystachya species (3) Orchidaceae (pp 29-30)Makwarmay (A). Deegello (G. Shoa; used for all epiphytes).

Species of the genus Polystachya are tough epiphytes of drier woodland, w ith pseudobulbs in clusters. The flower has a helmet-shaped hood, no spur, colour variable. Polystachya bennettiana (3) is widespread on Acacia trees be­tween 2000 and 3000 m .: flowers cream. January-April.

Aerangis species (10) Orchidaceae (pp. 29-30)Deegello (G. Shoa: used for all epiphytes). Star Orchid.

Species of the genus Aerangis aro epiphytes found in open woodiand up to 2000 m. The tips of the leathery leaves have 2 lobes. Aerangis rohllsiana (10, black-and-white illustra­tion) has dark green leaves with small black spots; flowers cream, with orange- tipped petals 3 cm. wide,and a spur 12 cm. long.April-May.

II. GREEN PLATE

Arundinaria alpina (1) G ra m in e a e (p. 22)

/ferkeha (A). Lamana (G). Bamboo.

A giant grass up to 10 m. tall, growing at the upper lim it of forests in wetter areas, for example in Arussi and Wellega provinces, and in clearings and on stream banks in forests of Keffa. Illubabor, Sidamo and the Bale mountains. The hanging inflorescences of very small flowers appear irregularly.

Dodonaea viscosa (2a,b.c) Sapindaceae (pp. 32-33)

Kitkitta (A) E»6cha (G. Shoa). Tahses (T)

A slender shrub or tree usually up to 3 m , occasionally reaching 8 m.. g row ­ing on dry. rocky slopes throughout the country between 1500 and 2100 m.. and noted as the only shrub which grows on copper-rich soil around Asmera. The leaves are sticky, shiny dark green, and the bark of tw igs is often dark red Flowers (female 2b; male, 2c ; much enlarged), usually green, sometimes yellow or white, appear on the same tree. The hanging bunches of winged fruits (2a) arc conspicuous, usually pale yellow-green, sometimes tinted pink. Flowers and fruit can be found at all times of year

Rhus natalensis (3) Anacardiaceae (p. 14)

Vlisf aybelash (A, Begemder), ' The termite does not eat it".Ta/esa (G.RV). Tefa’ illo (T).

Usually a shrub, sometimes a tree up to 3 m.. this widespread RJius is found in dry shrubby areas above 1500 m. The trifoliolate leaves are soft and shiny; flowers. May-October, sweet-scented usually green, sometimes w hite : fruits, also illustrated, shiny dark red.

A poisonous herb usually up to 60 cm., sometimes to 120 cm., growing in damp pastures and beside streams above 2000 m .; flowers greenish-white, most profuse August-October but also at any time of year where there is enough wator. The petals fall off quickly, leaving green fruits which later turn brown.

Oenanthe pa/ustris (4) U m b ellife rae (p. 35)

2

Dorstenia barnimiana (5) M ora ce a e (p. 28)

A plant up to 12 cm., common among rocks in drier areas of the Plateau, also appearing at lower altitudes. After rain, leaves, very variable in shape, and flowers sprout from the underground tuber. The flower receptacle, in which the anthers appear like dots, is like an opened fig. and shoots out the seeds when ripe.

Arisaema enneaphy/lum (6a,b) Araceae (p. 15)

Yelregnoch file (A). "Shepherds' umbrella". Abutaye (G. Bale).//ambagwifa (T). Jack-in-the-Pulpit.

A herb up to 140 cm. tall, growing in clearings of wetter forests from 2000 m upwards throughout the country. A green and white sheath (6a) surrounds the flower-mass, April-May, which is joined directly to the stem (black-and-white illustration); by smell and heat it attracts small flies into it to help pollination. When the sheath dies, the spike of poisonous yellow or orange berries is revealed (6b).

C/ssus quadrangularis (7a,b) V itaceae (p . 35)

S6t6 yeSeyfan mukecha (A. Gojjam), "The devil’s mortar (female)"

A scrambling vine w ith tendrils and four-angled, succulent stems, found in dry, shrubby areas from sea level to 1800 m.; flowers (7a and black-and-white illustration) usually greenish-yellow, sometimes white, at any time of year, parti­cularly after rain; berries red when ripe (7b).

Dovya/is abyssinica (8) F lacourtiaceae (p. 21)

Koshim (A).

A tree up to 10 m. tall w ith strong spines up to 5 cm. long, found commonly in woodlands of the Plateau and also as an isolated tree in fields, from 2000 to 3000 m. Male and female flowers are found on separate trees, the male flowers in clusters w ith dirty-white stamens, the female flowers solitary w ith thick green petals. The fruits, edible but acid, are yellow or orange; flowers and fruit, April- November

Ficus sycomorus (9) M oraceae (p. 28)

Shola (A). Harbu (G ) ; Oda (G.RV). Sagla (T). Fig.

The ’ Sycomore" of the Bible (St. Luke XIX, 4), this is one of many species of the genus Ficus which are shrubs or trees up to 20 m. and more, found through­out the country below 2500 m , and often the only tree left when a forest has been cu> down.

III. G R EEN -W H ITE PLATE

Inbway (A). Hankuku (G. Keffa). Indian Nightshade.

This herb, often shrubby, growing up to 80 cm. tall, is a widespread weed in fields all over the Plateau and slightly lower, from 1400 to 2500 m. It has spines on stems, leaves and calyx, and is sometimes covered w ith golden or white hairs sometimes hairless; flowers usually white, sometimes mauve, all the year round; fruit orange-red. poisonous

Jasminum abyssinicum (2) O leaceae (pp. 28-29)7enbelel (A), /feme/6 (G, Shoa). Wabbee rselleem (T) Jasmine

A strong climber, up to 7 m or more tall, growing in moist forests, especially beside streams, throughout the country from 1680 m. (at Jimma) to 3000 m. It has shiny, dark-green, trifoliolate leaves; scented white flowers in clusters. Decem- ber-February in profusion, though some at any time of year; black, shiny fruits

Rhamphicarpa heug lin ii (3) Scrophulariaceae (p 33)YeSet lib (A). 'Woman's heart".

A herb up to 25 cm tall, found in open, well-grazed grassland among Acacia trees and "candelabra "-type Euphorbia from 1500 to 2500 m „ very noticeable in the Rift Valley from Debre Zevt to Awasa, near water. The white flowers, June August but also collected until November, turn blue-black as they die

Dianthus longig lum is (4) C aryophyllaceae (p 16)Pink.

A herb up to 40 cm., growing among rocks in Subafroalpme areas above2500 m .; flowers white, sweet-smelling, March-May and also September-December.

Pelargonium multibracteatum (5) G eraniaceae (pp. 21-22)Debbesom (T). Geranium,

A shrubby herb up to 1 m. tall, entirely covered w ith soft hairs, widespreadthroughout the country on rocky outcrops or cliff ledges from 1500 to 2600 m.The rootstock is tuberous and fleshy, flowers sweet-scented usually white occasionally pink, June-December

Solanum ind/cum (1) S o lanaceae (pp. 33-34)

3

Adhatoda schimperana (6) A can thaceae (p. 13)

Sensel (A, Shoa). Sim'iza (T).A shrub up to 3 m. tall, growing in scrub throughout the Plateau and down

to 1500 m. in the Rift Valley The spikes of large flowers, white or cream, appear throughout the year, more profusely after ram

Galium aparinoides (7) Rubiaceae (p. 32)Ashkit (A ). MeefeeHo (G. Illubabor). 7segwegot (T).Goose-grass; Lady's Bedstraw.

A weak-stemmed herbaceous climber, and a widespread weed throughout the Plateau, covered with tiny hooks Flowers appear after any rain

Hebenstrelia dentata (8) Scrophulariaceae (p. 33)A shrubby herb up to 30 cm., found above 2300 m. throughout the country;

flowers usually white with orange markings, sometimes appearing orange because of size of marks. August-October. or in wetter places possibly all year round.

Rosa abyssinica (9) Rosaceae (pp. 31-32)Kega (A). Gora; Inkwofo (G. Shoa). GaAa (T) Wild Rose.

A strong, thorny bush or scrambler up to 5 m. tall, w ith trunk up to 30 cm in diameter, widespread in rocky areas of the Plateau above 2000 m.. north and west of the Rift Valley (including Addis Abeba), and around Harrer, flowers profuse in May. but also at other times throughout the year

Grewia ferruginea (10) T iliaceae (pp. 34-35)LenAwafa (A). Bururee (G ); Oukuno (G, Shoa)TsinAweeya (T). Star of Bethlehem Tree.

Usually a scrambler up to 4 m. tall, sometimes a smaller bush or tree standing by itself, growing in evergreen bushland on the edge of the Plateau and in the Rift Valley between 1300 and 2200 m. The leaves are broad, covered with fairly stiff short hairs; flowers usually white, sometimes cream, at any time of year.

Sansevieria guineensis (11) Agavaceae (p 13)Kacha (A), "Rope '. Alge (G). ’Rope' EeAa (T)Bowstring Hemp; M other-in-law's Tongue.

A succulent plant with thick, tough, spotted, pointed leaves up to 130 cm tall, growing in the shade of Acacia trees and candelabra "-type Euphorbia among rocks below 1800 m Flowers, about 5 cm. long, white, sometimes green appear after any rain The berries are three-lobed.

IV. W H ITE TO YELLOW PLATE

Kalanchoe macrantha (1a.b) Crassulaceae (pp. 19-20)Indahwulla (A ). Anc/iura (G.RV).BosoA6 (G, Shoa) De/)wa'iia (T)

A succulent herb w ith spotted leaves (lb), growing up to 1.20 m. tall in hot. dry situations above 1350 m.: (lowers (la) large, white, sweet-scented, usually October-January.

Acacia lo riilis (2a,b) Legum inosae, sub-familyM im osoideae (p. 24)

Grar (A). Oed§cha (G.RV). An/c6ba (T. Tigre).Thorn Tree; Umbrella Tree

A wide, flat-topped tree growing up to 20 m. tall at higher altitudes, but possibly less than 1 m. high at sea level, common in Rift Valley Acacia woodland below 2000 m „ where the ground is covered with its small, much-twisted seed- pods (2b). The leaves are bipinnate, as shown in the black-and-white illustration; flowers (2a) October-December

Protea gaguedi (3) Proteaceae (p. 31)Awra (A and T). "M a le". Mingeld (G)

A small tree or shrub usually 3-6 m. tall but also up to 10 m.. found between 1300 and 3000 m. Leaves grey-green; flower-heads, which can be 10 cm in diameter, appear at the start o f the rainy season. May-July on the P'ateau north of the Rift Valley. January-March in the south.

Pterolobium stellatum (4) Leguminosae. sub-familyCaesalpinioideae (p. 24)

tfenraffa (A and T) Cheka AemeliS (G. Shoa). Red-wing.A climber up to 15 m. or more in forests, often under 6 m. in bushland, found

between 800 and 2000 m. All parts have very sharp, curved spines, and large plants develop long, coiled stems bearing thorny, woody swellings; flowers and con­spicuous red-winged fruits at any time of year, but most noticeable September- February.

Bidens species (5) C om positae (pp. 17-19)Adey abeba (A), perhaps "Mother flower". K6II0 (G, lllubabor; Shoa). Gelgele Mes/cel (T), "Foal of the Cross". MesAel Daisy.

An annual varying from 10 cm. to 150 cm. tall, many species of the genus Bidens are weeds of pasture and fallow fields, while others are found on rocky slopes above 1500 m. all over the Plateau The flowers are generally yellow

4

sometimes white, in masses in the secona half of September, during which the Feast of the Finding of the True Cross (MesAel) occurs: the black-and-white illustrations show the two forms of flower, one from the outer ring (like a petal) and one from the inner ring, with protruding anthers and stigma. The fruits are long, thin and black, w ith hooks at the top.

Dipsacus p innatifidus (6) D ipsacaceae (pp. 20-21)Teasel.

A stiff, erect herb up to 3 m o il. found in damp grassland and beside streams and reservoirs above 2000 m The stems are ridged and covered w ith short prickles, flowers September-January

Cucumis fic ifo lius (7) C ucurbitaceae (p. 20)YeM:d r inbway (A). "Inbway of the ground"

A poisonous trailing or climbing herb with rough, prickly leaves and stems, Cucumis ficifo lius is found from 1000 to 3000 m., w ith stems up to 1 m. in length, and fruit covered w ith broad, blunt projections. It occurs in dry grassland aud Acacia woodland, growing rapidly and flowering in the rainy season, after which the yellow fruits become noticeabi?

Euphorbia heterochroma (8) Euphorbiaceae (p. 21)/fulAwal (A). Hadamee (G.RV)

A lowland relative of the large "candelabra'-type Euphorbia of the Plateau and equally poisonous. Euphorbia heterochroma grows up to 2 m „ or taller in favourable situations: flowers March-April, Sepiember-December.

Asparagus africanus (9) Liliaceae (p. 26)/festennicha (A). Serreettee (G). /Casta ansitee (T).

A scrambler or woody climber growing up to 3 m. or more in bushes, common around Addis Abeba and everywhere in the evergreen scrub of the Plateau between 2000 and 3000 m. The stems are covered w ith strong, curved hooks. The leaves or “ needles" develop further after flowering, up to 2.5 cm. long. The flowers appear after the rains, October-December; berries red.

Clematis hirsuta (10a.b) Ranunculaceae (p. 31)Azo areg (A). Hidda (G. Shoaj. /(emeeda (T. Tigre).Old Man's Beard

A vigorous climber to 3 m. or more, widespread in drier areas of the Plateau and often covering the tree it grows over. Flowers and fruit w ith fluffy "tails' (illustrated above flowers) appear in masses, November-January

PLATE IV

V. YELLOW PLATE A

Crotalaria species (1a), Leguminosae, sub-familyC. laburnifolia (1b,c) Papilionoideae (pp. 24-26)Y'.'Ayt missir (A), "Mouse lentils".

Many Crotalaria species, like the two illustrated, are small herbs or shrubsfound beside roads, on eroded soil and as weeds between 6000 and 3000 ni :flowers profuse during and after the rains. For a larger species, see Plate VI (6).

Crepis rueppellii (2) C om positae (pp. 17-19)YeFiyel wetet (A). "Goat’s milk".

A herb with a rosette of leaves flat on the ground and a tap-root, growing on rocky slopes and as a weed from 1200 to 3200 m. All parts when cut bleed a milky ju ice ; flowers at any time of year.

Bartsia longiflora (3) Scrophulariaceae (p 33)

A shrub with brittle wood growing to 1.5 m. tall, most frequently found in Subafroalpine and Afroalpine regions among Tree-heather and Bamboo above 3000 m. Leaves and stems are sticky to the touch : flowers at most limes of year in different areas.

Otostegia integrifolia (4) Labiatae (p. 23)Hndjut (A ). CWindogwee (T).

A spiny. much-br3nched shrub up to 2 m. tall, widespread throughout the Plateau, particularly on rocky slopes and around houses between 1800 and 3000 m. Leaves grey-green; yellow and white hairy flowers, September-March. The flowers fall quickly, leaving the papery yellow calyx.

Lotus corniculatus (5) Leguminosae, sub-familyPapilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

Bird’s-foot Trefoil.

A small trailing herb w ith stems up to 15 cm. long, found throughout the Plateau, particularly in grassland and beside streams and paths, sometimes form ­ing a compact cushion on bare soil. The leaves and stems may have white hairs on them; flowers May-October; seed-pods long and straight.

5

Gardenia lutea (6) Rubiaceae (p. 32)Ganbeello (A, Gojjam). Duffee (G, Shoa). Watsoenay (T, Tigre).

A small, much-branched tree up to 8 m. tall and 8 m wide, very widespread from 700 to 2000 m. The shiny new leaves appear w ith the flowers, which are white at first, turning yellow, chiefly produced |ust before the main rainy season; large, woody fruits

Hypericum peplid ifo lium (7) Hypericaceae (p. 22)St John's Wort; Rose of Sharon.

A herb with slender red stems and woody base, up to 20 cm. tall, found in damp grassland of the Plateau and Subafroalpine region; flowers June-October.

Cycniopsis humifusa (8) Scrophulariaceae (p. 33)A slender creeping herb found throughout the Plateau in well-grazed grass­

land above 2400 in. and below 3000 m. The leaves are shiny dark green; roots thick, often red ; flowers clear lemon-yellow, July-August.

Verbascum sinaiticum (9) Scrophulariaceae (p. 33)/(efefinna (A). GurraharTe (G Shoa). Tirnafta (T).Aaron's Rod; Mullein

An erect herb up to 2 m tall, liking rocky places, and particularly noticeablebeside roads and as a weed in fallow ground on the Plateau. The leaves and stemare covered with a thick mat of soft white hairs; flowers all the year round.

Helichrysum splendidum (10) C om positae (pp 17-19)Everlasting Flower; Straw-flower.

A small, silver-leaved shrub growing up to 40 cm. in rocky areas of the Plateau above 2000 m „ common on the upper slopes of Mt. Entotto. above Addis A b e ta ; flowers bright yellow. September-December.

Guizotia abyssinica (11) C om positae (pp. 17-19)Nug (A). Niheegwi (T). Niger-seed.

An annual crop grown as a source of edible oil varying from over 2 m. tall in ideal conditions, to well under its average 1 m at higher altitudes, grown throughout the Plateau from 1500 to 2200 m.; flowers September-October.

Primula verticil/ata (12) Prim ulaceae (p. 31)A herb growing from a rosette of leaves up to 40 cm. tall, in shady places

from 1700 to 3500 m. on moss-covered rock-faces and soil banks which have a constant seepage of water; flowers November.

VI. YELLOW PLATE B

Cass/a singueana (1) Leguminosae, sub-family Caesalpinioideae (p. 24)

Gufa (A. Gojjam; Shoa). Hambihambo (T).

A shrub or small tree usually about 2 m. tall, but sometimes up to 5 m.. found in dry, rocky areas such as the Blue Nile Gorge and beside the road between Asmera and Adigrat. Leaves, velvety-green with pale underside, are often borne at different times from the flowers. November-January

Senecio gigas (2) Com positae (pp. 17-19)Shokolo (A) Giant Groundsel.

A soft-wooded shrub up to 3 m. tall, found in upper parts of the Plateau between 2500 and 3000 m. in forests, beside streams and around houses and churches. The leaves usually look w ilted; flowers November-February.

Crassocephalum macropappum (3) Com positae (pp. 17-19)YeGalla t it (A), "Galla co tton "; Ler marefeeya (A) , "Lie and sleep".

A scrambling, weak-stemmed herb up to 1.5 m.. growing throughout the Plateau from 1300 to 3000 m. in long grass and bushes beside streams and on rocky slopes. The nodding flower-heads appear at most times of year, profusely in November.

Sesbania goetzei (4) Leguminosae. sub-family

Al*im (A). Inc/jinnee (G. Shoa). Sha/iisha/ma (T. Tigre).

A small tree or shrub up to 6 m. tall, often in clumps, growing from 900 to 2000 m. near alkaline water, such as Lakes Langano or Shalla in the Rift Valley. Sometimes the roots appear above soil level; flowers at any time of year

Awonra (G)

A shrub which often has a rounded outline up to 10 m tall, growing between 2000 and 3000 m. in mountain scrub In areas such as Mt. Wechecha near Addis Abeba and in the Arussi mountains, it is the bush most frequently found just below the Tree-heather. Asta (Amharic); flowers yellow, sometimes vellowisl'1- green, November-April

Papilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

Gnidia glauca (5) Thynielaeaceae (p. 34)

6

Crotalaria rosenii (6a,b) Leguminosae, sub-family Papilionoideae (pp 24-26)

Feesha (G.RV); Kilkilld (G. Shoa). Parrot-flower TreeA poisonous endemic shrub or small, slender tree up to 2.5. m tall, found

in mountain scrub and forest clearings from 2000 to 3000 m. The trifoliolate leaves (6a) may be eaten by caterpillars. Flowers (6b). yellow w ith bl3Ck and brown tips and markings, can be 5 cm. long; June-September. but occasionally at other times Smaller species are shown on Plate V(1).

Hibiscus cannabinus (7) M alvaceae (pp, 27-28)YeTidja c/ienger; YeTidja lebek (A. Gojjam). ' Calf's tw ig " Merwen afal (T. Tigre).

A herb or soft-wooded shrub up to 2 m. tall, growing in bush and as a weed from sea level to 3200 m. The stem is covered w ith fine, stiff hairs which come off readily into skin and clothing. Flowers, sometimes grey, purple or white instead of yellow, generally appear during or after rain

Sedum epidendrum (8) Crassulaceae (pp. 19-20)Stonecrop.

An endemic epiphyte with hanging, succulent red stems, growing in moss and accumulated soil on trees in mountain forest from 2500 to 3000 m .; flowers October-December.

Jasminum stans (9) Oleaceae (pp. 28-29)Infabuy6 (G. Shoa). Jasmine.

An endemic, much-branched shrub up to 3 m. tall, occurring in mountain scrub in Shoa province between 2500 and 3000 m. Leaves are dark green shiny; flowers clear yellow, profuse April and May but they and the black fruits can be found throughout the year.

Hypoxis species (10) Hypoxidaceae (p. 22)Plants of this genus are found in stony ground, bushland and grassland

from 1000 to 3500 m .; small, w ith very large underground tubers, sometimes up to 1 5 cm. deep and 20 cm. in diameter. Some plants are covered in long white hairs. The leaves appear after flowering and continue to grow after the flowers. June-August, have died; fruits are buried in the ground.

Senecio tuberosus (11) Com positae (pp. 17-19)Growing up to 50 cm tall from an underground tuber, this plant is found

in several different places and typos of vegetation from 550 to 3000 m .; flowers at various times of yea'

V II. O R A NG E TO BROWIM PLATE

Leonotis velutina (1) Labiatae (p. 23)YeFeres zeng (A). "Horse-whip '; Ras kimmir (A. Shoa), 'Stacked head ". Lion's Ear

A stiff, erect herb or shrub up to 3 m. tall, growing on the Plateau at the edge of Juniper forests in rocky outcrops and around houses. The rough leaves and stems give off a strong smell when crushed : flowers November-January. sometimes May.

Buddleia (Budd/eja) po/ystachya (2) Loganiaceae (pp. 26-27)Askwar (A). Anfera (G, Shoa). Mefere (T).

Usually a shrub 4-5 m. tall, sometimes a tree up to 12 m.. this is a widespread shrub in scrub areas above 1800 m throughout Ethiopia ; flowers November-May.

Stathmostelma pedunculatum (3) Asclepiadaceae (p. 15)

A poisonous herb with a tuberous root, growing up to 60 cm. tall in rocky areas of Plateau grassland and in wetter areas of the Rift Valley above 1500 m. All parts bleed a milky juice if damaged; bright orange flowers. November-May

Sekorru (G. Keffa) Tjilal inoy Maryam (T, Tigre). "Mother Mary's umbrella''. Glory Lily.

