Field Guide to Common Trees and Shrubs of East Africa

East Africa boasts a tremendous natural wealth of flora – indigenous, naturalized and exotic. This field guide features some 600 of the trees, shrubs, palms and mangroves commonly found in the region. Species accounts include information about habitat, bark, leaves, flowers and fruit, and general and commercial applications and uses in traditional medicine, accompanied by some 1,500 photographs. This invaluable guide will help plant enthusiasts identify prominent species in gardens and parks, along roadsides and in easily accessible parts of the countryside.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
Introduction 4
How the book is arranged 4
Vegetation zones of East Africa 5
Trees and traditional medicine 6
Classification of plants 6
Key words 7
Family descriptions 8
Trees 23
Shrubs 197
Palms 292
Mangroves 305
Glossary 314
Botanical terms 314
Medical terms 317
Illustrated glossary 318
Further reading 325
Index 325

Najma Dharani holds a PhD in Plant and Environmental Ecology. Her specialization and research interest is Natural Resource Management and Conservation, in the field of Ethnobotany and Reforestation. She works at the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi as a Consultant and is the author of the successful guide Field Guide to Acacias of East Africa.