A weak-stemmed climber reaching 4 m in some bushes, widespread from ssa level to 2500 m. It grows from an irregularly-shaped, smooth-surfaced tuber, and dies down in the dry season ; flowers during long rainy season, usually orange or red-and-yellow, but sometimes in one area, such as the Blue Nile Gorge, only yellow flowers are produced All parts of this plant are extremely poisonous, especially the tuber.

AbutHon mauritianum (5) M alvaceae (pp 27-28)A soft-wooded, many-branched shrub up to 1.5 m. tall, widespread from

sea level to 2000 m. in bushland. waste ground, beside roads and as a weed of fallow land. The leaves are usually dark green on top. w ith a paler undersurface: flowers April and October, opening only in the afternoon

Milkweed

6/or/osa superba (G/oriosa simplex) (4) Liliaceae (p . 26)

7

Ka/anchoe lanceolata (6) C rassu laceae (pp. 19-20)

Indahwulla (A). Anc/iura (G.RV); Boso*6 (G. Shoa). De/iwa'ita (T).

A succulent plant up to 1 m. in height, frequently found in Acacia wood and scrub between 1000 and 2000 m. The fleshy leaves vary greatly in shape; flowers September-January.

Kwasheshila (A) Dander (T) Globe Thistle

A large Thistle up to 2.5 m. tall, but often less, growing at the edge of forests south and wesl of Addis Abeba between 1700 and 2000 m .: flowers at any time of year

Korch (A. Shoa). Zwawi i (T).

An endemic tree up to 15 m tall, found at the edge of wetter forests on the Plateau between 2250 and 2550 m., but also as a garden tree and fencing material. The bark often has large warty spines on it. as shown in 8a. about one-twelfth life-size The leaves fall at about the time when flowers start to open, end of November or early December. Flowers (8b) usually orange, sometimes yellow. November-February; the long brown seed-pods have a double, paper-like lining, and contain large, shiny, scarlet-red seeds

Caral/uma speciosa (9) Asclepiadaceae (p. 15)

A succulent w ith thick fleshy stems, growing in clumps up to 2 m in diameter in dry, rocky areas below 2000 m „ particularly in the Rift Valley. The evil-smelling flowers and the fruits are produced throughout the year after rain

Orobanche m inor (10) Orobanchaceae (p. 30)

S£t6 yeDjib ras (A). "Hyaena s head (female)". 8roomrape.A parasite up to 60 cm. tall, found between 1000 and 2500 m. in grasslands

and gardens. It takes its food from the roots of other plants, particularly legumes flowers Septcmber-October in natural surroundings, all year round in watered gardens

Echinops amp/exicau/is (7) C om positae (pp 17-19)

Erythrina brucei (8a.b) Leguminosae. sub-family Papilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

I IA HJLVld

V III. RED PLATE

Polygonum setulosum (1 ) P o lygonaceae (p. 30)Safawee (G). LeyeAwa riba (T). Knotweed.

A herb with fleshy stems which creep over wet mud, and flowering stems which grow erect up to 50 cm. tall, in wet soil beside streams and in drainage ditches from 1400 m. to 2500 m.; found in flower throughout the year.

lmbwac/>o (A). Dangego (G. Shoa). Hahoi (T).An erect, much-branched shrub growing to 3 m. tall, widespread throughout

the Plateau from 2000 m. to 3000 m.. particularly noticeable on rough, rocky slopes north of Addis Abeba. Flowers (enlarged in black-and-white illustration), small and pink. September-January, are less conspicuous than the masses of winged red fruits.

Trifolium schimperi (3) Leguminosae. sub-family

Mager (A. Shoa). Seeddeesa (G, lllubabor; Keffa). Messee (T).An erect, annual, endemic plant, often a very small herb of 3-4 cm., but found

up to 10 cm. Widespread in the Plateau, Subafroalpine and Afroalpine areas from1400 m. upwards, it often grows in grassland which is flooded for some partof the year: flowers, bright scarlet, July-September during rains.

Tapinoslemma acaciae (4) Loranthaceae (p. 27)All parasites: TeAetila (A. Gojjam); Ertu (G. Shoa); DiAwala (T).

A partial parasite which climbs about shrubs and trees, inserting many "sucking roots" into its host, this grows in woodland and scrub below 1800 m. on Acacia species and also on other trees: flowers usually during the dry season.

Notonia coccinea (5) Com positae (pp. 17-19)A succulent plant growing up to 40 cm. tall, in rocky places below 2500 m.;

(lowers October-January

Acanthus sennii (6) Acanthaceae (p. 13)Kwasheshila (A). Koserru (G, Shoa).

An endemic species growing as a stiff, erect, unbranched herb up to 1 m. or 2 m. tall, on the edge of forests between 1800 m. and 3200 m., conspicuous in flower along the Ambo road near Addis Abeba; flowers September-December and also March-April.

Rumex nervosus (2) Polygonaceae (p. 30)

Papilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

8

Achyranthes aspera (7) A m a ra n th a ce a e (pp. 13-14)7elendj (A). MefeniS (G, lllubabor). Mec/relo (T. Tigre).

A herb sometimes erecl but mors often scrambling up to 3 m. through bushes, this is a widespread and troublesome weed and a plant of roadside, bushland and riverine forest throughout the country below 2500 m. Leaves and bracts often have a silvery sheen; flowers, most frequent July-December, are sometimes pale pink or green, not red; fruits spiny.

Haemanthus mu/tiflorus (8) A m aryllidaceae (p. 14)YeDjib ageda (A, Gojjam). "Hyaena's cane” . Abrasa (G. Shoa).'Inboba anbesa (T, Tigre), "Lion's flower". Blood Lily; Fireball Lily.

This plant grows from a bulb in forests, with leaves up to 50 cm. long, appear­ing after the flowers, while the fruits are ripening into red berries; flowers March- May in the central and southern Plateau, June-July in the north.

Hibiscus aponeurus (9) M alvaceae (pp. 27-28)YeTidja c/renger; YeTidja lebe* (A, Gojjam), "Calf's tw ig".Merfsen afal (T, Tigre).

A small, stiff, erect, branched shrublet up to 1.2 m. tall, found in evergreen bushland, rocky outcrops and Acacia woodland below 2000 m. in drier parts of the country; flowers at any time of year, but more profusely after rain; the calyx is nearly hidden by a growth resembling scales.

Ashenda (A and T). Shemermerd (A, Shoa).Shushubb6 (G, Arussi). Red-hot Poker.

Growing from a thick underground stem, this is the largest Ethiopian Kniphoha. with leaves up to 60 cm. long and flowering stalks up to 1.75 m., often found in masses on hillsides and meadows above 2700 m. in the Subafroalpine region, but individual plants can grow as low as 2200 m ; flowers May-August, sometimes later.

Petamenes latifo lius (11) Iridaceae (pp. 22-23)Inzerezey (A). BirAo (T, Tigre). Wild Gladiolus.

Growing up to 60 cm. tall from a corm, this plant is found both on the Plateau and in the Subafroalpine region above 2500 m., frequently in quite large numbers on steep, damp banks beside springs, streams and rivers, often in partial shade; flowers (not always as large as those illustrated). September-December.

Kniphofia foliosa (10) Liliaceae (p. 26)

IX . P IN K PLATE

An epiphyte with tuberous base, hanging from large trees in wetter forests of the Plateau. The pink-flowered form illustrated is found only in Shoa province, April-May, after the short fains, and in Sidamo province, January-February. In other parts of the country the flowers are yellow to orange.

Canarina eminii (1) Campanulaceae (p. 16)

Stereospermum kunthianum (2 ) B ig n o n ia cea e (p. 16)

Washit; Zana [A, Gojjam). Utoro (G, Weliega).Adigee zana (T).

A tree up to 10 m. tall, with grey bark which comes off in round flakes ̂con­spicuous in flower among other trees and bushes of old lava-flow areas, deciduous woodland and rocky outcrops below 2000 m. Rowers. February-April, appear before the grey-green leaves; fruit: long, thin, twisted pods which remain on the tree for nearly a year.

Crinum ornatum (3 ) A m a ry llid a c e a e (p. 14}

YeDjib shinkwun (A). "Hyaena's onion". Crinum Uly.

A plant growing from a bulb, up to 120 cm. tall, found in marshy areas of the Plateau; flowers May-Juno. sweet-scented particularly in the evening, probably to attract night-flying moths.

Becium filamentosum (4) L a b ia tae (p. 23 )

Menfes6 (A), Tebeb (T).

A small shrub, erect up to 20 cm. tall, or trairing, growing in rocky places and dry grassland of the Plateau between 1500 and 3000 m. Leaves sweet-smelling; lowers, with the calyx fringed with short white hairs. July-September.

9

Hefichrysum formosfssimum (5) Compositae fppl 17-19)

Everlasting Flower; Slraw-flower.

A herb up to 60 cm. tall, growing in marshy meadows and along streams in Subafroalpine and Afroalpine regions, this is one of the largest-flowered Heti- ehrysum species of the area. Leaves and stems are covered with soft, matted white hairs; fiowsrs, September-December, are dark red at higher altitudes, white at lower altitudes and when old.

Carduus sllenbeckii (6) Compositae (pp. 17-19)

Kwasheshila (A). Dandfir (T). Thistle.

This endemic Thistle grows (lat on the ground in patches up to 50 cm. in diameter in grassland all over the Plateau, particularly where waterlogged during the rainy season. Flowers are found at any time of year, more profusely September- January.

Oldenlandia monanthos (7) Rubiaceae (p. 32)

A tough weeping herb with strong woody root, found in closely-grazed grass­land and many lawns in all parts of the Plateau over 2000 m.; tiny star-like flowers, pink or mauve, at any time of year but in masses during the rainy season.

Sparmannia ricinocarpa (8) Tiliaceae {pp. 34-35)

A shrub up to 3 m. tall, widespread between 2400 and 3000 m. at forest edges and in scrub and bushes along stream-bads, The leaves are soft to touch; flowers at any time of year. The fruit (black-and-white illustration), red-brown whan ripe, catches on to clothing and animal coats with its long spines.

Rubus steudneri (9) Rosaceae (pp. 31-32)

Indjorrg (A). GumerS (G). Bramble.

A strong, woody climber reaching 15 m. or mote in some forests, widespread between 1500 and 3000 m. in disturbed forest-land. especially clearings, and among bushes beside streams. Flowers are found at most limes of year; ripe fruit (black-and-white illustration) red. edible but rather acid.

X PINK TO PURPLE PLATE

Impaiiens tinctoria (1) Balsam inaceae (pp. 15-16)Insosilla (A ; G, lllubabor). Sasulla (T). Balsam; Impatience.

A herb up lo 120 cm. tall, growing from an underground tuber, widespread in damper areas throughout the Plateau; flowers, smelling of Balsam, and green fruits, August-November and March-May.

Tapinanthus globiferus (2) Loranthaceae (p. 27)All parasites: TeArefila (A. Gojjam); £rtu (G, Shoa); DiAwala (T).

A parasite w ith fragile wood, found on trees and shrubs, Tapinanthus g lob i­ferus has striking tubular flowers up to 4 cm long. November-December

P/ectocepha/us varians (3) C om positae (pp. 17-19)African Knapweed.

An endemic herb, sometimes flat on the ground, sometimes w ith stems up to 30 cm. tall, widespread in grassland and scrub of the Plateau over 2000 m.; flowers occasionally pure white, more often pink or mauve. September-December and sometimes April, after rains.

Carissa ec/ulis (4) Apocynaceae (pp. 14-15)Agam (A). Agamsa (G). 'Agam (T),

A much-branched shrub or scrambler up to 3 m. tall, found in shrubby areas from sea level to 3000 m. It has large thorns and shiny green leaves; flowers strongly scented, throughout the year but more profuse March-May; edible black fruit.

Tephrosia interrupta (5) Leguminosae. sub-familyPapilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

A shrub up to 1.80 m. tali, growing throughout Ethiopia in evergreen scrub, grassland and rocky outcrops between 1050 and 3000 m.. but rarely found below 1500 m. All parts can be covered with dark brown, silky-looking hairs; flowers October- November.

Ma/va parvif/ora (6) M alvaceae (pp. 27-28)Lit (A). InArifte/ia (T). Mallow.

A shrubby herb up to 80 cm., growing in hedges, among bushes and as a weed on farms between 1800 and 2350 m.; flowers, often half-hidden below the leaves, are recorded August, but may bloom at other times.

10

EpHobium hirsutum (7 ) O nagraceae (p. 29)YeLam c/rew (A). "Cow's sal!' Codlins-and-Cream: Fireweed: W illow-herb.

A herb up to 1.5 m. tall, found in swamps, streams and on stream banks throughout the country between 1200 and 3200 m.: flowers June-January.

A bulbous plant whose flowers (black-and-white illustration, seen from above) appear above the earth, usually about 5 cm. tall, but sometimes less than 1 cm. It is found from 2000 m. upwards throughout the country, in gravelly soil at lower altitudes, but in black peaty soil among Tree-heather (Asia in Amharic) and moss in Subafroalpine and Afroalpine regions: flowers May-July.

Fa/kia canescens (9a,b) Convolvulaceae (p. 19)A prostrate, trailing herb growing on open ground in grassland, rocky places

and beside rivers between 1500 and 2500 m. throughout the country. It has a white stem and white hairs on the leaves: flowers (9a, natural size) mauve, pink or pure white, during the rainy seasons

Dombeya species (10) S terculiaceae (p. 34)Wilkiffa (A) : /fwella wanzd (A, Begemder).Werensa (G, lllubabor).

Many of the species of Dombeya in Ethiopia are difficult to name The one illustrated is a tree up to 5 m . tall, growing in the Bol6 Valley 30 km. north of Addis Abeba; flowers December-February.

Scabiosa columbaria (11a); Dipsacaceae (pp 20-21)Pterocephalus frutescens (11b)

Both these small herbs grow in rocky places and dry grassland of the Plateau between 1500 and 2500 m Scabiosa columbaria has divided leaves: flower- heads mauve or blue, with hairless bristles between the flowers. Pterocephalus frutescens has its leaves not divided: flower-heads pink, w ith hairy bristles be­tween the flowers. Both flower at any time of year

Nymphaea coerulea (12) Nym phaeaceae (p . 28)Bushay (A). Water-lily: Blue Lotus of Egypt.

A water-plant found in most areas of fairly fresh water from 360 m, at Asayita in eastern Ethiopia to over 2000 m in Shoa province. Its roots are in the mud. its leaves and flowers float on the surface: flowers pink or blue, throughout the year.

Merendera abyssinica (8) Liliaceae (p. 26)

Scabious

PLATE X

XI. PURPLE TO BLUE PLATE

Vernonia ? campanea (1) Com positae (pp. 17-19)Chibo (A).

A small shrub up to 1.5 m. tall, (ound among other bushes beside streams on the Plateau. The backs of the leaves are covered with stiff white hairs; flowers conspicuous, bright purple. June-September.

Carduus nyassanus (2) C om positae (pp. 17-19)Kwasheshila (A). Dander (T). Thistle.

A plant up to 2 m. tall, growing in forests and as a weed in fallow land and pastures where the soil has been waterlogged during the rainy season. The leaves at the stem-base can be 40 cm. long; flowers September-February.

Ipomoea tenuirostris (3) Convolvulaceae (p. 19)Bindweed; Convolvulus; Morning Glory.

A twining climber, widespread from 1500 m. upwards in bushes and beside roads; flowers, sometimes pink, sometimes also white with a dark mauve centre, at the end of the rainy season.

Athrixia rosmarinifolia (4) Com positae (pp. 17-19)African Michaelmas Daisy; New York Aster.

An open, partly hanging, woody herb up to 30 cm. tail, widespread on drier rocky hillsides of the Plateau above 2000 m „ common on Mt. Entotto above Addis Abeba. The leaves are covered w ith soft, matted white hairs; flowers all the year round.

M ille ttia ferruginea (5) Leguminosae, sub-familyPapilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

Birbirra (A and T). Sotello (G, lllubabor).A tree which can grow to more than 15 m., found throughout the Plateau

above 1500 m.. but also lower in forests of the south-west. The bark is smooth and dark grey; flowers at any time of year, but chiefly November-March, some­times when the leaves have fallen. The large, square, flat brown seeds are produced n long pods.

Calotropis procera (6) Asclepiadaceae (p. 15)7obbiya (A). Kimbo (G, Shoa). Geenda'i (T). Dead Sea Fruit.

A poisonous erect shrub or small tree up to 5 5. m., growing beside roads, in scrub and semi-desert areas from sea level to 1700 m. When cut all parts exude

11

a caustic, milky juice. Flowers and fruit are found throughout the year; Iruits very large, green and filled w ith loose cotton-like fibres.

Trifolium acaule (7) Leguminosae, sub-familyPapilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

Mager (A, Shoa). Seeddeesa (G. Illubabor; Keffa) ;Semec/ieec/ieera (G, Shoa). Messee (T) Clover.

A herb often forming a very short, dense carpet, found from 2700 m. upwards in grassland and rocky outcrops of Subafroalpine and Afroalpine regions; flowers blue, pink or white, all year round but especially after the rains. September-Octo­ber.

Craterostigma plantagineum Scrophulariaceae (p. 33)C. pum ilum (8)Deleshut (A, Gojjam). Feewisee 'inA-iribeet (T. Tigre).■'Scorpion medicine".

These tw o species cannot be clearly distinguished. They are small herbs with some leaves flat on the ground, found in short grass throughout the country from 400 to 3500 m. The roots 3re fleshy, often orange-coloured The plants grow and flower rapidly immediately after any rain; colour variable, as shown.

So/anum incanum (9) Solanaceae (pp. 33-34)Inbway (A). Hiddee (G). 'Ingweelle (T). Sodom Apple.

A widespread and troublesome weed and roadside shrub up to 2.5 m. high, found from sea level to 2000 m. and sometimes higher. Size and shape of leaves and number and distribution of spines, are quite variable; flowers throughout the year; unripo fruits, poisonous, green with white markings Often the spiny stems with yellow fruits remain standing long after the plant has died.

Lythrum ro tund ifo lium (10) Lythraceae (p. 27)Purple Loosestrife.

A succulent aquatic herb which creeps over waterlogged ground and floats on the surface of clear running water, found by very many springs and small streams of the Plateau and Subafroalpine areas above 2500 m .; flowers at any time of year, but more profuse during the rainy season.

Justicia species (11) A canthaceae (p. 13)Herbs and weeds, trailing or up to 70 cm. tall, growing usually in shade up

to 3500 m.; flowers purple, blue, white or yellow, after the rains.

XII. BLUE PLATE

Echin ops hispid us (1) C o m p o s ita e (pp. 17-19)Kwasheshila (A). Dander (T). Globe Thistle.

A woody herb growing in rough grassland of the Plateau above 1700 m.; flowers pale blue or white. October-February.

Gedel amu* (A. Gojjam). "Keep the cliff warm 7\selleem debbesom (T, Tigre).

A slender herb up to 40 cm. tall, found from 1400 m on rocky slopes at the b3se of the Plateau to 3400 m. in grassy meadows in the Subafroalpine region The flowers vary from white, pale mauve and pink to dark blue, September- November

Delphinium wel/byi (3) Ranunculaceae (p 31)Gedel amu/r (A, Gojjam), "Keep the cliff warm 7selleem debbesom (T, Tigre)

An endemic species, usually 1 m. but up to 2 m. tall, often massed on streambanks and sloping fields between 2500 and 3500 m. The rootstock is fleshy:flowers scented, usually powder-blue w ith darker blue markings, July-October.

B/epharis ciiiaris (4) A cantliaceae (p. 13)A small, spiny herb w ith trailing stems and erect, compact flowering stems

up to 15 cm., found in open semi-desert and dry bushland from sea level to 1500 m., sometimes higher Flowers appear quickly after any rain

Clerodendrum myricoides (5) Verbenaceae (p 35)Missirich (A) Soyyoma (G. Illubabor) Sur betree (T).

A slender shrub up to 3 m tall, widespread at forest edges and in mountain scrub throughout the country from 1000 to 2500 m. Leaves and stem are shiny, sometimes dark red; flowers at any time ol year, profuse July-August

Parochetus communis (6) Leguminosae. sub-familyPapilionoideae (pp. 24-26)

A creeping herb w ith flowering siems up to 10 cm. tall and trifoliolate leaves, growing on forest floors in the Subafroalpine region from 2500 to 3500 m ; flowers usually October December

Pentanisia ouranogyne (7) Rubiaceae (p. 32)A tufted herb from 10-30 cm tall, found in sandy bushland from 1300 to

1800 m . very noticeable along the Rift Valley roads. The rootstock is tough Flowers vary from bright blue to pale blue or violet, most of the year but con­spicuous during and after rain.

Delphinium dasycaulon (2) Ranunculaceae (p. 31)

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Commelina diffusa (8) Com m elinaceae (pp. 16-17)YeWeha anfcur (A). "W ater-maker" Laluminc/ia (G. Illubabor)

A '.tailing, succulent herb growing among long grass and other herbs on the Plateau above 1500 m .; flowers during rainy periods.

Hygrophila auriculata (9) Acanthaceae (p. 13)Amekela (A). "Thorn".

A herb up to 70 cm tall, growing above 1800 m, in areas waterlogged for part of the year. The stem has long brown spines beneath each set of leaves, flowers October-January

Astragalus atropilosulus (10) Leguminosae. sub-familyPapiiionoideae (pp. 24-26)

A fairly robust, scrambling herb reaching 1.20 m.. found in long grass beside streams, among bushes and as a weed from 1800 to 3300 m ; flowers during the rains, June-November

Moraea schimperi (11) Iridaceae (pp. 22-23)Wild Iris

A poisonous herb growing up to 20 cm. tall from a corm, in gently-sloping or flat wet grassland on the Plateau from 1500 to 3000 m .; flowers January-June.

Veronica glandu/osa (12) Scrophulariaceae (p. 33)Speedwell.

A herb w ith long, trailing stems and short, erect flowering branches, found from 2450 m. upwards in Subafroalpine and Afroalpme grassland; flowers after rams. March-April. September-October.

Campanula eclu/is (13) Cam panulaceae (p 16)Yelregna misa (A), "Shepherd's lunch".

A herb w ith some creeping stems, but flowering stems 5-10 cm tall, sometimes up to 40 cm., found throughout Ethiopia above 2000 m. in rocky grassland, moun­tain scrub and beside roads; flowers, often nodding. October-January and April - June.

Plectranthus barbatus (14) Labiatae (p. 23)YeMaryam weha £adjee (A). ' Mary s water-carrier ;YeFiyel do/ta (A, Shoa; Wello), "Goat's bead".

A herb growing in open, evergreen bushland between 1350 and 2500 in. or higher Leaves and stems are succulent, covered w ith short, soft hairs: flowers p-ofuse September, but also at other times in wet places.

G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N

ON FAMILIES (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK, AND ALSO ON SOME SPECIES W ITHIN EACH FAMILY

ACANTHACEAE

Shrubs, herbs or sometimes climbers, the family A canthaceae has its leaves simple and opposite. The flowers have their petals joined to form a one-lipped or two-lipped tube. The fruit is rather woody, and splits lengthwise to reveal a relatively small number o f large seeds borne on rather conspicuous woody stalks. The family is often confused w ith the Labiatae, S crophu la riaceae and Verbe- naceae, but can be most easily distinguished from all these by its fruits.

Acanthus sennii (VIII. Red plate, 6), in this family, is much visited by carpenter bees, as are 2 further species of the genus Acanthus widespread throughout the Plateau. A. arboreus, often a shrub up to 4 m. tall, has pink or white flowers, February-April, September-December. A. eminens, sometimes making very dense, spiny thickets in wet forests, has blue flowers.

Adhatoda schimperana (III. Green-white plate, 6) is used as a hedge round houses in many districts. Its flowers are also pol­linated by carpenter bees. The crushed, strong-smelling leaves have the property of making water foam, and are used to clean pots for fela, the local beer. In the south of Ethiopia, the leaves are used in the treatment of malaria.

Blepharis ci/iaris (XII. Blue plate, 4), with its bright blue flowers, is the most widespread of several species of the genus Blepharis listed for Ethiopia. Many species provide dry-season grazing for both domestic and wild animals.

In spite of its spines, Hygrophila auriculata (XII. Blue plate, 9) is eaten by cattle. The seeds can produce a semi-drying oil, and the fleshy root has a cooling, slimy taste and a marshy smell. The related genus Barleria, common in dry bushland from sea level to 1800 m., includes species with similar blue flowers, but other species have white or orange flowers.

There are about 50 species of the genus Justic ia (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 11) in Ethiopia, found in the shade of forests, wood­land and shrubby areas throughout the Plateau. The stems of Justicia

insulans often trail over the ground and other vegetation. The flowers are pale mauve. J. schimperi has erect stems, dark green leaves with toothed edges, and darker flowers. Both flower during and after the big rains, July-October. Herbs very similar to Justic ia species, and often found with them, belong to the genus Hypoestes, of the same family, with pink, pinkish-purple or white flowers, often with spotted markings They stay green into the dry season, and provide grazing.

AGAVACEAE

Herbs, shrubs or trees, members of the family Agavaceae have very large leaves, resembling those of Aloe in form, though differing in that they are not so succulent and contain many strong fibres. The flowers are white or nearly white.

The flowers of Sansevieria guineensis (111. Green-white plate, 11) have a strong, unpleasantly sweet smell. They open in the evening and last for one night only. S. abyssinica. with unspotted, parallel-sided leaves, is found in similar areas. The different species of the genus Sansevieria in Ethiopia have not been thoroughly studied, and so are difficult to name with certainty. The largest one, with rod-like, three-sided leaves, which grows around Awash Station, east of Addis Abeba, is thought to be S. pow ellii. Domestic animals, particularly goats, browse on young leaves, and baboons, kudu and rhinoceros have been observed eating the older leaves right down to the ground. The fibre from some Sansevieria plants is used to make rope, but the fibre commonly used for cord and twine comes from Agave sisa/ana. Sisal, named after a town in Mexico, and cultivated at Awasa in Ethiopia. This and other species of the genus Agave, which gives its name to the family A gavaceae, are used as hedging plants in the Rift Valley and as ornamentals.

AMARANTHACEAE

Herbs or shrubs, often behaving as weeds, the A m aran thaceae have their leaves simple and entire; the flowers are small, often surrounded by narrow, dry, sometimes shiny bracts, lacking petals, w ith the stamens opposite the sepals and w ith the stalks of the stamens partly united into a short tube. The fru it pro­duces a single seed, often glossy. The absence of petals and the joining togethe

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of the siamens distinguish this family from other families with small inconspicuous flowers surrounded by dry bracts. Several genera of the family are found in Ethiopia, some w ith large, attractive tassels of flowers like those of the cultivated Amaranthus caudatus, Love-lies-bleeding.

Achyranthes aspera (V ill. Red plate, 7) is common in the ground cover under riverine forest in the Bo!6 valley, near Addis Abeba. The leaves have been used to relieve irritation caused by insect bites and scorpion stings. The fruit-spines catch in animal coats and human clothing, and so are spread. Another weed and roadside member of this family is Aerva persica, whose soft white tassels of flowers are traditionally used to stuff mattresses.

AMARYLLIDACEAE

Herbs w ith bulbs or. less often, tubers or rhizomes, members of the A m a ry lli- daceae are often planted as ornamentals. The leaves have parallel veins and no distinct stalk. Tho flowers are very showy, borne on a leafless stalk (peduncle), usually several together, enclosed at first in one or more thin bracts. The family is often confused w ith the L ilia ceae ; it can only easily be distinguished by its flowers being clustered together in an umbel w ith all the flower stalks arising from the tip of the stalk, not arranged along i t as is the case w ith the Liliaceae.

Crinum k irk ii is similar to C. ornatum (IX. Pink plate, 3 ), but grows up to 75 cm. tall only, with rough-edged leaves and more flowers on the stem; it grows in Acacia woodland below 2000 m. in the Rift Valley. The bulb is poisonous. The smaller C. abyssinicum and C. schim peri found on the Plateau have pure white flowers, May-June. There are many species of the genus Crinum in cultiva­tion, of which the most widespread is the robust C. bulbispermum. with dark pink flowers, originally from South Africa.

The main features of the A m aryllidaceae are well illustrated by the genus Haemanthus. Haemanthus m ultif/orus (V III. Red plate, 8) can be grown as a pot-plant or in shady parts of a garden. H. nutans is an epiphytic Fireball Lily found in the forests of Keffa and lllubabor provinces, with a nodding head of pink flowers, February-April. Many species of Haemanthus are poisonous to people and domestic animals. The big scarlet-and-white flower

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often seen in Addis Abeba gardens, and wrongly known as Amaryllis, belongs to the A m aryllidaceae but is a species of the genus Hippeastrum. originally from Central and South America.

ANACARDIACEAE

Shrubs and trees w ith bark which produces resin, the family Anacardiaceae has its leaves often compound; flowers unisexual, small, borne in large, densely- branched inflorescences, usually w ith a distinct swollen disc between the stamens and ovary. The fruit is also resinous, w ith a fleshy outer layer and a single stony seed. Of the families mentioned here, only the Sapindaceao aro likely to be con­fused with the A nacard iaceae ; they differ primarily by the fruit containing more than one seed. Members of the Anacard iaceae elsewhere in the world include such widely diverse plants as Rhus toxicodendron. Poison Ivy, from America, which causes a painful skin allergy, and Mangifera indica, the Mango Tree, ori­ginally from North-East India.

Rhus abyssinica, Kemmo (Amharic), found by streams on the Plateau, looks similar to Ft. natalensis (II. Green plate, 3), but has larger, darker and hairy leaves; flowers November, January-Feb- ruary. The bark is used for tanning skins, and its very acid fruits are sometimes employed as a cure for stomach upsets. R. retinorrhoea, Talo or Tilem in Amharic, with narrow, sticky leaflets, grows in dry, rocky savannah areas, and is abundant in the lava flows bet­ween Nazareth and Awash National Park. Species of the genus Rhus often support shrubby parasites such as Tapinostemma acaciae (V III. Red plate. 4) of the family Loranthaceae.

APOCYNACEAE

Members of the family Apocynaceae grow as shrubs or small trees, often with succulent stems or as climbers producing a lot of white sap if cut. The leaves are simple and entire; flowers showy, w ith the petals joined together to form a tube w ithin which the stamens are usually hidden. The fruit is variable, some­times a single, fleshy, egg-shaped fruit w ith one or tw o hard seeds inside (as in Carissa edulis), often in two distinct, separate parts, each producing many hairy seeds. The family is sometimes confused w ith A sclep iadaceae. especially the climbing species, but can in most cases be distinguished by the stamens being hidden In the tube formed by the petals; in the only group of the A sc lep ia ­daceae w ith ovary and stamens concealed by the corolla, the sap is not milky white. Otherwise, the woody habit of the family A pocynaceae distinguishes it.

Acokanthera schimperi. usually a small tree up to 4 m. tall, has flowers similar to those of Carissa edulis (X. Pink to Purple plate, 4), but lacks thorns and has much larger berries. The red flesh of the ripe fruit is edible, but all other parts of this plant are highly poisonous. In Sidamo province and in Somalia, it is used in making arrow poison. The very hard seeds have been used for making buttons.

ARACEAE

The herbs of the family Araceae usually grow in the ground from a corm, rhizome or tuber, though one species in forests of south-west Ethiopia climbs on trees. The inflorescence is particularly distinctive, w ith many small male and female flowers borne in a spike surrounded by a large single bract. This very distinctive inflorescence, once it has been identified as an inflorescence and not as a single flower, makes it quite difficult to confuse the family w ith any other group of herbs.

Arisaema schimperanum, very similar to A. enneaphy/lum (II. Green plate, 6 ), has 7 -12 leaflets with sharply-toothed edges to each leaflet; the teeth all point towards the tip of the leaflet. Species of the genus Arisaema can be grown from their corms in shaded parts of the garden. The corm has been known to be eaten by man, but is generally poisonous. The berries are highly poisonous, except to birds.

ASCLEPIADACEAEThe family Asclep iadaceae contains herbs, shrubs, climbers and leafless

succulents (for example, species of the genus Caralluma). w ith the exception of the genus Calotropis, which forms a small tree. All produce copious sap which in most species is white, but colourless in the succulent species and in some climbers. The leaves are usually simple and opposite; flowers often in umbels, w ith the petals joined together at the base, and then, in most species, spread out so that the inner parts can easily be seen; the stamens and ovary are joined together to form a peculiar structure unique to this family. The fruit is an elongated pod. almost always found in pairs, splitting along one side to release the seeds, which are very flat, w ith a tuft of silky hairs at one end. The succulent members of the family are often mistaken for Cactus or for species of the genus Euphorbia. but can easily be recognised by the very soft stems, which have spines only in a very few species, and have colourless clear sap. Their flowers, often very smelly are quite distinct. Otherwise, the family is only likely to be confused w ith the Apocynaceae.

Calotropis procera (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 6) is an indicator of underground water in dry areas. The flowers are much visited by sunbirds, but honey made from the nectar is said to be poisonous. Sometimes the fibre from the stems is used to make rope, and the "cotton" in the fruit to make poor-quality cloth.

Caral/uma russelliana, a tall succulent found near the Awash Hot Springs, has brown flowers similar to those of C. speciosa (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 9), appearing in balls at any time of year. C. penicillata, also with tall stems, found in the Awash gorge and on the escarpment just behind Dire Dawa. bears bunches of greenish-yellow flowers in June. Although C. speciosa is the worst­smelling of all the many succulents found in Ethiopia — in order to attract flies for pollination — many smaller members of the genus can be grown in greenhouses from cuttings, if given good drainage and a rest period of one or two months without water.

Stathmostelma pec/unculatum (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 3) attracts Monarch butterflies when in flower. It can be grown in rockeries if the tubers are transplanted undamaged. The shrubby herbs of species of the genus Gomphocatpus in this family have flowers of the same shape, but they hang down and are pink-and- white or brown and yellowish-green. The fruits of most species are covered with soft, spine-like projections. The plants are poisonous.

BALSAMINACEAE

The family Balsam inaceaa consists of h8rbs. usually with succulent stems and growing in wet places. The flowers are very irregular, w ith one sepal forming a long cylindrical nectar tube at the back of the hanging flower. The fruit is tapered to a point at both ends, w ith 5 lengthwise ridges. When ripe, it bursts explosively if knocked or even gently squeezed; this is w hy the name Touch-M e-Not is given to one European species. The flowers and fruit of this family are unlikely to be confused w ith those of any other family.

The flowers of Impatiens tinctoria (X. Pink to Purple plate, 1) are most strongly scented in the evening, and attract moths. The tuber may be dried over fire and made into a paste with which some Ethiopian women colour the palms and nails of their hands red.

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Reichardia and Lactuca. Sonchus o/eraceus is frequently found as a weed on the Plateau and in irrigated farmland at lower altitudes. The leaves clasp the stem; flowers yellow, October-February. Reichardia tingitana is a large weed up to 1 m. tall growing from 1000 m. upwards; the large yellow flowers, October-March, have scales with papery edges. Lactuca capensis, growing up to 2 m. tall in grassland on red soil from 1000 m. upwards, has blue flowers, October-February, June. Some Lactuca species contain laudanum, used medicinally as a pain-killer. The genus includes the cultivated Lettuce, Lactuca sativa.

Globe Thistles similar to Echinops amplexicaulis (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 7), but with red flowers, are Echinops longisetus, endemic, found in mountains west of Harrer and wet grassland of the south-west, with fluffy flower-heads, November-February; and E. e/lenbeckii, which makes bushes up to 5 m. tall, endemic in the Arussi and Chercher mountains of south Ethiopia above 2750 m„ with its leaves very divided, thin and spiny, and spiny flower-heads, November-January. Some species of the genus Echinops have blue or white flowers. E. hispidus (XII. Blue plate. 1) is found north of Addis Abeba with both leaves and flowers at ground level, but further south the flower-head is borne on a stalk up to 20 cm. tall. E. macrochaetus, a spiny, much-branched shrublet up to 2 m. tall, widespread beside roads, on rocky hillsides and as a weed from 1500 m. upwards, has small heads of pale blue or white flowers, September-March. E. steudneri is a tall, shaggy Echinops found in Subafroalpine areas above 3000 m., with heads of silvery-white, cream or pale pink flowers up to 15 cm. in diameter, November- February. Several of these plants can be grown from seed to make attractive garden plants.

Guizotia abyssinica, Nug in Amharic (V. Yellow plate A, 11). is cultivated particularly north of Addis Abeba. There are several wild species of Guizotia in Ethiopia, flowering after the main rainy season, and sometimes confused with species of the genus Bidens. MesAel Daisy (IV. White to Yellow plate, 5). The largest and most colourful is Guizotia scabra, M ech (Amharic), up to 3 m. tall, found

18

from 1500 to 3000 m., with acid-yellow flowers. Another oil- producing crop belonging to the family C om positae is Carthamus tinctorius, Suf in Amharic, a thistle-like plant up to 70 cm. tall, often mixed with Eragrostis tef, f6 f, or grown in a strip beside other cereal crops on the Plateau; flowers orange and yellow, September- November. The seeds are lightly roasted, crushed and mixed with water to produce a milk-like fasting drink, as well as being used to supply oil for cooking.

Besides Helichrysum sp/endidum (V. Yellow plate A, 10), there are several other yellow-flowered species of the genus Helichrysum, and others with white or pink flowers. H. odoratissimum, often a scrambler up to 1.5 m. through bushes in the Tree-heather areas of the Subafroalpine zone, has yellow flowers, September-December, and when crushed gives off the curry-powder smell of Trigone/la foenum-graecum, Abish (Amharic), Fenugreek. Many woody species with flowers smaller than those of the herbaceous species H. formosissimum (IX. Pink plate, 5) make dense, cushion-like mats of small bushes, like the solid-looking bushes up to 3 m. in diameter, formed by H. citrispinum, conspicuous in the Bale moun­tains of the south-east. This has very hairy, small leaves, sharp golden-yellow spines, and white flowers, October-December. The bracts of Helichrysum species, resembling petals, are papery and shiny, and the plants, both wild and cultivated, can be dried and used for home decoration.

Notonia coccinea (VIII. Red plate, 5) can be grown in rockeries in Addis Abeba. Several species of the genus Notonia, all with heads of bright scarlet flowers, are found in Ethiopia. N. semperviva (sometimes known as Kleinia abyssinica), growing to 1.50 m. tall in Acacia woodland and bushland below 2000 m., has grey- green fleshy leaves along the erect stem. The most curious species is N. pendula, the Snake-plant or Inchworm-plant. Its striped, succulent, flattened stems loop over the ground under bushes in dry country below 1800 m. It makes a good greenhouse and pot plant if not given too much water. The genus Notonia is sometimes included in the genus Senecio.

Relatives of Plectocephalus various (X. Pink to Purple plate, 3), endemic to Ethiopia, are restricted to South Africa, Mexico and South America.

Senecio gigas (VI. Yellow plate B, 2) grows readily from cuttings. This is one of the groups of plants which (like the genera Hypericum and Lobelia in other families) have giant forms on the mountains of East Africa and Ethiopia, though all its other relatives of temperate latitudes are mainly herbs. The 44 species of Senecio recorded for Ethiopia vary immensely in growth habit: climbers, shrubs, succulents and weeds, some with large, showy flowers. Very many species are poisonous both to animals and man. Outside Ethiopia, S. tuberosus (VI. Yellow plate B, 11) has been recorded as a weed of Wheat, and poisoning has resulted from its seeds getting into the wheat-flour.

There are more than 60 species of the genus Vernonia iisted for Ethiopia, and they are very difficult to name; hence the question- mark in Vernonia ? campanea (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 1). They can be found from sea level to 3000 m. as herbs, climbers, shrubs or trees, with flowers white, blue, mauve or purple, but never yellow in Africa. The tree V. amygdalina, Grawwa (Amharic), grows up to 10 m. tall on the Plateau, It has dirty-white flowers, December- February. The wood is termite-proof. The leaves are used to scour pots for fela, the local beer, and both leaves and bark, which are bitter, have medicinal uses. Shrubs which look like yellow-flowered Vernonia species belong to the genus Psiadia. P. arabica grows up to 3 m. tall and is very common in Acacia woodland in the Rift Valley, with long, narrow, sticky leaves; flowers May-August.

CO N VO LVU LA C EA E

The C onvo lvu laceae include herbs, shrubs and, most commonly, climbers w ith slender stems that trail on the ground or coil round available supports and that often contain a milky sap. The leaves are alternate and simple, rarely scale­like. The flowers are short-lived, fading rapidly after p icking; the petals are fused together to form a tube, usually funnel-shaped, folded and often spirally-twisted when in bud . All the petals are the same size, so thst the flower is radially symmetrical. The fruit is dry and globe-like, splitting to reveal a small number of relatively hard, often hairy seeds. The climbing or trailing branches and the distinctively

folded and twisied corolla of this family are characteristic. Some Soianaceae have rather similar flowers but lack the slender tw ining stems and have fruits w ith large numbers of small seeds.

Falkia repens, similar to F. canescens (X. Pink to Purple plate, 9). but with oval or heart-shaped leaves and red flowers, comes from South Africa and is often grown in greenhouse cultivation. Another creeping species of the family found in Ethiopia is N ephrophyllum abyssinicum, with small kidney-shaped leaves and white flowers, August-September. The flower stalk later grows and buries the fruit, which develops in the ground. This plant is commonly seen creeping over bare soil on banks beside paths and roads on Mt. Entotto, just north of Addis Abeba, and on other parts of the Plateau.

In addition to Ipomoea tenuirostris (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 3). there are many species of the genus Ipomoea, mainly climbers but some shrubs, found in Ethiopia from sea level to over 3000 m. in the mountains. All the indigenous species have white, mauve to purple, pink or yellow flowers; the blue-flowered species common in cultivation on the fences of many houses is not native. /. cairica, common in the Rift Valley and in cultivation, has leaves like the fingers on a hand; flowers pale pinkish-mauve, November-February (one specimen found in July). /. obscura is the only common yellow-flowered Ipomoea, trailing and climbing over bushes in drier parts of the country below 1500 m.; flowers pale or dark yellow, all year round. The tuber of /. batatas is the Sweet Potato, Sikwar ainich (Amharic), a crop widely grown in south-western Ethiopia, and believed to have originated in Central America.

CRASSULACEAE

The family Crassulaceae contains herbs or small shrubs w ith rather succulent stems. The leaves, simple, are very fleshy. The inflorescence in most species is branched, w ith the oldest flowers in the centre, though a few inconspicuous species have the flowers solitary or arranged along an unbranched stem. The fruit is made up of several distinct parts, equal in number to the petals, each part w ith the tip very pointed; the fruit splits along one side to release very many tiny seeds. The Crassulaceae can be separated from other families in which similar fleshy leaves occur by the distinctive fruits.

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Pelargonium multibracteatum (III. Green-white plate, 5) belongs to the same genus as the cultivated Pelargonium (common­ly known as Geranium), and produces a similar strong smell when crushed. Oil for making perfumes is extracted from certain species in France, Kenya and the Seychelles.

G R A M IN E A EThe family G ram ineae includes all the grasses, including grain-crops such

as Eragroslis te f (T6f in Amharic). Barley (Gebs) and Wheat (Sind6). TTie very small flowers lack petals, and are usually enclosed in a series of tiny bracts. The Gram ineae are easily distinguished by the leaves from other plants w ith a similar appearance, notably the Sedge family (Cyperaceao), which is not illustrated in this book. The leaves o f the G ram ineae, which are usually in 2 opposite rows, not in rows of 3 as in the Cyperaceae, have 2 distinct parts. The lower part is a basal sheath which is wrapped around other leaf sheaths or round the stem, and which opens at the side opposite the upper part. The upper part is a blade, usually flat and narrow. Between the 2 parts there is a distinct junction, often marked by a small ridge or by a ring of hairs. The stem is round and often hollow, whereas in the Cyperaceae the stem is usually solid and three-sided.

In the south of Ethiopia, for example in Sidamo, Arundinaria a/pina (II. Green plate, 1) is used for fences and house-construction. The beautiful houses of the Dorze people of Gemu Gofa are made entirely of this Bamboo, except for the thatching. In East Africa the plants in some areas flower every fifteen years, but others have a life-cycle of forty years. The plants usually die after flowering. Oxytenanthera abyssinica. the solid-stemmed Bamboo, grows in lower, hotter areas of the north and west below 1200 m., as in the Tekezze and Blue Nile valleys. It is also used in construction, especially of roofs, and it can be used to make paper. Arundo donax, Shembe/ro (Amharic and Galligna), the Giant Reed, is a bamboo­like grass introduced at an unknown date from Mediterranean areas, growing up to 6 m. tall. It grows by rivers and streams below the level preferred by the genus Arundinaria, for example in the Rift Valley, and is often found in gardens in Addis Abeba. Unlike a true Bamboo, its stems rarely branch above ground level. The washint, the Ethiopian "flute" sometimes played by shepherd-boys but also used in more sophisticated orchestras, is made from Arundo donax.

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HYPERICACEAE

The H ypericaceae include herbs, shrubs and trees. The leaves are simple, opposite or whorled, w ith gland dots on them which appear either dark, or bright if the leaf is looked at against the light. The flowers have 4 or 5 separate petals, usually bright yellow, sometimes white, often marked w ith red; the stamens are very numerous, sometimes united near the base into 4 or 5 bundles. The fruit has 3 or 5 compartments, each containing, as a rule, very many, very small dust­like seeds: a few species have fruit containing only 1 or 2 seeds. The top of the fruit is usually rather pointed. The family can be separated from others likely to be seen in Ethiopia with flowers which have a similar number of petals and stamens, such as the Rosaceae. by the simple, opposite or whorled leaves w ith gland dots.

There are several species of the genus Hypericum in addition to Hypericum pep lid ifo lium (V. Yellow plate A, 7) found in Ethiopia. Of the larger species, H. quartinianum is a shrub up to 3 m. tall, growing throughout the country between 2000 and 3000 m. in mountain scrub and Subafroalpine areas. The leaves are 3 cm. long and up to 1,5 cm. wide; flowers in bunches all year round, but particularly September-October. H. revo/utum, Tree St. John's Wort, is a slender tree up to 12 m„ growing in the Subafroalpine zone above 2500 m., particularly numerous in the Arussi and Bale mountains; it occurs as a shrub or small tree on Mt. Entotto. The leaves are only 1 cm. long, crowded together at the end of branches; flowers solitary, November-December. April-May.

HYPOXIDACEAE

The family H ypoxidaceae, consisting of herbs arising from an underground tuber, resembles the A m ary llidaceae, Iridaceao and L iliaceao in many features but is distinguished by the leaves being hairy, and the flowers, which are solitary or well-spaced, each w ith its own bract. Also, the yellow or white petals and sepals, and an equal number of stamens, are attached to the top of the relatively small ovary.

The genus Hypoxis (VI. Yellow plate B, 10) is not well known. There may well be several species in Ethiopia.

IRIDACEAE

Iridaceae, herbs arising from underground bulbs, corms, tubers or rhizomes resemble the A m ary llidaceae . H ypoxidaceae and L iliaceao. but are dis­

tinguished by the very flat leafy stern of most species (for example, in the genus Petamenes). and the colourful flowers w ith petals, sepals and only 3 stamens attached to the top of the ovary.

In addition to Moraeo schim peri (XII. Blue plate, 11), there are two other species of Moraea found in Ethiopia, both of which lack the yellow mark on the petal. Several species of this genus are poisonous. They grow well in Addis Abeba gardens, especially if left undisturbed in the dry season. They resemble a small cultivated Iris, but grow from a corm, not a bulb or rhizome, and have fleshy fruits.

Petamenes latifo lius (VIII. Red plate, 11) is closely related to the genus Gladiolus, of which several wild species occur in Ethiopia, and which have the same names in Ethiopian languages. G. psittacinus is found in grassland and on rocky outcrops of the Plateau between 1000 and 2500 m .; flowers usually orange, sometimes red, April, August-December. This species is thought to have been used in developing some of the modem cultivated varieties of Gladiolus.

I n s i j . i i . , - i f i c u l t u r a l

LABIATAEI l o r , r y

The herbs and shrubs composing the fiim ily Labiatae have their young stems characteristically four-sided. All parts give o ff a strong smell when crushed. The leaves are simple and opposite. Tho sepals are joined together to form a tube which can be quite conspicuous in certain species, as in species of the genus Otostegia. Tho petals are also joined to form a tube, which usually has 1 or 2 lips, sometimes very evident. The fruit is dry. made up of 4 distinct, hard lobes, w ith each lobe containing a single seed which is dispersed by the whole lobe breaking away from the fruit. The style comes from tho base between the lobes. This family is perhaps most frequently confused w ith the A canthaceae, S crophu la riacese and Vorbenaceae. The Verbenaceae are best distinguished by the fact that the fruits are at the most only shallowly 4-lobed, and often fleshy, w ith the style coming from the top of the ovary. The other two families lack any smell when the plant is crushed, and their fruits split to release individual seeds. Members of the Boraginaceae, a family which is not illustrated in this book, have fruits similar to those of the Labiatae, but all tho petals and stamens are of equal w idth and length; the herbs of the Boraginaceae most likely to be mistaken for Lab ia tae in Ethiopia are generally blue (for example Cynog/ossum. Hound’s-tongue). and their fruits are covered w ith small, curved hairs which catch in clothing.

Becium fi/amentosum (IX. Pink plate, 4) is often found growing with its relative Thymus serru/atus, 7osign in Amharic, Wild Thyme, used like tea and to spice red-pepper sauces.

Leonotis velutina (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 1) is frequented by sunbirds when in flower. Like Otostegia m inuc ii (see below), it is sometimes known as YeFeres zeng, "Horse-whip", in Amharic. In Sidamo province, the leaves are crushed and the juice drunk as a cure for hookworm. Most species of the genus Leonotis have hairy, dark orange flowers. Two species are weeds in cultivated ground. The cultivated plant L. ieonurus, Lion's Ear, comes from South Africa.

Otostegia in tegrifo lia (V. Yellow plate A, 4) is said to have insecticidal properties and is often used as a fumigant in Ethiopia. O. minucii, YeFeres zeng (Amharic), "Horse-whip", has erect, spineless flowering stems up to 2.5 m. tall, and appears in mountain scrub above 2000 m., with hairy white flowers, October-February. The white, papery calyx remains after the flowers fall, as with its cultivated relative, M o/ucel/a laevis, Bells of Ireland.

The majority of Plectranthus species, like Plectranthus barbatus (XII. Blue plate, 14), have strongly-scented leaves, stems and flowers; perhaps because of this, domestic stock will not readily eat them, though they are not poisonous. Previously classed separate­ly, the genus Coleus, which provides pot-plants with brilliantly- coloured leaves, and the genus Plectranthus are now placed to ­gether. There are about 60 species of Plectranthus (including Coleus) listed for Ethiopia, varying from succulents to aquatic herbs, and found from sea level to the Subafroalpine region. Plectran­thus (Coleus) edulis, Oromo dinich (Amharic), "Oromo potato", is cultivated in the south-western provinces, and grows wild by streams and ditches elsewhere on the Plateau. Plectranthus ( Coleus) floribundus, a herb up to 2 m. in forests near Shashemane in the south, and on the road to Bahir Dar, produces masses of deep blue flowers, September-October. Most species can easily be cultivated, but will not flower if over-watered.

23

L E G U M IN O S A E

The Legum inosae, a very large family, are separated into three very distinct groups or sub-families, the C aesa lp in io ideae. the M im oso ideae and the P ap iliono ideae (or Faboideae). They are so distinct that many regard them as families in their own right (C aesalp in iaceae. M im osaceae. and Papiliona- ceae or Fabaceae). They are all connected together by the type of leaves, which are always alternate and often compound, and by the pea-like or bean-like fruit (technically termed a legume, from which the family is named), which typically splits along opposite sides into two separate halves to release several seeds. There are, however, very many modifications to the exact way in which the seeds are released in different members of the family.

S ub -fam ily C AESALPIN IO IDEA E

Herbs, shrubs, trees or occasionally climbers, this sub-family C aesa lp in io ideae has its leaves pinnate, bipinnate or, more rarely, simple and divided into two lobes. The petals are only slightly different from each other; in bud, the uppermost petal is covered by the lower petals. The stamens are usually 10 in number and are free from each other; rarely there are more or fewer stamens, or they may be joined to each other.

Cassia singueana (VI. Yellow plate B, 1) can be grown in Addis Abeba if not artificially watered; daily watering causes root- rot. The bark is used in tanning leather. The strong-smelling C. didymobotrya, which grows naturally from 800 to 2000 m. on forest-edges, but is commonly used for hedging in Addis Abeba, has yellow flowers in large racemes, the tops of which appear black owing to the dark-brown sepals covering the buds. The seeds are in large, dark-brown, flat pods. Cassia is a large genus, wide­spread throughout the world, and several species have been intro­duced into Ethiopia, some of which have become naturalized. C. f/oribunda, probably naturalized, is a small tree with pointed leaves, common in Addis Abeba gardens. The fruits are loved by many birds, especially seed-eaters. The leaves of Cassia species are the source of the medicinal senna. Caesalpinia decapetala, a sticky, spiny climber which makes good fencing material below 1800 m., has flowers very like Cassia.

Pterolobium stel/atum (IV. White to Yellow plate, 4) is often found in dense masses on eroded banks, especially along water

24

courses. It flourishes there because it can produce new stems from its roots when the roots are uncovered by erosion.

S ub-fam ily M lM O S O ID E A EThe M im osoideae are usually trees or shrubs, rarely climbers or herbs.

The leaves are bipinnate, simple only in some species of the genus Acacia which have been introduced into Ethiopia; probably the most familiar o f imported species is the florist's Mimosa, from Australia, seen in Addis Abeba gardens and on the outskirts of the city. The flowers are small and crowded into very dense in flo ­rescences which look fluffy because of the very numerous stamens, which to a great extent hide the inconspicuous petals and sepals.

Acacia tortilis (IV. White to Yellow plate, 2) is one of the 45 species of Acacia found in Ethiopia. They provide firewood and charcoal. In and around Addis Abeba, the common Acacia is A. negrii. endemic, with larger leaflets, white thorns, peeling bark and cream-white flowers, January-April, similar to those of A. tortilis, but the seed-pods are straight and flattened. A. nubica is an example of a shrubby Acacia which forms low, spreading, dense growth encouraged by overgrazing and browsed by Dik-dik. around Awash Station, near Harrer in the Errer valley, at Koka Dam, etc.; dirty-white flowers, very fragrant, September-December. A. albida, Girbee grar (Amharic), up to 15 m tall, grows below 2000 m. Young branches are white, and it produces long masses of creamy-white flowers. This species is sometimes called the Apple- ring Acacia, because its large, flat, yellow-orange fruits curl round on themselves like apple-peel. A. abyssinica, A. n ilotica and A . seyal, like A. negrii, have long white thorns, and the branches of these and other species are cut and used1 for temporary fencing round fields of growing crops throughout the country.

S ub -fam ily PAPILIO N O IDEAE

The sub-family P ap iliono ideae (so called because the flowers are though: to look like butterflies) includes herbs, climbers, shrubs and trees. The leaves are usually pinnate or trifoliolate, less often palmate or simple. The flowers have their petals almost always very markedly unequal in size and shape, w ith the big upper petal wrapped round the others in bud. There are 10 stamens, usually w ith the filaments of most or all joined into a tube.

Astragalus atropilosulus (XII. Blue plate, 10) is related to the genera M elilotus and Medicago, Magef (Amharic), Alfalfa or Lucerne, some of whose species make valuable fodder plants for domestic animals.

There are about 98 species of the genus Crota/aria (V. Yellow plate A, 1) listed for Ethiopia, most of which are found between 600 and 3000 m. All have similar-shaped flowers and inflated pods, as shown for Crotalaria laburnifolia (V. Yellow plate A, 1b,c). Some are edible by animals, but many are poisonous. C. rosenii (VI. Yellow plate B, 6) grows fast and easily from chipped seeds, and makes an attractive garden plant in Addis Abeba. The loose seeds in ripe pods often move about, giving the plant the name Rattle-box. All members of this genus have inflated, balloon-like seed-pods. often with striped markings, as in C. laburnifolia, and containing small, flat, slightly-curved seeds.

Flowering trees of Erythrina brucei (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 8) are much visited by sunbirds and starlings. Some trees of this species have lemon-yellow flowers. There are 4 species of the genus Erythrina in Ethiopia. Similar to E. brucei is E. burana, an en­demic common around Harrer and elsewhere in lava flows from Nazareth eastwards between 1800 and 2100 m .; flowers orange- yellow, January-March. E. abyssinica, Doneet (Amharic), Kwara (Amharic, Begemder), Kaffir Boom or Coral Tree, found between 900 and 2300 m. in the north and west of Ethiopia and in the Rift Valley, has scarlet flowers with a red-fringed calyx, October-January. The seed-pods bulge out around each seed, which has a distinctive black spot. E. melanacantha can be distinguished by the white hairs on the calyx. It is found in the Ogaden and Somalia with bright yellow seeds, but in Southern Ethiopia and Kenya the seeds are dull yellow or reddish-brown. Erythrina species grow readily from seeds and cuttings, and E. brucei is commonly used to make a permanent, living fence around houses in Sidamo province.

Lotus corniculatus (V. Yellow plate A, 5) is cultivated as a forage crop in some parts of the world. The genus Lotus should

not be confused with the name Lotus (English from Greek) given to members of the Water-lily family, N ym phaeaceae.

M ille ttia ferruginea (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 5) is an important shade-tree for Coffee plantations in Sidamo province, and is often grown as a garden tree in Addis Abeba. The seed-pods can make quite a loud explosive noise as they burst open, scattering the seeds, which can germinate as soon as they fall. Leaves, pods and seeds are sometimes ground up and used as a fish poison. The wood is hard and has potential commercial use.

Parochetus communis (XII. Blue plate, 6) is found under such trees as Kosso (Amharic) and Bamboo. Owing to their dark blue colour, the flowers are not easily noticed in the shade. This herb has a secondary type of flower which remains below the soil and develops fruit there. P. communis can be grown in cultivation if given plenty of shade and water.

Sesbania goetzei (VI. Yellow plate B, 4) is pollinated by a large wood-boring bee known as the carpenter bee, and by the Beautiful Sunbird, Nectarinia pulc lie lla . S. sesban, a shrubby herb, is found at the edge of rivers and fresh-water lakes, and flowers during rains. All the 7 species of the genus Sesbania appearing in Ethiopia grow where there is standing water at some time of the year; none is endemic

Tephrosia interrupta (X. Pink to Purple plate, 5), with con­spicuous, dark purple flowers, has been found to possess insecticidal properties. There are at least 35 species of the genus Tephrosia in Ethiopia, nearly all with brown hairs on some part of the plant: leaves with many straight white or brown veins; seed-pods straight. T. emeroic/es, very like T. interrupta, has flowers in clusters, July- October. T. pum ila, sometimes a weed, is a small annual, flowers white or pink, September-December. Both are found all over the Plateau, particularly in fallow fields. Some species of Tephrosia are used to make a fish poison and an arrow poison.

There are about 30 species of the genus Trifolium in Ethiopia, including Trifo/ium schimperi (V III. Red plate, 3 ), and some are valuable as pasture plants. T. acaule (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 7)

25

is found on Mt. Entotto, north of Addis Abeba, and may cover entire hillsides, as at Ankober, north-east of the capital. The sweet- scented flowers attract large numbers of bees and butterflies. As it often appears the most conspicuous plant to cover bare soil, spreading over areas 2 -3 m. in diameter, T. acau/e might make a useful plant against erosion at high altitudes.

LILIACEAE

The family L iliaceao consists of herbs and shrubs or. rarely, climbers (for example, the genus Gloriosa), usually w ith a bulb, rhizome, corm or swollen roots. The leaves have parallel veins and no leaf stalk; sometimes they are very fleshy, in which case the margin o f the leaf is almost always toothed. The flowers are borne along the stem, each w ith its own bract; rarely the flower is apparently solitary. The petals and sepals are all similar, 6 in number, free or joined closely together; there are also 6 anthers. The fruit, usually distinctly three-lobed. has 3 compartments, each compartment containing several seeds, often flattened or winged. The family most often confused w ith the Liliaceae is the A m a ry llid a cea e , which, however, is most easily distinguished by the form of the inflorescence, in which the flowers are crowded together and all enclosed in one or more bracts. The Iridaceae and the H ypoxidaceae are distinguished by their petals and sepals being attached to the top of the ovary.

Aloe berhana (Frontispiece) is one of more than 25 species of the genus A loe described from Ethiopia. Over half of these are endemic, and it is highly likely that this genus is actively evolving in Ethiopia at the moment. When the Plateau was forested. Aloes were confined to cliffs and rocky outcrops, but deforestation, cultivation and subsequent erosion of the steeper slopes have created large areas where they can grow, and whole hillsides can now be seen covered by them. Cross-breeding seems to take place, and it is very hard to decide where one species ends and another begins. In all there are about 300 species of Aloe, mainly found in Africa, but also in Arabia, varying in height from 15 cm. to 15 m. It should be noted that the so-called American Aloe or Century Plant, Agave americana, belongs to the family Agavaceae.

Several species of the genus Asparagus are found in Ethiopia, some with very showy, sweet-scented, creamy-white flowers. Young shoots of local Asparagus, particularly Asparagus africanus

26

(IV. White to Yellow plate, 9), are eaten by country children and can be seen on sale in Addis Abeba during the rains. Bunches of Asparagus were at one time sometimes hung over doorways to ward off evil spirits after childbirth or circumcision. The edible Asparagus of America, Asia and Europe is A. officinalis. Other species cultivated as ornamental plants include A. asparagoides. from South Africa, the decorative Smilax used by florists, and A. p/umosus, the Asparagus-fern, which occurs wild in Ethiopia.

G/oriosa simplex is now considered a synonym for G. superba (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 4).

Kniphofia foliosa (V III. Red plate, 10) is also grown as a culti­vated species. There are several wild species of the genus Kniphofia in Ethiopia. K. insignis, found in waterlogged meadows on the Plateau, has white flowers, sometimes with a pink or green tinge, June-July. K. isoetifolia is widespread in Subafroalpine and Afro- alpine meadows; flowers yellow, orange or red, September-October.

Merendera abyssinica (X. Pink to Purple plate, 8) is found only in Ethiopia and Southern Yemen.

LOGANIACEAE

The Loganiaceae include trees, shrubs and. rarely, climbers. The leaves are opposite or whorled and simple, either w ith projections at the base of the stalk (stipules) or w ith a line across the stem between opposite leaf bases (an interpetiolar line). The small flowers have 4 'o r 5 petals, and appear in dense in ­florescences in the species most frequently met w ith . The number of stamens equals the number of petals, as indicated by the lobes of the tube. The fruits in common species are dry, w ith two compartments, each containing many seeds; in other members of the family the fruits are fleshy or contain only 2 seeds. This family, which is very diverse and is often divided into two distinct families, the Loganiaceae and the Buddle iaceae. is most likely to be confused w ith the Solanaceae or S crophu lariaceae, but is distinguished by the presence o f the stipules or the interpetiolar lino.

The leafy branches of Budd/eia polystachya (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 2) are used to wash pots, as they are rough and can make water froth. It can be grown in gardens from cuttings or seeds. Several species of the genus Budd/eia, many from India, are cultivated because of their attractive, scented flowers, mauve.

purple, crimson and white. Buddleia is related to the genus Strychnos. of which, again, there are several species in Ethiopia; S. nux-vom ica is the natural source of the medicinally-used poison strychnine.

LORANTHACEAEThe Loranthaceae are brittle-wooded bushes that grow as parasites on

trees and shrubs. The leaves are opposite, thick and leathery. The flowers are very inconspicuous in some species, but conspicuous and colourful in others, in which the buds are very long and slender, in various shades of pink, red, orange or yellow, often w ith the tip a different colour from the rest. When ripe, the fruit is a slightly transparent red. orange or white berry w ith very sticky flesh if squashed or broken. Members of this family are sometimes mistaken for flowering branches of the host on which they grow, but closer examination w ill show the distinction : there is often a marked swelling at the junction between parasite and host, and the loaves of each are different. All other parasitic plants found in Ethiopia are either root parasites, which appear from underground, or have very slender climb­ing stems, lacking normal leaves.

The flowers of Tapinanthus globiferus (X. Pink to Purple plate, 2) are pollinated by sunbirds.

The flowers of Tapinostemma acaciae (VIII, Red plate, 4) are also pollinated by sunbirds, and the fruits are eaten and spread by starlings. During the dry season, branches can be cut off and fed to domestic stock. The closely-related Plicosepa/us curvif/orus also often grows on Acacia species, but forms a bush with only one sucking root; flowers very curved, bright orange or red-and- yellow. Another related genus, Phragmanthera, includes the parasite with large, rusty orange flowers. There are many genera in the Loranthaceae, found in almost all habitats suited to trees and shrubs from sea level up to 2500 m. They are often particularly conspicuous, as they flower in the dry season. The crushed stems, leaves and flowers of some species are used in Sidamo province in treating headaches, colds and asthma; the juice is astringent.

LYTHRACEAE

The Lythraceae include herbs, shrubs and small trees. The leaves are opposite and simple. The flowers have the sepals unit'.d to form a tube which is some­times colourful and flower-like; the petals are attached near the top o f this tube, and are characteristically narrow at the base and crumpled up in the bud. The

stamens usually number twice as many as the petals, and are attached to the tube below the petals. The ovary has a single style. Each fruit has two compart­ments, each w ith many seeds. This family is perhaps most likely to be confused with the Onagraceae, which, however, differ by having the petals and sepals attached to the top of the ovary, and the C aryophyllaceae, which have several styles at the top of the ovary.

With purple flowers much like those of Lythrum rotundifo lium (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 10), L. hyssopifo/ium is found beside the Awash river and in the Bale mountains; flowers purple, April and probably at other times of year. L. salicaria and its varieties are cultivated.

M A LVA CEA EThe family M alvaceae appears as herbs, shrubs or, rarely, small trees. The

leaves are alternate and hairy, w ith three or more separate veins from the base of the leaf-blade; the leaves are often lobed in outline. The flowers have 5 separate petals, often w ith extra bracts immediately next to the flower and looking like an extra ring of sepals. The stamens are very numerous, w ith the filaments all joined tightly together to form a single column in the centre of the flower. The fruit is a capsule w ith tw o or more compartments, each containing several seeds, or breaking up into 5 or more separate pieces, each containing one or two seeds; the seeds of many species are covered w ith long hairs. This family is very difficult to separate from the S te rcu liaceae and the T iliaceae , which have very similar leaves and rather similar flowers. The S te rcu liaceae can only be reliably dis­tinguished by the fact that each stamen has two pollen sacs at the tip, while the T iliaceae have their stamens at the most very shortly joined at the base, no! forming a distinct column as they often do in both S te rcu liaceae and M alvaceae.

Like A buti/on mauritianum (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 5), many species of the genus A butilon grow in the lower, hotter parts of Ethiopia. Nearly all of them have yellow to orange flowers, often with a dark centre, and distinctive fruits. A. longicuspe, growing in scrub on the Plateau, is easily recognised because of its pink or blue flowers. Sida cuneifolia, common on the Plateau, is a smail, compact shrub up to 30 cm. tall, with dark green, shiny, hairless leaves and small yellow flowers, like those of A butilon species, but opening in the morning. Also similar to A butilon are the many species of the genus Pavonia, mostly small, shrubby herbs with yellow flowers, mainly April-May, October-January; the calyx often has long teeth covered with fine hairs which curve over the seeds.

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In India, Hibiscus cannabinus (VI. Yellow plate B, 7) is culti­vated as a fibre crop. H. diversifo/ius, a shrub up to 3 m. tall, is found beside roads and in forest clearings in the south and west between 1600 and 2100 m. It has soft, hairy leaves, and hanging white orpale pink flowers, during and after rains. It is eaten by cattle. H.micranthus is similar to H. aponeurus (VIII. Red plate, 9), with red, white or pink flowers, but the calyx has very small scales around it.There are 61 species of the genus Hibiscus in Ethiopia, of which46 are lowland plants, usually herbs or shrubs.

In tests Malva parviflora (X. Pink to Purple plate, 6) has been shown to be poisonous, but it is regarded by some people as good food for cattle. M . verticillata, sometimes a weed, is widespread: flowers blue, in clusters on the stem, September-January. These plants are close relatives of the cultivated Althaea, Hollyhock. The genus Gossypium, also of the family M alvaceae , includes Tit (Amharic), the Cotton plant, and occurs both in the Old and the New World.

M O RA CEA E

The family M oraceae is composed of trees and shrubs, and rarely herbs (for example, the genus Dorstenio), all w ith succulent stems or tuberous roots. All parts, when cut, give out sap, usually white and milky. The leaves are alternate, rarely opposite; sometimes the very young leaves are covered by a protective leaf-like structure, which usually drops off as the leaf expands, leaving a ring round tho stem at the base of the leaf. The flowers are extremely small, densely crowded into a fleshy inflorescence that often looks like a single flower or fruit. The actual fruits are very small and look like individual seeds inside their fleshy covering. This family is readily distinguished from most others by its sap. usually milky, and the tiny flowers crowded into fleshy inflorescences. It is only likely to be confused w ith some members of the family Euphorb iaceae, which can be distinguished by the fruits being much larger and usually containing 3 or 6 seeds.

Oorstenia barnimiana (II. Green plate, 5) is one of 6 -8 species or sub-species of the genus. D. foetida grows in limestone near Dire Dawa in Hararge province, and near Negelle in Sidamo pro­vince. It has a circular flower receptacle, and its tuber grows above the ground.

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Like Ficus sycomorus (II. Green plate. 9), all species of the genus Ficus have a most unusual inflorescence, a fleshy sphere enclosing many tiny flowers hidden inside the fig. Fig wasps must enter the fig in order to effect pollination. Some Figs start as epiphytes on other trees, and eventually strangle their hosts. The roots of some species grow very long, and may adhere to rocks and other supports, as over the cliffs at the top of the Blue Nile Gorge, or the walls of the Gonder castle enclosures. The fruits of several species are a favourite food of baboons and monkeys, hyrax, many bird species, and man. The milky sap of certain species contains an enzyme that kills intestinal worms in humans. Children dry the sap from the stems to make chewing-gum, and also use it to bind hair and scraps of cloth to make balls.

N Y M PH A E A C E A ETho Nymphaeaceae, the Water-lily family, are herbs with circular leaves

floating on the surface of water, and large flowers which have very many petals. Tho family is unlikely to be mistaken for any other.

The colour of the flower of Nymphaea coerulea (X. Pink to Purple plate, 12) varies from pink through pale purple to the blue indicated in its English and scientific names; coerulea means "sky-blue" or "cerulean" in Latin. The flowers last for 3 days, open­ing at dawn and closing at mid-day. The roots and seeds are edible, and the root has also been used for making a dye and a cure for diabetes. Of the 3 species of Nymphaea found in Ethiopia, N. lotus is perhaps the most common Water-lily or Lotus. Its leaves have toothed edges. The flowers, white, sometimes with pale pink outer petals, rise to the surface of the water and open in the evening, remaining open till the following mid-day. Its edible seed is rich in starch, and has been used as a famine food in parts of the world. These two species and several others are cultivated in gardens throughout the world.

OLEACEAEThe Oleaceae are trees, shrubs or woody climbers. The leaves are opposite

(rarely alternate, as in Jasminum starts), simple or compound. The flowers have their 4, 6 or 8 petals all similar to each other and united to form a tube; they have

only 2 stamens. The fruit is fleshy or dry, containing up to 4 seeds. The distinctive flowers make recognition of this family straightforward. The family is named from the genus Olea. which includes the cultivated Olive Tree from the Mediterranean area, and is represented in Ethiopia by some important forest trees, for example Olea africana. Weyra (Amharic).

In East Africa, Jasminum abyssinicum (III. Green-white plate, 2) may be found as low as 690 m. The end-leaf of its groups of three leaflets is on a long stalk and larger than the other two. The flower scent is stronger in the evening, and attracts moths. The fruits stay on the plant for several weeks. J . f/oribundum, with 5-7 leaflets to each leaf, and a few flowers only on long stalks, June-October, is widespread in drier evergreen bush and Juniper forest on the Plateau, from 1500 to 2250 m. This Jasmine is closely related to the cultivated J. officinale, and is sometimes considered the same species. J. fluminense, with hairy, trifoliolate leaves, grows from 210 to 2000 m„ and is widespread in and around Awash National Park. J. stans (VI. Yellow plate B, 9) is well worth trying to cultivate for its attractive but not scented flowers.

ONAGRACEAE

The family Onagraceae consists of herbs or shrubs. The leaves are simple. The flowers have 4 sepals, rarely more, sometimes united to form a tube. The petals number the same as the sepals and are free from each other, sometimes borne on the calyx tube. The stamens are as many or twice as many as the sepals, all these parts being borne on the tip of tho 4-compartmented ovary. The fru it has many seeds. The number of petals and the position of the ovary, below all the other parts of the flower, serve to separate this family from all others mentioned in this book, except perhaps the Rubiaceae. The Rubiaceae, however, have petals joined to form a tube.

The leaves of EpHobium hirsutum (X. Pink to Purple plate, 7) are licked but not swallowed by shepherd-boys. An extract of this plant is well-known in folk-lore for cleaning infected ulcers, and it has been shown to have a slightly antibiotic action. There are two other species of the genus Epilobium in Ethiopia. E. stereo- phy/lum, with oval leaves, is found in Subafroalpine swamps. E. salignum, found between 1000 and 2800 m., has white or cream flowers, August. The family includes the cultivated Clarkia, Godetia, and Oenothera or Evening Primrose.

O R C H ID A C EA E

The Orchid family consists of herbs either growing in soil, w ith tubers or swollen stems at or below ground level, or found on trees, w ith thick roots g row ­ing in the air or along the surface of the tree stem. The leaves are alternate, lacking any distinct stalk, and w ith the base wrapped round the stem or another leaf; they are often very tough and leathery in the species w hich grow on trees. The flowers are very complex (that is, their different parts are not easily recognis­able), usually white or pale yellow in tree-growing species, very variable in the Ground Orchids. A ll the petals and sepals are attached to the top of the ovary, which in young flowers looks just like a normal flower stalk, but later swells when seeds start developing. There are 3 petals and 3 sepals in all species, at least one of which is very different from the others in form and colour, often having a nectar tube. The fruits contain an immense number of powder-like seeds. Members of the O robanchaceae are sometimos thought to be Ground Orchids, but can be distinguished by their tubular flowers.

An Orchid flower is designed to appeal to one or two types of insect only, and quite a number of species are pollinated by night-flying moths, for example Aerangis rohlfsiana (I. Orchid Family, 10), which gives off its scent in the evening. Nectar for the moth is kept in the long spur, and the pollen is in two sacs joined by a sticky pad. As the moth reaches for the nectar, the sticky pad attaches itself to the insect's head. Pollination takes place when this moth visits another flower. Some other Orchids, more brightly coloured, imitate female insects so well that the males of the imitated insect try to mate with the flowers, and so pollinate them.

The tree-growing or epiphytic Orchids are not parasites They have special roots with a spongy outer covering which collects water and some nourishment from the atmosphere. They get the minerals they need from decaying moss and tree-bark around them. Epiphytic Orchids such as species of the genus Aerangis and Polystachya bennettiana (I. Orchid Family, 3) grow best in wet forests like those of Keffa and lllubabor provinces. They are, however, easier to cultivate than Ground Orchids, and can be grown in Addis Abeba strapped on to mossy logs which are hung in a shady place out-of-doors and sprayed with water daily. Most Ground Orchids native to Ethiopia are difficult to cultivate, but

29

Eulophia rueppellii (I. Orchid Family, 5) grows quite easily and makes a good rockery plant.

The epiphytic Orchid Aerangis rhodosticta is found in the same areas as A. rohlfsiana (I. Orchid Family, 10), but has smaller flowers, 2 cm. wide, white, with a bright orange centre, April-May. October- November.

Like H olo th rix puberu/a (I. Orchid Family, 4), the Ground Orchid H. arachnoidea when flowering retains its basal leaves, which are hairy. It grows on steep, damp, mossy banks in Juniper forest; flowers very small, green, June-October.

Polystachya caduca, an endemic epiphytic Orchid, is found in damper forests than P. bennettiana (I. Orchid Family, 3). It has small, globe-shaped pseudobulbs; flowers white, April-July. White-flowered species of the genus Polystachya are sometimes called the Snowdrop Orchid.

The leaves of the Ground Orchid Satyrium crassicau/e appear on the same stem as the inflorescence, and it has flowers of a lighter pink, April-December, than those of S. sacculatum (I. Orchid Family, 6). Both also have small leaves in the inflorescence.

O R O B A N C H A C EA E

The herbs of the O robanchoceae ore parasitic on the roots of other plants. The stems are fleshy and erect, w ith very small, yellow or brown scale-like loaves. The flowers have the petals united to form a tube. The fruit has a single compartment containing very many small seeds. The distinctive stems of this family, pushing up out of the ground and lacking normal green loaves, are sometimes thought to be Ground Orchids, some of which produce their flowers at a different time from the leaves. The O robanchaceae, however, can bo distinguished by the tubular flowers with the fruits forming inside them, not below.

It is difficult to get rid of Orobanche m inor (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 10) and other similar parasites, as the very small seeds can stay alive in the soil for up to ten years. 0 . ramosa, found below 2000 m. in evergreen bushland, has blue flowers, after rain. The large, yellow-flowered parasite found growing under trees

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throughout the country from sea level to 2000 m. is the related Cistanche tubulosa.

POLYGO NACEAE

The Polygonaceao, herbs or shrubs, sometimes climbing, have their leaves simple and alternate, w ith stipules which form a thin sheath at the base that surrounds the stem. The flowers are individually rather small, but they sometimes form quite large, conspicuous inflorescences, each w ith 3 petals and 3-6 sepals, tho outermost often persisting and becoming attached to the fruit. The fruit, with3 prominent angles or wings (rarely flattened and two-sided), contains one seed. The Polygonaceae are most easily distinguished from other families with small inconspicuous flowers, such as the A m aran thaceae. by the sheath round the stem at the base of each leaf, and the usually three-angled or winged fruit, containing a single seed.

In addition to Polygonum setulosum (V III. Red plate, 1), there are 15 other species of the genus Polygonum listed for Ethiopia. P. amphibium is a floating aquatic plant found in streams, rivers and ponds on the Plateau from 1800 to 2600 m .; flowers pink, August-October. P. pulchrum is a weed with slightly inflated stems enabling it to float if flooding occurs; flowers dark red and white. September-October. P. nepalense is a creeping plant with small heads of white or pink flowers, all year round but more profusely after the rainy season. Cultivated members of the genus are either large plants, for example P. sacha/inense, Sacaline, a tall plant with greenish-white flowers, or climbers, for example P. aubertii, Silver Lace-vine or Russian Vine, from West China and Tibet.

Rumex nervosus (VIII. Red plate, 2) often grows with Aloe plants, forming clumps because of its spreading underground stems. The young shoots, slightly sour, are stripped of their thin bark and eagerly eaten by children. R. ellenbeckii is an attractive endemic shrub of up to 4 m., with many fine branches and leaves, found in the lava flows of the Rift Valley, especially around Mt. Fantal6; flowers January, and fruits March-October. R. abyssinicus, M ekm eko (Amharic), growing in rocky places throughout the Plateau, is a large weed up to 4 m. tall; red-brown flowers all year, but especially September-December. The root is used in dyeing processes, as a herbal medicine and as a substitute for tea.

PRIMU LA CE A E

The herbs that compose the family Primulaceae often have all the leaves coming from ground level. The leaves are simple, often marked w ith small gland dots. The flowers usually have 5 petals, all similar to each other and joined together with a single stamen attached along the centre-line of each petal. The fruit is globe-like (globose), w ith a single compartment containing many seeds attached to a central column. The Primulaceae can be distinguished from herbs of other families by the flowers having their petals joined together, w ith a stamen opposite each peta l; most herbs of other families have tw ice as many stamens as petals or, if they have the same number, the stamens are attached between the petals, not in the centre.

Primula verticillata (V. Yellow plate A, 12) is the only species of Primula found in Tropical Africa. Most species of this genus are found in the Himalaya mountains in the north of the Indian subcontinent; many of these are now in cultivation. It is difficult to cultivate P. verticillata. however, because it seems to need a constant supply of running water for its roots.

PROTEACEAE

Tho trees and shrubs of tho Proteaceae have their leaves alternate, and either simple or so deeply divided as to appear compound. The flowers are ind i­vidually rather small but densely crowded into large, showy inflorescences, each with 4 narrow sepals, at least 3 of which are joined together to form a long tube split down one side, the tips bending back when the flower opens. The fruit is often borne above the base of tho sepals, on a short stalk. The inflorescence, particularly in species of the genus Protea, is likely to be mistaken for that of the C om positae , but can be distinguished from that and other families by the form and arrangement of the 4 sepals.

Protea gaguedi (IV. White to Yellow plate, 3) has many re­latives of the same species in Southern Africa. A tree of the same family, Grevillea robusta. Silk Oak, from Australia, with bunches of rusty-orange flowers, is commonly grown as a shade-tree for Coffee and in Addis Abeba gardens.

RAN UN CU LA C EA EHerbs or woody climbers, the family R anunculaceae has its leaves often

deeply divided or compound, rarely only shallowly lobed. The sepals number from 3 to many and are often petal-like, not much different from the true petals.

The petals also number from 3 to many; sometimes one has a prominent spur; in some species the petals are absent. The stamens are very numerous, arranged spirally. The fruit is made up of 3 or more parts, usually quite separate from each other; each part always has its own style. This family is most likely to be confused w ith herbaceous members of the Rosaceae, but the Rosaceae have slender w iry stems, whereas tho Ranunculaceae usually have soft, fleshy stems that are never woody, w ith the exception of species o f the genus Clematis, which have opposite leaves, a feature never found in the Rosaceae. Other plants w ith many stamens and fruits similar to those of the Ranunculaceae are very clearly woody.

Several species of Clematis occur in Ethiopia from 1000 m upwards. Clematis simensis, growing between 1500 and 3000 m., has smooth leaves and cream-coloured flowers, October-January, smaller than those of C. hirsuta (IV. White to Yellow plate, 10a and 10b). C. grandif/ora, Alaya (Amharic), is a large-stemmed Clematis found around Jimma, on Mt. Zukwala and in the Simien National Park. It has flowers up to 4 cm. long which look like golden- green velvet, September-November. The stems are often used as "rope" in building houses. C. brachiata, found at about 3000 m., has dark green, very soft, hairy leaves; flowers white, September, with a heavy sweet scent.

The flowers of both Delphin ium dasycaulon and D. w e/lbyi (X II. Blue plate, 2 and 3) are used in preparing the blue-black dye with which some Ethiopian women tattoo the skin and gums. The flowers of D. dasycaulon are smaller at lower altitudes. D. w e llby i has the reputation of being the only scented Delphinium; its flowers are sometimes paler or darker than those illustrated. The widely- cultivated D. ajacis. the annual Larkspur, and the tall perennial Delphiniums belong to the same genus.

ROSACEAE

Trees, shrubs or scrambling climbers, less often herbs, members of the family Rosaceae have alternate leaves w ith prominent stipules; the leaves are compound In most Ethiopian species. The sepals, petals and stamens are often borne on a tube which surrounds the pistil or pistils. The sepals number 4 or 5. The petals are usually 5 but are absent in some species. The number of stamens varies from 10 to many. The fruit is made up of several parts, each with its own style, and developing in a wide variety of different ways: sometimes the parts remain quite

31

separate as in the genus Rubus. but in other species the parts are enclosed in a fleshy outer layer, as in the cultivated Apple, Peach and Plum. Many species are cultivated for their tasty fruits, mainly in temperate parts of the world. The family is most easily distinguished by its typical leaves, and by the sepals, petals and stamens being mounted on a raised disc.

Rosa abyssinica (III. Green-white plate, 9) is the only species of Rose indigenous to Africa, and Ethiopia is the natural southern­most limit of the genus in the African continent. Foliage, as well as flowers, often produces a sweet scent. The red flesh of the fruit is eaten by birds and children. The name Tsig6reda (Amharic and Tigrigna, from Ge'ez and Ancient Greek) is used for cultivated Roses, including Rosa richardii, drawings of which have been found in Egyptian tombs and Ancient Ethiopia, and which is still cultivated in monastery and church gardens in Tigre and Eritrea. This is probably the common pink Rose of hedges in Addis Abeba. A scrambling climber, it has shiny stems and leaf stalks bearing a few curved spines. The sweet-scented flowers, all year round, usually hang in groups of 3 or 4 from smooth stalks, with many overlapping pink petals.

In addition to Rubus steudneri (IX. Pink plate, 9 ), other species of the genus Rubus are found in Ethiopia. R. apetalus occurs around Addis Abeba and in the south and west. It has leaves covered in short hairs, no petals on the flowers (as its specific name shows), and less acid fruit, black when ripe, all year round. R. vo/kensii is found above 3000 m. in the Bale mountains and near Harrer. It has erect stems and very hairy leaves, large cream-coloured flowers, September-November, and very tasty, orange-coloured fruit. The genus includes the cultivated Blackberry and Raspberry.

RUBIACEAEThe family Rubiaceae includes herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers. The leaves

are always simple and opposite, or in whorls (as in species of the genus Galium), w ith projections (stipules) at either side of the base of each leaf, usually joining neighbouring leaf bases. The flowers have 4 or 5 petals, rarely more, joined together to form a tube and mounted on the top of the ovary. Tho stamens are very short and attached to tho tube formed by the petals. With practice, the Rubiaceae can be very easily identified by the leaves, which are simple and opposite.

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or in whorls, w ith stipules at their bases. The stipules distinguish the Rubiaceae from families such as the Campanuiaceae. C om positae and Dipsacaceae, which 8lso have their flowers above the ovary and which can closely resemble those members of the Rubiaceae which have very densely crowded inflorescences

Like Galium aparinoides (III. Green-white plate, 7 ), all species of the genus Galium found in Ethiopia have the same habit of growth, occur throughout the country above 1700 m., and are covered with tiny, sticky hooks which catch on to wool, hair and clothing. The flowers, appearing after rain, can be white, yellow, pink or brick red. Most species have dry, spiny fruits, but in the Bale mountains there is a species which produces black berries.

The flowers of Gardenia lutea (V. Yellow plate A, 6) are sweet- scented. They open in the evening and last for only two days. Since they appear before the rains, they occur at different times of year in different areas. In Harrer, the fruit is ground up and used in the treatment of eye-diseases and skin-diseases. Gardenia species are fire-resistant, and recover quickly at the onset of rain. There are two cultivated species, one from China, the other from South Africa.

Most of the other species in the genus Oldenlandia, unlike 0 . monanthos (IX. Pink plate, 7), are shrubs or shrublets; some species are weeds.

Pentanisia ouranogyne (XII. Blue plate, 7) is a small herb, but many other members of the family show marked differences in size. The Rubiaceae include Bunna (Amharic and Galligna). Coffea arabica, Coffee. Coffee is thought to have originated in Keffa or lllubabor province, and it is found growing wild in the forests of south-west Ethiopia. Another commercially important member of the family is Cinchona, from South America, from the bark of which comes the malaria suppressant, quinine.

SAPINDACEAE

Trees, shrubs and climbers, the members of the Sapindaceae have their leaves alternate and most commonly compound; the genus Dodonaea is one of the few exceptions which have simple leaves. The flowers are inconspicuous.

often unisexual. The fruit has 2-4 compartments, each producing 1 or 2 seeds. This family is most likely to be confused with the Anacardiaceaa, which, how ­ever, can best be distinguished by the fleshy fruits containing only a single seed each. Species of Sapindaceao w ith three-compartmented fruits m ight be mis­taken for members of the Euphorbiaceae, but usually differ by having compound leaves and by the ovary having only 1 style, not 3 as in the Euphorbiaceae.

The wood of the centre of the stem of Dodonaea viscosa (II. Green plate, 2) is very hard, and is sometimes used to make carvings and walking-sticks. The twigs can be used as tooth-brushes. The seeds may be eaten by animals, but the leaves, from which a fish- poison is sometimes made, disagree with camels.

SCROPHULARIACEAEThe family S crophulariaceae includes herbs or shrubs, rarely a tree. The

leaves are simple, often opposite or coming straight from the ground; they are sometimes very small and not green (lacking chlorophyll) in certain parasitic species. The petals number 4 or 5. united to form a tube, usually varying in size to form 1 or 2 distinct lips. There are 2 or 4 stamens, rarely 5 (as in the genus Verbascum). The fruit is usually dry. with 2 compartments, each containing many small seeds. A number of other families are likely to be confused w ith this one : B ignoniaceae differ by having compound leaves: A canthaceae, Labiatae and Verbenaceae all have fruits containing only a small number o f seeds; the Loganiaceae have leaves with stipules, and flowers w ith equal-sized petals; O robanchaceae can be distinguished from those members of the S c ro p h u la r i­aceae that are parasitic by the ovary having a single compartment on ly : Solan- aceae have flowers w ith all the petals the same, and always 5 stamens

Plants of the genus Bartsia are believed to be partial parasites on the roots of other plants. Much smaller than Bartsia iongiflora (V. Yellow plate A, 3), and found in marshy areas of the Plateau and Subafroalpine regions, B. petitiana has open pink flowers all year round, especially September-December, like other species in the genus.

In Craterostigma pum ilum (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 8 ), each flower is apparently on its own separate stalk, while in C. pian- tagineum the flower stalks form a common stem. However, in the Rift Valley, plants of both forms, and intermediates between them, can be found flowering next to each other.

Cycniopsis humifusa (V. Yellow plate A, 8) is closely related to Rhamphicarpa (see below).

One species of Hebenstretia, H. comosa, is grown in cultivation and it seems possible that H. dentata (III. Green-white plate, 8) might do well in Addis Abeba.

Rhamphicarpa heuglin ii (III. Green-white plate, 3) is one of 11 species of the genus Rhamphicarpa found in Ethiopia, but so far no species has been recorded north of Shoa province. Like several related genera, it is probably a root parasite on grasses. A field containing Rhamphicarpa looks as if it had been scattered with torn pieces of paper.

Verbascum sinaiticum (V. Yellow plate A, 9) is very similar to the European V. thapsus. Great Mullein, with yellow flowers. The cultivated V. phoeniceum from Southern Europe and Asia has purple, pink or white flowers. The genus Ce/sia, in the same family, has yellow flowers similar to those of Verbascum sinaiticum, but with only 4 stamens, and the plant has few or no hairs. Ce/sia scro- phutarifo lia, found in drier scrub areas of the Plateau and as a weed of red soils, is the most widespread species of Ce/sia in Ethiopia.

Veronica glandulosa (XII. Blue plate, 12) is most common in the same areas as Tree-heather and Tree St. John's Wort. There are two other widespread species of the genus Veronica in Ethiopia. V. abyssinica grows on damp ground in forests. Bamboo thickets and grassland and as a weed from 1600 to 3500 m. The leaves are broad, with rounded teeth on the margin, which has a few long hairs; flowers bright blue, during rains, or at any time of year if the ground is damp enough. V. anagallis-aquatica is a water plant found in streams throughout the Plateau; flowers mauve to blue, March- April, August-October. There are several cultivated species of Veronica, usually small shrubs, with white, blue, purple or pink flowers.

SOLANACEAEThe Solanaceae include herbs, shrubs, small trees or. rarely, climbers. The

leaves are usually alternate. The flowers have 5 petals (rarely 4-7), joined to form

33

a tube, and an equal number of stamens alternating w ith the petals, usually all the same length, so that the flower is radially symmetrical, like a circle or star Tho fruit, often very fleshy, usually has 2 compartments, each containing many small seeds. This family is most likely to be confused w ith the C onvolvulaceae. but the latter has fruit w ith a small number of relatively large seeds; the S crophu- lariaceao include some species with flowers which are also radially symmetrical, but they have 2 or 4 stamens, and the fruits are almost always dry; leaves of tho Loganiaceae have stipules at the base.

A common weed related to So/anum indicum (III. Green- white plate, 1) is S. nigrum. Black Nightshade, which has no spines; it has small white flowers all the year round. It is known as Nec/7 awif, "White aw if" (Amharic), when the fruits are unripe, and /feyee awif, "Red aw if", or TiAur awif, "Black awif", when the rjd or black berries are ripe and edible. The ripe fruit of S. incani.m (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 9), which is extremely hard, causes severe tooth-decay if eaten. There are over 70 different species of So/anum recorded for Ethiopia alone, and in the rest of the world the species are also extremely variable. S. tuberosum, perhaps originally from Peru and Chile, is the Potato, Dinich (Amharic). Also in the family Solanaceae are Lycopcrsicum esculentum, Teemateem (Amharic from Amerindian), the Tomato, again from South America, and Capsicum frutescens, Chili Popper; in Amharic its green, red-green and red forms are known respectively as /farya, Gwamiya and Berber^.

STERCULIAOEAE

The S te rcu liaceae, composed of herbs, trees or shrubs, resemble the M a l­vaceae in most features, bu. the stamens of S te rcu liaceae have 2 pollen sacs at tho tip. and are often fewer in number and joined only at the base; only rarely do they form a narrow column in the centre of the flower. The T iliaceae also resemble the M alvaceae, but the flowers have the stamens completely free from each other

There are about 9 known species of the genus Dombeya (X. Pink to Purple plate, 10) in Ethiopia, and possibly more exist. The most widespread is Dombeya schimperana, a tree up to 10 m. tall occurring between 2200 and 3000 m .; leaves large and hairy.

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flowers pink and whi.'e, September-November. D. goetzenii. a large tree up to 20 m. tali, is found in forests of the south and west between 2000 and 3000 m It has red-veined leaves covered with soft hairs; flowers conspicuous, w hre or pale pink with a bright orange patch in the centre. October- Dece'viDer. Its brownish wood cuis well and can be used for making furniture, but it rots easily if put in the ground.

TH YM ELA EA C EA E

The Thym elaeaceae include herbs, shrubs and trees. Tho leaves are simple w ith smooth sdges. The flowers have 4 or 5 sepals, united to form a tube which is colourful and petal-like, while the petals are very small and inconspicuous, attached to the top of the sepal tube. The stamens usually number tw ice as many as the sepals, and are attached to them. The fruit is usually enclosed in the persistent calyx tube, and contains a single seed. Because tho flowers are often crowded in to heads, the family can be mistaken for tho Proteaceae or even C om positae. but once observed, the very small petals at the top of the sepal tube are quite distinctive.

The majority of species of the genus Gnidia are small, narrow­leaved shrubs or woody herbs, growing at lower altitudes than Gnidia gtauca (VI. Yellow plate B, 5 ). G. lamprantha, found in southern Ethiopia above 1800 m., grows up to 1.5 m. tall, with hairy leaves and orange flowers, November. G. chrysantha, found at about 2000 m. south and west of Addis Abeba, has bright yellow flowers, April-June. It is used as a purgative, and may be poisonous to animals.

TILIACEAE

The herbs, shrubs and trees of the T iliaceae resemble in many features those of the M alvaceae and S tercu liaceae, but are distinguished by having the flower stamens separate from oach other.

The petals of Grewia ferruginea (III. Green-white plate, 10), like those of many other species of the genus Grewia, are thick, tough and dry to the touch. There are about twenty species of Grewia in Ethiopia, of which many are found as trees or shrubs

in riverine forests and Acacia scrub below 1700 m. Some have yellow flowers, some have edible fruits, used as a famine food. G. villosa, whose round leaves have very noticeable raised veins on the under­surface, has flowers with yellow petals marked by reddish-brown veins, and particularly delicious fruits.

Sparmannia ricinocarpa (IX. Pink plate, 8) has spiny fruits which resemble the fruits of Ricinus communis (of the family Euphorbiaceae), Gulo (Amharic and Galligna), Castor Oil Tree, as its species name shows.

UM BELLIFERAE

Herbs or. rarely, trees or shrubs, the family U m be llife rae has its leaves alternate, usually deeply divided or compound, w ith the stalk expanded at the bass to clasp part of the way round the stem. The flowers are individually small and inconspicuous, but their small stalks rise in clusters from one point, forming a characteristic umbrella-like inflorescence (umbel) or even umbels of umbels, giving the family its name; umbella in Latin means "parasol" or "um brella". Rarely, the flowers lack stalks and are crowded into heads. The fruit, which is often marked with grooves and/or ridges running from top to bottom, breaks into 2 separate parts, each with a single seed. Except for those few species in which the flowers are gathered into heads and superficially resemble those of the C om positae. there is little danger of mistaking this family for any other. In cases of doubt, the leaves and fruit are characteristic.

Many members of the U m b ellife rae are poisonous, and Oenanthe palustris (II. Green plate, 4) is particularly dangerous to cattle because it grows near water, and the animals look for grazing near water in the dry season; it can, however, be controlled by cutting. It gives off a strong, acrid smell when crushed. The Hemlock (probably Conium macu/atum) given to Socrates to drink in 399 B.C. belongs to this family. Many members are, however, used as spices, for example Coriandrum sativum, Dimbellal (Amharic), Coriander, and as vegetables, for example Apium graveo/ens, Celery.

VERBENACEAE

Tho shrubs and trees, less often herbs, of the Verbenaceae resemble in most features the Labiatae. and can only definitely be distinguished by the

ovary being, at the most, shallowly lobed or not lobed at all, w ith the style rising from the top o f the ovary. In contrast, the Labiatae have the ovary so deeply lobed that the style arises from the base. Most species of the Verbenaceae are, moreover, much bigger than most members of the Labiatae and often have fleshy fruits, which the Labiatae do not have.

The flowers of Clerodendrum myricoides (XII. Blue plate, 5) are well-designed for pollination, for when a bee lands on the dark lower petal, the stamens and stigma bend over and touch its back. The leaves and stem have a distinctive smell when crushed. In Sidamo province, the roots are boiled to make a drink used as an antidote to poison. Several other less widespread species of Clerodendrum are found in bushland on the western edge of the Plateau. Lantana shrubs and Verbena, with its flowers of pink, red, mauve, purple or white, both belong to this family, and can be seen in cultivation in many Addis Abeba gardens.

VITACEAEThe V itaceae consist of climbers or trailers, rarely self-supporting, usually

w ith tendrils that arise on tho opposite s'de of the stem from a leaf (not imme­diately above a leaf, as in the C ucurb itaceae). The leaves may be simple or compound, always alternate, often w ith gland dots which are bright when viewed against the light. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, borne on densely- branched inflorescences which are often flat-topped and which, like the tendrils, arise on the side of the stem opposite to a leaf. The fruit is fleshy, w ith up to4 seeds. Other families such as the C ucurb itaceae and the Sapindaceae which have members w ith tendrils have the inflorescence at the tip of the stem, or arising immediately above a leaf.

Cissus quadrangularis (II. Green plate, 7) is encouraged by overgrazing. There are many species of the genus Cissus in Ethiopia and elsewhere, mostly climbers and mostly succulent, some with swollen stems, some tuberous. In Tigre province, one species with swollen underground stems is used to feed cattle in the dry season. The berries of Cissus species are eaten by hornbills. The Grape-vine, Vitis vinifera (YeWeyn tekil in Amharic), and its many cultivated varieties, whose fruits have been used to make wine for centuries, belong to the family V itaceae.

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USEFUL W O R K S OF REFERENCE

Agnew, A.D.Q. 1974. Upland Kenya W ild Flowers. Oxford University Press, London. England.

Andrews, F.M. 1950-56. The F lowering Plants o f the A nglo- Egyptian Sudan (3 vols). T. Buncle and Co.. Ltd., Arbroath, Scotland.

Bailey, L.H. 1964. M anual o f C ultivated Plants (revised edition). Macmillan Co., New York, U.S.A.

Breitenbach, F. von. 1963. The Indigenous Trees o f Ethiopia (second edition). Ethiopian Forestry Association. Addis Ababa. Ethiopia.

Burger, W.C. 1967. Families o f F low ering Plants in Ethiopia. Oklahoma State University Press, Oklahoma. U.S.A.

Cufodontis, G. 1953-73. Enumeratio Plantarum Aethiopiae Spermatophyta. Bulletin du Jard in Botanique N ational de Belgique, Supplement 24-44. Bruxelles, Belgium.

Dale, I.R., and Greenway, P.J. 1961. Kenya Trees and Shrubs. Buchanan's Kenya Estates Limited, Nairobi. Kenya, in association with Hatchards, London, England.

Exell. A.W., Fernandes, A., and Wild, H. (editors). 1963-66. Flora Zambesiaca: Mozambique, M alaw i, Zambia, Rhodesia (and) Bechuanaland Protectorate. Crown Agents for the Colonies. London, England.

Ivens, G.W. 1967. East African Weeds and their Control. Oxford University Press, Nairobi, Kenya.

Lind, E.M., and Tallentire, A C. 1962. Some Common Flowering Plants o f Uganda. Oxford University Press, London, England.

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Morton, J.K. 1968. West African Lilies and Orchids. Longmans, London, England.

Oliver, D., and Thiselton-Dyer. W.T. (editors). 1868-1902. Flora o f Tropical Africa. L. Reeve and Co., London, England.

Piers. F. 1968 Orchids o f East Africa. J. Cramer, Lehre. Germany.

Turrill, W.B., Milne-Redhead, E., and Polhill, R.M. (editors). 1952. Flora o f Tropical East Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, England

Watt, J .M ., and Breyer-Brandwijk, M. G. 1962. The M edicina l and Poisonous Plants o f Southern and Eastern Africa (second edition). Edinburgh, Scotland, and Livingstone, Zambia.

Willis, J.C. 1960. A D ictionary o f the Flowering Plants and Ferns (sixth edition); (also seventh edition, 1966, revised by H.K Airy Shaw). Cambridge University Press, London, England,

ETHIO PIAN PLANT N A M E S : SOURCES

Amare Getahun. June 1960. A Dictionary o f Ethiopian Plant Names. College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts. The University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Conforti, E. 1941. "Impressioni agrarie su alcuni itinerari dell' altopiano etiopico", Relazioni e monografie Agrario-Coloniali. XIX, No. 65. Regio Istituto Agronomito per I'Africa Italiana. Firenze, Italy.

Mooney, H.F. 1963. A Glossary o f Ethiopian Plant Names. Dublin University Press, Dublin, Eire.

Siegenthaler, I.E. (no date). Useful Plants o f Ethiopia. Col­lege of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts. Jima Experiment

Station, Experiment Station Bulletin No. 14, Vol. I. An Oklahoma State University — USAID Contract Publication, c/o American Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Tay6, AleAra. 1958 E.C. M etsihaf Sewasiw. II Poligrafico P.L. Co., Printers, Asmera, Ethiopia.

Unpublished Records: Authors

Gelahun Abate, Faculty of Science, The University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, B.Sc., Ph.D., Faculty of Science, The University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Wolde Michael Kelecha, B.Sc., Ministry of Agriculture, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

G L O S S A R Y

illustrated by SE and JW A

A fro a lp in e (adjective) used here to describe the vegetation on Ethiopian mountains above the forests of Tree-heather (Asta, in Amharic)

a lte rn a te (adjective) with reference to leaves, see under leaf, types o f; with reference to stamens, see under f lo w e r, parts of

annual (noun and adjective) a plant which grows, flowers, fruits and dies within one year; for other meanings, see dictionary

an ther (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f

au th ority (noun) the name of the person who first described a species; for other meanings, see dictionary

bark (noun) the outer layer of a woody stem; for other meanings, see dictionary

basal (adjective) coming from the bottom (base) of any part of a plant

berry (noun) see under fru it , types of

binom ial (noun and adjective) see under c lassification

bip innate (adjective) see under leaf, types of

blade (noun) see under leaf, parts o f and leaf-b lade , shapes o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

bract (noun) see under leaf, types o f

bud (noun) the growing part of a plant, developing into a flower, leaf or stem

bulb (noun) see under stem , m o d ifica tion s o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

bushland (noun) an uncultivated area growing grass, shrubs and some small trees, in which the most noticeable plants are shrubs

calyx (noun) see under flo w e r, parts of

capsule (noun) see under fru it, types o f; for other meanings see dictionary

37

classification (noun)

Classification is the grouping together of things which are similar. In plant classification, the basic unit is the species (plural noun species, adjective specific ). In individual plants which belong to the same species, all parts look alike, in form if not in size or colour. A group of similar species which have many but not all of their parts looking alike is called a genus (plural noun genera, adjective generic).

In the scientific name of a plant, e.g. Acacia abyssinica, the first word, which begins with a capital letter, is the name of the genus. The second word, which now always begins with a small letter, is the name of the species in that particular genus. The two names together, called the b inom ial, give the full name of an individual species, and are usually printed in italics. After its first mention, the generic name is often shortened to its initial letter, so that Acacia abyssinica in this paragraph can be written here as A. abyssinica. In scientific works, the binomial is followed by the name of the au th ority who first described the species.

The majority of plants in this book have been given their binomial, but sometimes it is difficult to find clear-cut differences between separate species contained in a genus. In this case, only the name of the genus has been given, e.g. Bidens species, Mes/rel Daisy (IV. White to Yellow plate, 5).

A group of similar genera are classed as a fam ily , in which every plant has some parts similar to those of most of the other plants in that family. The family name is spelled with a capital letter, but is not shown in italics; for emphasis, however, family names have been printed in bold type in this book, e.g. O rchi- daceae, the Orchid family. Descriptions of families mentioned in the book are given in General Information, pp. 13-35. A large family such as the Leguminosae may be separated into divi­sions, each called a sub-fam ily .

38

c lim b er (noun) a plant which raises itself off the ground by twining round or holding on to other plants and objects, using its tendrils or other means, e.g. Cissus quadrangularis (II. Green plate, 7 a ,b ); for other meanings, see dictionary

com plex (adjective) with different parts difficult to distinguish; for other meanings, see dictionary

com pound (adjective) with reference to flowers, see under in­florescence, types o f; with reference to leaves, see under leaf, types o f

corm (noun) see under stem , m o d ifica tions of

corolla (noun) see under f lo w e r, parts o f

cu ltiva ted (verb-adjective) grown by man; for other meanings, see dictionary

cu ltiva tion (noun)

deciduous (adjective) (i) losing all of its leaves for part of the year, as with the tree Erythrina brucei (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 8 ); (ii) used to describe the part of a plant which falls off, for example the leaves of E. brucei

divided (verb-adjective) with reference to leaves, see under leaf, types o f and lea f-b lad e , shapes of

dorsal (adjective) placed or found at the back

endem ic (adjective and noun) found naturally only in a particular area; in this book, found growing naturally only in Ethiopia; for other meanings, see dictionary

en tire (adjective) with reference to leaves, see under leaf-b lade, shapes o f

ep iphyte (noun) a plant which grows on another plant without taking any food out of it

ep iphytic (adjective)

evo lution (noun) the development of a living thing (organism) from an earlier form

fam ily (noun) see under c lass ifica tio n ; for other meanings, see dictionary

fila m e n t (noun) see under f lo w e r , parts o f ; for other meanings, see dictionary

flo ra (collective noun) (i) all the plants of a region or a period; (ii) a scientific list of the plants of a particular area, arranged in families, genera and species, together with enough information to allow identification of each species

flo w e r (noun) the reproductive part of a flowering plant; for details, see flo w e r, parts o f

flo w e r, parts of

The parts of a flower are arranged more or less in circles or whorls, one set of parts around the next set. All parts are attached to the receptacle (see illustration b). In a complete flower, sepals, petals, stamens and pistil are found; the pistil usually consists of ovary, style and stigma.

The outermost circle of a flower is the calyx (see illustration c), which sometimes forms a tube. Each part of the calyx, usually green, is called a sepal (a, b, c). The calyx protects the flower when it is a bud.

1

GLOSSARY ILLUSTRATIONS a, b

• p is t i l

stig m a

s ty le

39

Inside the calyx of most flowers is the corolla ("little crown" in Latin), which is made up of petals (see illustration a). A petal (a, b) is usually colourful, and attracts insects and birds for pollination. Certain parts of the flower may make nectar, a sugary liquid which bees turn into honey and which is food for many other insects and some birds, e.g. sunbirds. The nectar of some flowers is in a special pouch or pocket of the corolla or the calyx, called a spur, as in, for example, Delphinium dasycaulon and D. w e llby i (XII. Blue plate, 2 and 3 ). The corolla of many insect-pollinated flowers is shaped and coloured in such a way as to make sure that the insects land in the right place. The corolla may have lips, which are 2 rounded protrusions, one at the bottom and the other at the top of the corolla tube, as in Acanthus sennii (VIII. Red plate, 6). In the O rchidaceae, the lip is the lower front petal. In some species, the top or back petal makes a pocket­like projection which curves over the rest of the flower; this is a hood, as in Satyrium sacculatum (I. Orchid Family, 6).

The next circle is made up of the male parts of the flower, the stamens. A stam en (see illustration b) usually has a thin stalk, the filam en t (a, b), which has a swollen head, the an th er (a, b). The anther produces pollen, which is often like a fine powder, usually yellow but sometimes another colour. The stamens can be many and arranged in a w h o rl (as in a, b), or they may be few. In a flower with a lte rn a te stamens, each stamen is positioned between two petals or two sepals; in a flower with opposite stamens, each stamen is found in front of a petal or a sepal.

In the centre are the female parts of the flower, which can be made up of one or more pistils. The pistil (see illustration b) usually consists of ovary, style and stigma. The ovary (a, b), the future seed-box, is a swelling which contains an ovule or ovules ("little eggs" in Latin), the future seeds (b, c). This swelling has a sticky surface, the stigm a (a, b), which is often on a stalk, the style (a, b). There are often several stigmas and/or styles to the ovary.

When pollen is transferred by the wind, insects or birds, it is caught on the sticky stigma. A pollen-tube grows out of the pollen

40

on the stigma through the style to the ovules inside the ovary. A fertilized ovule becomes a seed, and the ovary, sometimes with other parts of the flower, becomes the fru it. The fruit contains the seed or seeds.

A unisexual flower has only one kind of functional sexual part: a male flower does not produce ovules, though it may have a non-functional pistil, and a female flower does not produce pollen, though it may have a non-functional anther. In some species male and female flowers occur on the same plant, for example Dodonaea viscosa (II. Green plate, 2 ), the illustration of which shows the female flower and the male flower. In other species, for example Hagenia abyssinica, Kosso (Amharic), male flowers occur on one tree and female flowers on another.

fo liage (noun) ail the leaves, regarded as a mass, of a plant or plants

fru it (noun) see f lo w e r , parts o f

fru it , types o f

There are many names for different types of fruit, but only a few are used in this book. Capsule (see illustration c), pod and seed-pod are names commonly used for any type of dry fruit containing several seeds; the dry fruit breaks open to release the seeds. The type of pod found in the Pea family, Legum inosae, is called a legum e. A berry is a fruit with the seed or seeds sur­rounded by a fleshy covering.

genus (singular noun), genera (plural noun) see under classification

generic (adjective)

germ inate , to (verb) to produce a new plant from a seed: when a seed is seen to have produced a new plant, it is said to have germinated

GLOSSARY ILLUSTRATION c

gland (noun) a structure which gives out a substance such as oil, and which is found in or on the surface of a leaf, petal or stem, etc.; for other meanings, see dictionary. Gland dots are small glands which may appear as lighter spots when the leaf or other part of the plant is looked at against the sun, for example in the edges of the leaves, petals and sepals of Hypericum pep lid ifo /ium (V. Yellow plate A, 7)

head (noun) see under inflorescence, types o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

herb (noun) a plant whose stem does not grow much thicker after the first year's growth; it lasts often for one year only and then dies. For other meanings, see dictionary,

herbaceous (adjective)

hood (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

host (noun) a living plant giving nourishment to a parasite; for other meanings, see dictionary

indigenous (adjective) originating or produced naturally in a particular area, not having been introduced from some other country or region

inflorescence (noun) the whole flowering part of a plant, including stem, peduncle or stalk, and bracts, as well as the flower

inflorescence, types of

A sim ple inflorescence (see illustration d) has only one flower on its stalk, as in Merendera abyssinica (X. Pink to Purple plate, 8). The stalk of an inflorescence is called a peduncle. A com pound inflorescence has two or more flowers on its peduncle; if these flowers have individual flower stalks attaching them to the peduncle, the individual flower stalk is called a pedicel.

A head (see illustration d) is a group of flowers without pedicels, closely grouped together and so looking like a single flower, as in Bidens sp., MesXrel Daisy (IV. White to Yellow plate, 5), or looking like a ball, as in Echinops hispidus (XII. Blue plate, 1).

In a racem e (see illustration d), each flower has a pedicel, and the flowers are arranged along an unbranched common stem, as in Eulophia rueppeliii (I. Orchid Family, 5). A spike (d) is similar to a raceme, but the flowers are without pedicels, as in Arisaema enneaphyilum (II. Green plate, 6, black-and-white illustra­tion, showing the flowers attached closely to the stem within the sheath); but note that the term "spike" is commonly used incorrectly for a raceme. In an umbel (d), the pedicels rise from one point

41

on the peduncle, and the individual flowers carried on the pedicels are usually on the same horizontal level; see Oenanthe pa/ustris (II. Green plate, 4) and Haemanthus multif/orus (VIII. Red plate, 8)

in te rp e tio la r (adjective) between the petioles (leaf stalks) of opposite leaves. Interpetiolar stipules may be found between the leaf stalks of some plants with opposite leaves, and when these stipules are so short that they form a line between the leaf stalks across the stem, the line is called an interpetiolar line, as in Gardenia lutea (V. Yellow plate A, 6).

le a f (noun) part of a plant, usually consisting of a green flattened blade and a petiole or stalk

leaf, parts o f

A typical leaf has a thin, flattened lea f-b lad e (see illustration e), which is attached to the stem of a plant by a lea f stalk or petio le (e, f and g). The leaf-blade has one or more thicker lines in it, called veins. A vein (e and f) carries various substances in and out of the leaf, and helps to hold the leaf-blade open. At the base of the leaf stalk of some leaves, a pair of small, flattened projections may be found, often leaf-like or scale-like; these are called stipules (f).

leaf, types o f

A sim ple leaf (see illustration e) has only one leaf-blade and only one leaf stalk. If the continuous edge of its leaf-blade is deeply indented, it is called a divided leaf. See also leaf-b lade, shapes of.

A com pound leaf has its leaf-blade completely separated into smaller leaves, called leafle ts (see illustrations f and g). When there are only three leaflets attached to the same point, the leaf is called tr ifo lio la te , for example the leaf of Rhus natalensis (II. Green plate, 3 ). A palm ate leaf has several leaflets attached

42

GLOSSARY ILLUSTRATION d

compound inflorescences

0

simpleinflorescence

tH,»>

head • flat

-v single ¥ flower

tt

head - round

% — pedicel

■ peduncie

spike raceme umbel

to a point at the top of the leaf stalk, as in Arisaema enneaphyllum (II. Green plate, 6a). In a pinnate leaf (f), the leaflets are arranged along two sides of the leaf stalk, as in M ille ttia ferruginea (XI. Purple to Blue plate, 5). In a bipinnate (“twice pinnate") leaf (g), each leaflet is itself pinnate.

A bract is a leaf, usually small, found beside or close beneath a flower; it may be green and leaf-like, or colourful as in the cultivated Bougainvillea and Poinsettia, or scale-like, or brown and papery like the large bracts in Crinum ornatum (IX. Pink plate, 3).

In arrangement, leaves may be a lte rn a te (see illustration h), joined singly to the stem of the plant at different levels, not in pairs; or the leaves may be opposite, growing in pairs on a stem, each leaf separated from the other by half the circumference of the stem, as in Hypericum pep/id ifo/ium (V. Yellow plate A, 7).

lea f-b lad e , shapes o f

There are many botanical terms which describe the shapes of leaf-blades, but only four have been used in this book. An en tire leaf (see illustration e) is a simple leaf with an even and continuous edge, without teeth or lobes. A divided leaf has its edge deeply indented, as found in Echinops hispidus (XII. Blue plate, 1), but it is still a simple leaf, with only one leaf stalk. A lobed leaf is a divided leaf with rounded, often shallow indentations along the edge, as in Delphin ium wellbyi (X II. Blue plate, 3). A too thed leaf has an edge with sharply-pointed projections, as in Clematis hirsute (IV. White to Yellow plate, 10b).

le a fle t (noun) see under leaf, types o f

legum e (noun) see under fru it, types o f ; also commonly used as a name for plants belonging to the family Legumi- nosae, such as Peas and Beans

legum inous (adjective)

GLOSSARY ILLUSTRATIONS e, f, g. h

*t>!m

43

:ca t'e :s

leaf stalk

pinnate leaf

nnouto leaf stalk (petioU)

J

lip (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

lobe (noun) a curved or rounded projection or division (see glossary illustration c, for calyx lobe); with reference to leaves, see under lea f-b lad e , shapes o f

lobed (verb-adjective)

native (adjective and noun) occurring naturally in an area, but not necessarily endemic; for other meanings, see dictionary

n ectar (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f

opposite (adjective) with reference to leaves, see under leaf, types o f; with reference to stamens, see under flo w e r, parts o f

ovary (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f

ovule (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f

palm ate (adjective) see under leaf, types o f

parasite (noun) a plant which lives on or inside another plant from which it takes its food, for example Orobanche m inor (VII. Orange to Brown plate. 1 0 ); for other meanings, see dictionary

parasitic (adjective)

pedicel (noun) see under in florescence, types o f

peduncle (noun) see under in florescence, types of

perennial (noun and adjective) a plant which continues to grow for^three or more years; for other meanings, see dictionary

44

petal (noun) see under flo w e r, parts of

petio le (noun) see under leaf, parts of

pinnate (adjective) see under lea f, types o f

pistil (noun) see under flo w e r, parts of

pod (noun) see under fru it, types o f

pollen (noun) see under f lo w e r, parts o f

pollinate, to (verb) to take pollen from the anther in the male part of a flower to the stigma on the female part of that flower or another flower

pollination (noun)

pseudobulb (noun) see under stem , m o d ifications of

racem e (noun) see under inflorescence, types o f

receptacle (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f ; for other meanings, see dictionary

resin (noun) a substance produced by a plant; it does not dissolve in water and is often sticky and sweet-smelling

resinous (adjective)

rhizom e (noun) see under stem , m odifications o f

ripe (adjective) mature, fully developed, ready to germinate or to be gathered

root (noun) a part of a plant which is usually underground, holding the plant firmly in the soil and absorbing water and minerals; in epiphytes, the roots hold the plant on to the sup­porting plant; see also ta p -ro o t. For other meanings, see dictionary.

rootstock (noun) a living, basal, woody part left in some plants when the non-woody or herbaceous parts die down after each growing season

sac (noun) a pouch or purse-like projection

sap (noun) the juice of a plant; for other meanings, see dictionary

scale (noun) a small, leaf-like projection, usually dry and papery and without a stalk; for other meanings, see dictionary

scram bler (noun) a plant that grows upwards and/or sideways by supporting itself on other plants and objects, but without special means of holding on to them other than, in some cases, thorns, for example Rosa abyssinica (III. Green-white plate. 9) ; for other meanings, see dictionary

scrub (noun) a type of vegetation in which the most obvious plants are low-growing and woody; for other meanings, see dictionary

seed (noun) a very young plant (embryo) developed from an ovule, together with its food and protecting parts

seed-pod (noun) see under fru it, types of

sepal (noun) see under flow er, parts of

sheath (noun) a tube-like structure enclosing part of a plant,as the lower part of a leaf of grass wraps the stem, or like the papery bract wrapping the base of the inflorescence of Crinum ornatum (IX. Pink plate, 3), which completely covers theinflorescence before it opens; for other meanings, see dictionary

shrub (noun) a low-growing, woody plant which branchesfrom the base

shrublet (noun) a very small shrub, usually less than 50 cm. tall

sim ple (adjective) with reference to flowers, see under in f lo ­rescence, types o f; with reference to leaves, see under leaf, types o f. For other meanings, see dictionary.

species (singular and plural noun) see under c lassification specific (adjective)

sp. species (singular), contracted form spp. species (plural), contracted form

spike (noun) see under in florescence, types o f, but the word is commonly used incorrectly for raceme; for other meanings, see dictionary

spine (noun) a sharp-pointed, needle-like projection, usually woody, from any part of a plant; for other meanings, see dictionary

spiny (adjective)

spur (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

stalk (noun) a common name for any part of a plant which is thin and which holds leaves or flowers; it can refer to the stem itself when the stem is very thin. For other meanings, see dictionary.

stam en (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f

stem (noun) the part of a plant which usually grows above the ground and which supports the leaves and flowers

stem , m odifications o fSome perennial plants have underground stems of different

types, which are used to store food from one growing season to

45

the next. A bulb is a very short stem with closely-packed, swollen, fleshy leaves, for example the edible Onion. A corm resembles a bulb, but is not composed of fleshy leaves; it has a solid, fleshy centre and is covered with papery or fibrous leaves, as in Gladiolus. A rh izom e is a swollen stem which grows horizontally, usually underground, and gives rise to leafy stems which grow erect above the ground, as in the cultivated Iris. A tu b e r is an irregularly-shaped swollen stem with one or more buds on its surface, for example the edible Potato. A pseudobulb is the bulb-like swollen part found at the base of the stem in some Orchids, for example Eulophia rucppe/lii (I. Orchid Family, 5).

stigm a (noun) see under flo w e r, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

stipule (noun) see under leaf, parts o f

style (noun) see under f lo w e r, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

Subafroa lp ine (adjective) used to describe the vegetation just below the Afroalpine vegetation; the most conspicuous plant in Subafroalpine areas in Ethiopia is the Tree-heather, Asta (Amharic). For further details, see Introduction.

su b-fam ily (noun) see under c lassification

succulent (adjective and noun) fleshy or containing much water; a plant with fleshy and juicy stems or leaves

ta p -ro o t (noun) a long, tapering root growing directly down­wards from the main stem; the edible part of the Carrot is a tap-root used for storing the plant's food

ten d ril (noun) a thin projection from a stem or a leaf which twists round any support and is used by climbers to hold on to other plants and objects, as in G/oriosa superba (VII. Orange to Brown plate, 4)

46

thorn (noun) a pointed, woody projection from any part of a plant

thorny (adjective)

th o rn -scru b (noun) scrub made up mainly of thorny bushes, many of which in Ethiopia are likely to be species of Acacia

to o th (noun) see under lea f-b lad e , shapes o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

too thed (verb-adjective)

tra ile r (noun) a plant which grows with the stem lying on the ground, for example Cucumis fic ifo /ius (IV. White to Yellow plate, 7 ); for other meanings, see dictionary

tr ifo lio la te (adjective) see under leaf, types o f

tu b er (noun) see under stem , m odifications o ftuberous (adjective)

umbel (noun) see under inflorescence, types o f

unisexual (adjective) see under f lo w e r , parts of

veg eta tion (noun) the total group of all plants found in a certain area; a plant community or communities

vein (noun) see under leaf, parts o f; for other meanings, see dictionary

vine (noun) any climbing or trailing herb with tendrils

w eed (noun) a plant growing in an area where man does not want it to grow; for other meanings, see dictionary

w horl (noun) a ring of three or more flowers or leaves, etc., at­tached at the same level around the stem, like the leaves of Galium aparinoides (III. Green-white plate, 7)

w h orled (verb-adjective)

I N D E X

SC IEN TIF IC N A M ES

A N D

A PP R O X IM A TE ENGLISH N AM ES

Scientific Names. In this Index, the name of each botanical family mentioned

in the text has been printed in bold type, e.g. A canthaceae. The name of each

genus and species mentioned is given in italics, with the species printed below

and a little to the right of the genus. Where the scientific name of a genus is the

same as the name commonly used in English, e.g. Primula, the English name

is not repeated.

English Names (approximate). Note that the majority of Ethiopian plants

do not have English names. The English names given here are only approximate,

to help identification of a plant for an English-speaker who is familiar with a

similar species by its English name. For example, the name Lady's Bedstraw is

applicable to the European species Galium verum, but Galium aparinoides, found

in Ethiopia, resembles it. Mother-in-law's Tongue is a popular name for the

house-plant Sansevieria trifasciata, originally from tropical West or South Africa,

rather than for Sansevieria guineensis, but they are easily recognisable as be­

longing to the same genus.

Plate numbers are given in Roman figures, with the number of the plant as shown

on the Plate given in brackets. For example, Abutilon mauritianum. the fifth

illustration on Plate VII, appears in the Index as V II(5).

I N D E X

Aaron's Rod V (9 )AbutHon VII (5 ), 27. 47

/ongicuspe 27 mauritianum VII (5), 27, 47

Acacia vi, viii, 1 ,3 , 4, IV(2a, b), 7, 8, 14, 18, 19, 24, 27. 35. 38, 46 abyssinica 24, 38 atbida 24 negrii 24 nilotica 24 nubica 24 seyai 24tortilis IV (2a, b), 24

Acanthaceae I I I (6), V III(6 ). X I(11).X II(4, 9), 13, 23, 33, 47

Acanthus V II I(6), 13, 40 arboreus 13 eminens 13 sennii V II I(6), 13, 40

Achyranthes VIII (7), 14 aspera V III(7 ), 14

Acokanthera 15 schim peri 15

Adhatoda III (6), 13schimperana 111(6), 13

Aerangis 1 (10), 29, 30 rhodosticta 30 rohlfsiana 1 (10), 29. 30

Aerva 14persica 14

African Knapweed X (3 )African Michaelmas Daisy XI (4), 17 A gavaceae 111(11), 13, 26

47

Agave 13, 26 americana 26 sisalana 13

Alchem illa vii Alfalfa 25Aloe iii, viii. 13, 26, 30. 56

berhana iii, 26 Althaea 28A m aranthaceae VII I (7), 13-14, 30 Amaranth us 14

caudatus 14 Am aryl/zdaceae V III(8), IX (3), 14, 22 ,26 A m aryllis 14 American Aloe 26 A nacard iaceae ll(3 ). 14, 33 A pium 35

graveolens 35 A pocynaceae X (4 ), 14-15 Apple 32Apple-ring Acacia 24 Araceae II (6 ), 15 Arisaema ll(6a ,b), 15, 41, 43

enneaphyllum 11 (6a, b), 15, 41, 43 schimperanum 15

Artichoke, Globe 17 Arundinaria vii, 11(1), 22

a/pina vii, 11(1), 22 Arundo 22

donax 22Asclepiadaceae V II(3,9), X l(6),14,15,16 Asparagus IV (9), 26

africanus IV (9 ), 26 asparagoides 26 offic inalis 26 plum osus 26

Asparagus-fern 26

Aster 17novi-be lg ii 17

Aster, New York XI (4) Astragalus XII (10), 25

atropilosulus XII (10), 25 Athrix ia XI (4 ), 17

rosmarinifolia XI (4), 17

Broomrape VII (10)Bryophyflum 20

p innatum 20 tubifJorum 20

Buddleia (Buddleja) V II(2). 26-27 polystachya V I I (2), 26

Buddleiaceae 26

Balsam X(1)Balsam inaceae X (1 ), 15-16 Bamboo vii, 11(1), 5, 22, 25. 33 Barleria 13 Barley 22Bartsia vii, V (3 ), 33

longiflora vii, V (3 ), 33 petitiana 33

Bean 43Becium IX (4), 23

filamentosum IX (4), 23 Bells of Ireland 23 Bidens IV (5), 17, 18, 38. 41

biternata 17 macrantha 17

Bignoniaceae IX (2), 16, 33 Bindweed XI (3)Bird's-foot Trefoil V (5) Blackberry 32 Blepharis XII (4), 13

ciliaris XII (4), 13 Blood Lily V II I(8)Bluebell, Scotch 16 Boraginaceae 23 Bougainvillea 43 Bowstring Hemp 111(11) Bramble IX (9)

Cactaceae 21 Cactus 1 5, 21 Caesalpinia 24

decapetala 24 C aesalpiniaceae 24 C aesalp in io ideae IV (4), V I(1), 24 Calotropis XI (6), 15

procera XI (6), 15 Campanula X II(13), 16

edutis XII (13), 16 m edium 16 ro tund ifo lia 16

C am panulaceae IX (1), XII (13), 1 6, 32 Canarina IX (1), 16

abyssinica 16 em in ii IX (1), 16

"Candelabra''-type Euphorbia 3, 4 21 Canterbury Bell 16 Capsicum 34

frutescens 34 Cara/luma VII (9). 15

penicilla ta 15 russelliana 15 speciosa VII (9 ), 15

Carduus IX (6), X I(2 ), 17 ellenbeckii IX (6), 17 nyassanus XI (2 ), 17

48

Carissa X (4 ), 14. 15 edulis X (4 ), 14 .15

Carnation 16 Carrot 46 Carthamus 18

tinctorius 18 Caryophyllaceae I I I (4). 16. 27 Cassia VI (1). 24

didymobotrya 24 floribunda 24 singueana V l(1 ) ,2 4

Castor Oil Tree 35 Celery 35 Ceisia 33

scrophularifolia 33 Century Plant 26 Chili Pepper 34 Cinchona 32 Cirsium 17

engleranum 17 vulgare 1 7

Cissus II(7a, b), 35, 38quadrangutaris 11 (7a, b), 35, 38

Cistanche 30 tubu/osa 30

Clarkia 29Clematis IV (10a, b), 31, 43

brachiata 31 gran diflora 31 hirsute IV (10a, b), 31, 43 simensis 31

C/erodendrum X II(5 ), 35 myricoides X II(5 ), 35

Clover X I(7)Codlins-and-Cream X(7)

Coffea 32, 56 arabica 32, 56

Coffee 25, 31, 32, 56 Coleus 23

edulis 23 flo ribundus 23

Commelina XII (8), 17 africana 17 benghalensis 17 diffusa XII (8), 17

C om m elinaceae X II(8 ), 16-17 C om positae IV (5), V (2 , 10, 11), V l(2, 3,

11), VII (7), VIII (5), IX (5. 6), X (3 ).XI (1, 2, 4), X II(1), 16, 17-19, 20, 31,

32, 34. 35 Conium 35

maculatum 35 C onvolvulaceae X (9 ). X l(3 ), 19. 34 Con volvulus XI (3)Coral Tree 25 Coreopsis 17 Coriander 35 Coriandrum 35

sativum 35 Cotton 28 Cotyledon 20

barbeyi 20 Crassocephalum VI (3), 17

macropappum V l(3 ), 17 rubens 17

Crassula 20 alba 20ellenbeckiana 20

Crassulaceae IV (1), VI (8). VII (6). 19-20 Craterostrgma XI (8), 33

plantagineum XI (8), 33 pum ilum XI (8), 33

Crepis V (2 ), 17rueppellii V (2 ), 17

Crinum IX (3), 14, 43, 45 abyssinicum 14 bulbispermum 14 k irk ii 14ornatum IX (3 ), 14, 43, 45 schim peri 14

Crotalaria V(1a, b, c), VI (6a, b). 25 laburnifo lia V(1b, c), 25 rosenii VI (6a, b), 25

Cucumber 20 Cucumis IV (7), 20. 46

aculeatus 20 dipsaceus 20 fic ifo lius IV (7), 20, 46 melo 20 sativus 20

Cucurbita 20 pepo 20

C ucurbitaceae IV (7), 20, 35 Cyan otis 17

barbatus 17 Cycniopsis V (8 ), 33

humifusa V (8 ), 33 Cynara 17

scolymus 17 Cynoglossum 23 Cyperaceae 22

Daisy 17Daisy, African Michaelmas X I(4), 17 Daisy, Mesfcel IV (5 ). 17. 18. 38. 41

49

Dead Sea Fruit XI (6)Delphinium XII (2, 3), 31, 40, 43

a/acis 31dasycau/on XII (2 ), 3 1 ,4 0 wel/byi XII (3 ), 31, 40, 43

Dianthus vii, I I I (4), 16 leptolom a 16 long ig lum is vii. III (4), 16

Dipsacaceae IV (6 ),X (1 1 a,b),17,20-21.32 Dipsacus IV (6), 20-21

fu llonum 20-21 pinnatifidus IV (6), 20

Disa 1, I (9)concinna I (9)

Dodonaea II(2a, b, c), 32, 33, 40 viscosa II (2a, b, c), 33, 40

Dombeya X (10 ), 34 goetzenii 34 schimperana 34

Dorstenia I I (5), 28barnimiana II (5), 28 foetida 28

Dovya/is II (8), 21abyssinica 11 (8), 21

Echinops VII (7), XII (1), 18. 41. 43 amp/exicaulis VII (7), 18 ellenbeckii 18 hispidus XII (1), 18, 41, 43 longisetus 18 macrochaetus 18 steudneri 18

Epilobium X (7 ), 29, 56 hirsutum X (7 ), 29. 56 salignum 29

stereophyllum 29 Eragrostis 18, 22, 56

te f 18, 22. 56 Erica vii

arborea vii Erythrina VII (8a, b), 25, 38

abyssinica 25 brucei VII (8a, b), 25, 38 burana 25 melanacantha 25

Eulophia 1(2, 5). 30, 41, 46 quartiniana I (2) rueppe/iii I (5), 30, 41. 46

Euphorbia IV (8), 3, 4, 15, 21 heterochroma IV(8 ), 21 obovalifolia 21 tiruca lli 21

Euphorbiaceae IV(8), 16, 21, 28. 33, 35 Evening Primrose 29 Everlasting Flower vii, V (10 ), IX (5 )

F abaceae:see Papilionaceae

F abo ideae: see Papilionoideae

Fa/kia X(9a, b), 19canescens X(9a, b), 19 repens 19

Fenugreek 18 Fern viii Ficus ll(9 ), 28

sycomorus I I (9), 28 Fig II (9). 28 Fireball Lily V II I(8), 14 Fireweed X (7)

Flacourtiaceae I I (8 ), 21 Flame Tree, Nandi 16

Galium III (7), 32. 46, 47, 56aparinoides I I I (7), 32, 46, 47, 56 verum 47

Gardenia V (6 ), 32, 42 lutea V (6 ), 32, 42

Geraniaceae III (5), 21 -22 Geranium 111(5), 22 Giant Groundsel VI (2)Giant Lobelia vii, 16, 19 Giant Reed 22 Gladiolus V II I(11), 23, 46

psittacinus 23 Globe Artichoke 17 Globe Thistle VII (7), X II(1 ), 18 Gloriosa V II(4), 26. 46

simplex V II(4 ), 26 superba VII (4 ), 26. 46

Glory Lily VII (4)Gnidia vii, V I(5), 34

chrysantha 34 glauca vii, V I(5 ), 34 lamprantha 34

Uodetia 29 Gomphocarpus 1 5 Goose-grass III (7)Gossypium 28 Gourd 20G ram ineae 11(1), 22 Grape-vine 35 Grevillea 31

robusta 31 Grewia III (10), 34-35

50

ferruginea 111(10), 34 vi/losa 35

Ground Orchid I (1, 2, 4, 5-9), 29, 30 Groundsel, Giant VI (2)Guizotia V (1 1). 18

abyssinica V (11), 18 scabra 18

Habenaria 1(1)macrantha 1(1)

Haemanthus VIII (8), 14, 42 m ultif/orus V II I(8), 14, 42 nutans 14

Hagenia vii, 40abyssinica vii, 40

Harebell 16Heather, Tree- vii, 5, 6, 10, 18, 33, 37, 46 Hebenstretia I I I (8), 33

comosa 33 dentata I I I (8), 33

Heiichrysum vii, V (10), IX (5), 18 citrispinum 18 formosissimum IX (5), 18 odoratissimum 18 splendidum V (10), 18

Hemlock 35Hibiscus VI (7), VIII (9), 28

aponeurus V II I(9), 28 cannabinus V I(7), 28 diversifo/ius 28 micranthus 28

Hippeastrum 14 Hollyhock 28 H oiothrix 1 (4 ,7 ), 30

arachnoidea 30

puberula 1(4), 30 squamata 1(7)

Hound's-tongue 23 Hygrophiia XII (9), 13

auriculata XII (9), 13 H ypericaceae V (7 ), 2 1 ,2 2 Hypericum vii, V (7 ), 19, 22, 41, 43

pep/id ifo lium V (7 ), 22, 41, 43 quartinianum 22 revoiutum vii, 19, 22

Hypoestes 13Hypoxidaceae V l(1 0 ),2 2 , 26 Hypoxis VI (10), 22

Impatience X (1 ) impatiens X (1 ), 15, 16

ro th ii 1 6tinctoria X (1 ), 15

Inchworm-plant 18 Ipomoea XI (3). 19

batatas 19 cairica 19 obscura 19 tenuirostris XI (3), 19

Iridaceae VIII (11). XII (11), 22-23, 26 Iris X II(11), 23, 46 Ivy, Poison 14

Jacaranda 16 acutifo lia 16

Jack-in-the-Pulpit I I (6)Jasmine I I I (2), V I(9), 29 Jasminum I I I (2), V I(9), 28, 29

ab yssinicum 111 (2), 2 9 floribundum 29

fluminense 29 officinale 29 stans VI (9), 28, 29

Juniper viii, 7, 29, 30 Jun iper us viii

procera viii Justic ia XI (11), 13

insular is 13 schim peri 13

Kaffir Boom 25Kalanchoe IV(1a, b), VII (6), 20

daigremontiana 20 deficiens 20 lanceolate VII (6), 20 macrantha IV (1a, b), 20 marmorata 20 petitiana 20 pinnata 20 somaliensis 20 verticil lata 20

Kigelia 16aethiopum 16

Kleinia 18abyssinica 18

Knapweed, African X (3 ) Kniphofia V II I (10), 26

foliosa V III(10), 26 in sign is 26 isoetifolia 26

Knotweed V II I(1)

Labiatae V (4 ), V II(1), IX (4 ), X ll(1 4 ), 13,23, 33, 35

Lace-vine, Silver 30

51

steudneri IX (9), 32 vo/kensii 32

Ftumex VIII (2), 30, 56 abyssinicus 30 ellenbeckii 30 nervosus V II I(2), 30, 56

Russian Vine 30

Sacaline 30St. John's Wort vii, V (7 ), 22, 23 Sansevieria 111(11), 13, 47

abyssinica 13 guineensis 111(11), 13, 47 p o w e ilii 13 trifasciata 47

Sapindaceae I I (2), 14, 32-33, 35 Satyrium I (6), 30, 40

crassicaule 30 sacculatum I (6), 30, 40

Sausage Tree 16 Scabiosa X (11a), 21

columbaria X (11a), 21 Scabious X(11a, b)Scotch Bluebell 16 Scotch Thistle 17Scrophulariaceae 111 (3. 8), V ( 3, 8, 9),

X I(8), X II(12), 13, 23. 26, 33, 34 Sedge 22 Sedum VI (8). 20

epidendrum VI (8), 20 Senecio VI (2, 11), 18, 19

gigas VI (2), 19 tuberosus VI (11), 19

Sesbania VI (4). 25

goetzei VI (4), 25 sesban 25

Sida 27cuneifolia 27

Silene 16macrosolen 16

Silk Oak 31 Silver Lace-vine 30 Silybum 17 Sisal 13 Smilax 26 Snake-plant 18 Snowdrop Orchid 30 Sodom Apple X I(9)Solanaceae 111(1), X l(9 ), 19, 26, 33-34 Solanum 111(1), 34

incanum XI (9) 34 indicum 111(1), 34 nigrum 34 tuberosum 34

Sonchus 17, 18 o/eraceus 18

Sparmannia IX (8), 35 ricinocarpa IX (8), 35

Spathodea 16 n il otic a 16

Speedwell X II(12)Squash 20 Star Orchid 1(10)Star of Bethlehem Tree 111(10) Stathmoste/ma V II(3), 15

pedunculatum V II(3), 15 Stercu liaceae X (10), 27, 34 Stereospermum IX (2), 16

kunthianum IX (2), 16

Stonecrop VI (8), 20 Straw-flower V (10), IX (5) Strychnos 27

nux-vom ica 27 Sweet Potato 19 "Sycomore" 11(16)

Tapinanthus X (2), 27 globiferus X (2), 27

Tapinostemma V II I(4), 14, 27 acaciae V II I(4), 14, 27

Teasel IV (6)Tephrosia X (5 ). 25

emeroides 25 interrupta X (5), 25 pum ila 25

Thistle IX (6), X I(2), 17 Thistle, Globe V II(7), X II(1), 18 Thistle. Milk 17 Thistle, Scotch 17 Thorn Tree IV (2)Thyme, Wild 23 Thym elaeaceae VI (5), 17, 34 Thymus 23

serru/atus 23 Tiliaceae 111(10), IX (8). 27, 34-35 Tomato 34 Touch-Me-Not 15 Tradescantia 17Tree St. John's Wort vii, 22, 33 Tree-heather vii, 5, 6, 10, 18, 33, 37, 46 Trefoil, Bird's-foot V (5)Trifolium VIII (3), XI (7), 25-26

acaule XI (7), 25-26 schimperi V II I(3), 25

54

Trigonella 18foenum-graecum 18

U m b ellife rae ll(4 ), 17, 35 Umbrella Tree IV (2)

Verbascum V (9 ), 33 phoeniceum 33 sinaiticum V (9 ), 33 thapsus 33

Verbena 35

Verbenaceae X II(5 ), 13, 23, 33, 35 Vernonia XI (1), 19

amygdaiina 19 ? campanea XI (1), 19

Veronica XII (12), 33 abyssinica 33 anagailis-aquatica 33 gfandulosa XII (12), 33

Vine, Grape- 35 Vine, Russian 30

Vine, Silver Lace- 30 V itaceae II (7 ), 20, 35 Vitis 35

vinifera 35

Wandering Jew 17 Wandering Sailor 17 Water-lily X (1 2 ), 25, 28 Wheat 19, 22 Willow-herb X (7 )

N A M E S IN S O M E ETHIOPIAN LANG UAGES

Many different names for plants are used in different areas of Ethiopia, and only a limited number are listed here. Some sources are given at the end of the list of Useful Works o f Reference, p. 36. The Ethiopian languages quoted, and the contracted forms givenin this book, are as follows:

Amharic used throughout the country : (A).Amharic used in a particular province : (A, Shoa),

(A, Begemder), etc.Galligna used throughout the Galla-speaking areas: (G). Galligna used in a particular province : (G, Bale),

(G, Keffa), etc.Galligna used in the Rift Valley area : (G,RV).Tigrigna used in northern areas (parts of Begemder,

Eritrea and W ello ): (T).Tigrigna used in Tigre province : (T, Tigre).

Variations on a name have usually been omitted. For example, Irdit (A) is given for Aloe species, but R6t (A) is omitted from the text describing the Frontispiece.

Guide to Pronunciation

VOWEL Everyjetter of the Amharic alphabet has seven forms,SOUNDS each representing a different vowel sound. In this book

the following method of transliteration is used:

Amharic 1st form e as in French le, like Englishfirs t

2nd form u as in English moon3rd form ee as in English sheep4th form a as in German Mann, like

English cart

5th form

6th form 7th form

as in French I'ete, like En­glish g a te ; sometimes like English yea

like English ship as in English lock

Amharic diphthongs ay as in English dye ey as in English stay

CONSONANTS ch as in English churchdj as in English jamg as in English go

gn as in French agneau.English Nyala

s as in English sunw as in English waterz as in English zoo

"EXPLOSIVE" These letters are shown in italics, e.g. YeLam chew (A), Epi/obium h irsutum ; Oangego (G, Shoa), Rumex nervosus; Kega (A ), Rosa abyssinica; ref (A), Eragrostis te f : Tsegwegot (T), Galium aparinoides.

ASPIRATE The aspirated, gutteral vowel sound which occursin Tigrigna is indicated by an apostrophe before it, e.g. ' Ir6 (T), Aloe species.

GUTTERAL The gutterai "h" sound which occurs in Tigrignais shown in italics, e.g. Hahox (T), Rumex nervosus.

DOUBLED A doubled letter shows that the consonant isLETTER pronounced twice, e.g. Bunna (A and G), pro­

nounced "Boon-na", Coffea arabica. Coffee.

57

Abish (A) Trigone/la foenum-graecum, 18 Abrasa (G, Shoa) Haemanthus m ultiflorus, V III(8) Abutaye (G, Bale) Arisaema spp., I I (6)Adey abeba (A) Bidens spp., IV (5 )Adigee zana (T) Stereospermum kunthianum, IX (2) Agam (A) Carissa edulis, X (4 )'Agam (T) Carissa edu/is, X (4 )Agamsa (G) Carissa edulis, X (4 )Alaya (A) Clematis grandif/ora, 31 Alg6 (G) Sansevieria spp., 111(11)AlArim (A) Sesbania spp., VI (4)Amek6la (A) Hygrophila auriculata, XII (9)Anc/?ura (G.RV) Ka/anchoe spp., IV (1 ), V II(6) Anfera (G, Shoa) Buddleia polystachya, VII (2) ’An£6ba (T, Tigre) Acacia spp., IV (2)

Ashenda (A and T) Kniphofia spp., V II I(10)Ashkit (A) Galium aparinoides, III (7)

Askwar (A) Buddleia polystachya, V II(2)

Asta (A) Erica arborea, vii, 6, 10, 37, 46

Awonra (G) Gnidia glauca, VI (5)

Awra (A and T) Protea gaguedi, IV (3)

Azo areg (A) Clematis spp., IV (10)Berber^ (A) Capsicum frutescens, 34

Birbira (A and T) M ille ttia ferruginea, XI (5)Bir/ro (T, Tigre) Gladiolus spp.

Petamenes la tifo lius, V II I(11)

Bosok£ (G, Shoa) Kalanchoe spp., IV (1), V II(6) Bunna (A and G) Coffea arabica, 32, 56

Bururee (G) Grewia ferruginia, 111(10)

58

Bushay (A) Nymphaea spp., X (12)

Cheka £eme!6 (G, Shoa) Pterolobium ste/latum, IV (4)

Chibo (A) Vernonia spp., XI (1)

C7)i'indog wee (T) Otostegia integrifoiia, V (4)

Dand6r (T) Carduus spp., IX (6), XI (2)Echinops spp., V II(7), X II(1)

Oangego (G, Shoa) Rumex nervosus, V II I(2), 56

Debbesom (T) Pelargonium multibracteatum, I I I (5)

0ed6cha (G,RV) Acacia spp., IV (2)

Deegello (G, Shoa) Aerangis spp., 1 (10)Polystachya spp., I (3)Other epiphytes

De/?wa'ita (T) Kalanchoe spp., IV(1), VII(6)

Deleshut (A, Gojjam) Craterostigma spp., XI (8)

Di/rwala (T) Tapinanthus spp., X (2)Tapinostemma spp., VIII (4)Other parasites

Dimbellal (A) Coriandrum sativum, 35

Dinich (A) Solanum tuberosum, 34

Doneet (A) Erythrina abyssinica, 25

Dubba (A) Cucurbita pepo, 20 Duffee (G, Shoa) Gardenia lutea V (6)

Oukuno (G, Shoa) Grewia ferruginea, 111(10)

'Ee/ra (T) Sansevieria spp., 111(11)

Ertu (G, Shoa) Tapinanthus spp., X (2 )Tapinostemma spp., V II I(4)Other parasites

£tt6cha (G, Shoa) Dodonaea viscosa I I (2)

Feesha (G.RV) Crotolaria spp., large, VI (6)

Feewisee 'in/riribeet (T, Tigre) Craterosligma spp., XI (8)

Ga*a (T) Rosa abyssinica, 111(9)Ganbeello (A, Gojjam) Gardenia lutea. V (6)Gebs (A) Hordeum vu/gare, 22Gedel amuAr (A, Gojjam) Delphinium spp., X II(2 ),(3 )Geenda'i (T) Calotropis procera, XI (6)Gelgele Mes/rel (T) Bidens spp., IV (5)Girbee grar (A) Acacia albida, 24 Gora (G, Shoa) Rosa abyssinica, 111(9)Grar (A) Acacia spp., IV (2)Grawwa (A) Vernonia amygdalina, 19Gufa (A, Gojjam and Shoa) Cassia singueana, VI (1)Gulo (A and G) Ricinus communis, 35Gumere (G) Rubus spp., IX (93Gurraharre (G, Shoa) Vcrbascum sinaiticum, V (9)Gurshif (A) Impatiens rothii, 16 Gwamiya (A) Capsicum frutescens, 34

Other red-green fruits /Vabbee fselieem (T) Jasminurn abyssinicum, I I I (2) Hadamee (G,RV) Euphorbia spp., large, IV (8)Hahol (T) Rumex nervosus, V II I(2), 56 Wambagwifa (T) Arisaema spp., II (6)Hambihambo (T) Cassia singueana, VI (1)Hankuku (G, Keffa) Solanum indicum , 111(1)Harbu (G) Ficus spp., large, 11 (9)Wateeenay (T, Tigre) Gardenia lutea, V (6)Hidda (G, Shoa) Clematis spp., IV (10)Hiddee (G) Solanum incanum. XI (9) lmbwac/)o (A) Rumex nervosus, VIII (2)'Inboba anbesa (T, Tigre) Flaemanthus m ultiflorus, V II I(8)

Inbway (A) So/anum spp.. 111(1), X I(9) lnc/?innee (G, Shoa) Sesbania spp., V I(4) Indahwulla (A) Kalanchoe spp, IV (1 ), VII (6)

Indjorre (A) Rubus spp., IX (9)

'Ingweelle (T) So/anum incanum, XI (9)*lnAifte/;a (T) Malva parvif/ora. X (6 )In/rwofo (G, Shoa) Rosa abyssinica, I I I (9)Insosilla (A ; G, lllubabor) Impatiens tinctoria, X (1) Infabuye (G, Shoa) Jasm inum stans, VI (9)Inzerezey (A) G/adioius spp.

Petamenes latifolius, V II I(11)'Ir6 (T) Aloe spp.. Frontispiece, 56 Ir6t (A) Aloe spp.. Frontispiece, 56 Kacha (A) Sansevieria spp., 111(11)Katya (A) Capsicum frutescens, 34

Other green fruits /Casta ansitee (T) Asparagus spp., IV (9)Kega (A) Rosa abyssinica, I I I (9), 56K6II0 (G, Shoa and lllubabor) Bidens spp.. IV (5)A'emeeda (T, Tigre) Clematis spp., IV (10)ATcmefd (G, Shoa) Jasminum abyssinicum. I I I (2) Aemmo (A) Rhus abyssinica, 14 /(enfaffa (A and T) Pterolobium stellatum, IV (4) A'erkeha (A) Arundinaria alpina. 11(1)/festennicha (A) Asparagus spp., IV (9)/Cefe/inna (A) Verbascum sinaiticum, V (9)Keyee awif (A) So/anum nigrum, 34/fil (A) Lagenaria spp., 20Kilkille (G, Shoa) Crotalaria spp., large, VI (6 )/fimbo (G, Shoa) Calotropis procera, XI (6)

Kitkitta (A) Dodonaea viscosa, 11(2)

Korch (A, Shoa) Erythrina brucei, V II(8)

Koserru (G, Shoa) Acanthus spp., large, V III(6)

Koshim (A) Dovya/is abyssinica, 11(8)

Kosso (A) Hagenia abyssinica, vii, 25, 40

/ful^wal (A) Euphorbia spp., large, IV(8). 21

K wara (A, Begemder) Erythrina abyssinica, 25 Kwasheshila (A) Acanthus spp., large, VIII (6)

Carduus spp., IX (6), XI (2)Echinops spp., VII (7), X II(1)

/Cwella wanz6 (A, Begemder) Dombeya spp., X (10) Laluminc/)a (G, lllubabor) Commelina spp., X II(8) Lamana (G ) Arundinaria alpina, 11(1)Len/rwa?a (A) Grewia ferruginea, 111(10)Lef marefeeya (A) Crassocephalum macropappum, VI (3) Leye/rwa riba (T) Polygonum spp., aquatic, VI11(1)Lit (A) Malva parviflora, X (6 )Magef (A, Shoa) Medicago spp., 25

M elilo tus spp.. 25 Trifo lium spp., V III(3), X I(7)

Makwarmay (A) Polystachya bennettiana, I (3)M ech (A) Guizotia scabra, 18Mec/)elo (T, Tigre) Achyranthes aspera, V II I(7)MeefeeHo (G, lllubabor) Galium aparinoides, I I I (7)Me/rme/ro (A) Rumex abyssinicus, 30Menfes6 (A) Becium spp., IX (4)Merfsen afal (T, Tigre) Hibiscus spp., VI (7), VIII (9) Messee (T) Trifolium spp., V II I (3), X I(7)

Mefen6 (G, lllubabor) Achyranthes aspera, V II I(7)Me/ere (T) Buddleia polystachya. V II(2)

60

Mingeie (G) Protea gaguedi. IV (3)

Missirich (A) Clerodendrum myricoides, X II(5)

Misf aybelash (A, Begemder) Rhus natalensis, 11(3)

Nec/» awit (A) So/anum nigrum, 34

Niheegwi (T) Guizotia abyssinica, V (11)

Nug (A) Guizotia abyssinica, V (11 ), 18

Oda (G,RV) Ficus spp., large, II (9)

Orgeesa (G,RV) Aloe spp.. Frontispiece

Oromo dinich (A) Plectranthus edulis, 23

Ras kimmir (A Shoa) Leonotis spp., large, VII (1)

Ret (A) A loe spp., 56

Sagla (T) Ficus spp., large, 11(9)Sasulla (T) Impatiens tinctoria, X (1 )Sarawee (G) Polygonum spp., aquatic. V III(1)Seeddeesa (G, lllubabor and Keffa) Trifolium spp.. V III(3), X I(7) Sekorru (G, Keffa) Gloriosa superba, VII (4)Semec/?eec/?eera (G, Shoa) Trifolium acaule. XI (7)Sensel (A, Shoa) Adhatoda schimperana, 111(6)Serreettee (G) Asparagus spp., IV (9)S§t6 yeDjib ras (A) Orohanche minor, VII (10)Set6 yeSeyfan mu.tec/;a (A, Gojjam) Cissus quadrangularis, I I (7) Sha/)isha/)ita (T, Tigre) Sesbania spp., VI (4)Shembe^o (A and G) Arundo donax, 22 Shemefmefe (A, Shoa) Kniphofia spp., VIII (10)Shokolo (A) Senecio gigas, VI (2)Shola (A) Ficus spp., large, I I (9)Shushubb6 (G, Arussi) Kniphofia spp., VIII (10)Sikwar dinich (A) Ipomoea batatas, 19 Sim'iza (T) Adhatoda schimperana. I I I (6)

Sinde (A) Triticum aestivum, 22

Sotello (G, lllubabor) M ille ttia ferruginea, XI (5)

Soyyoma (G, lllubabor) Clerodendrum myricoides, X II(5)

Suf (A) Carthamus tinctorius. 1 8

Sur betree (T) Clerodendrum myricoides, XII (5)

Tahses (T) Dodonaea viscosa, I I (2)

Talo (A) Rhus retinorrhoca, 14

TatGsa (G.RV) Rhus natalensis, I I (3)

Tebeb (T) Becium spp., IX (4)Teemateem (A from Amerindian) Lycopersicum escu/entum, 34

7<§f (A) Eragrostis tef, 18, 22, 56

TeAefila (A, Gojjam) Tapinanthus spp., X (2 )Tapinostemma spp., V II I(4)Other parasites

7elendj (A) Achyranthes aspera. V II I(7)fenbelel (A) Jasminum abyssinicum, III (2)7e/a'illo (T) Rhus natalensis, II (3)7id (A) Juniperus procera, viii Ti/cur awit (A) Solanum nigrum , 34 Tilem (A) Rhus retinorrhoea, 14 rindjut (A) Otostegia in tegrifo lia , V (4 )Tirna/;a (T) Verbascum sinaiticum , V (9 )Tit (A) Gossypium spp., 28 Tobbiya (A) Calotropis procera, XI (6)Tosign (A) Thymus serrulatus, 23

7segwegot (T) Galium aparinoides, I I I (7), 56

Tselleem^debbesom (T, Tigre) D elphinium spp., X II(2 ),(3 )

TsigSreda (A and T, from Ge'ez and Greek) Rosa spp., 32

7silal inoy Maryam (T. Tigre) Gloriosa superba. V II(4)

7sin£weeya (T) Grewia ferruginea, 111(10)Tutu (A) Canarina abyssinica, 16Utoro (G, Wellega) Stereospermum kunthianum, IX (2)Washit (A. Gojjam) Stereospermum kunthianum, IX (2)Werensa (G, lllubabor) Dombeya spp., X (10)Weyra (A) Olea africana, 29 Wilkiffa (A) Dombeya spp., X (10)YeAyt missir (A) Crotalaria spp., small, V (1)YeBahir AulArwal (A) Opuntia ficus-indica, 21YeDjib ageda (A, Gojjam) Haemanthus m ultiflorus, VIII (8)YeDjib shinkwurt (A) Crinum ornatum, IX (3)YeFeres zeng (A) Leonotis spp., large, V II(1 ), 23

Otostegia m inucii, 23 YeFiyel do*a (A, Shoa and Wello) Plectranthus spp., XII (14) YeFiyel wetet (A) Crepis rueppellii, V (2)YeGalla t\ t (A) Crassocepha/um macropappum, VI (3)Yelregna misa (A) Campanula edu/is, XII (13)Yelregnoch fila (A) Arisaema spp., II (6)YeLam chew (A) Epilobium hirsutum, X (7 ), 56YeLam /uf (A, Gojjam) Eulophia spp. with large pseudobulbs, I (2 ,YeMaryam weha £adjee (A) Plectranthus spp., X II(14)YeMidir inbway (A) Cucumis spp., IV(7)YeSet lib (A) Rhamphicarpa heuglinii, III (3)YeTidja c/jenger (A, Gojjam) Hibiscus spp., V I(7), V III(9) Ye7idja lebe/r (A, Gojjam) Hibiscus spp., VI (7 ), VIII (9)YeWeha an/rur (A) Commelina spp., XII (8)YeWeyn tekil (A) Vitis vinifera, 35Zana (A, Gojjam) Stereospermum kunthianum, IX (2)

Zigba (A) Podocarpus gracilior, viii

Zwaw i'i(T) Erythrina spp., V II(8)

61

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