Wildflowers of The Giraffe Sanctuary, Nairobi
Abigail Church
For my children Emily and Ham
THE GIRAFFE SANCTUARY, NAIROBI INTRODUCTION The Giraffe Sanctuary is located in Langata, Nairobi, and covers an area of approximately 130 acres. It is home to a surprising variety of flowering plants. The area is comprised of several different habitats; indigenous dry upland forest, rocky slopes and open areas (vleis). Associated soil types appear to control the vegetation, and so I have grouped some of the flowering plants based on the soils in which they occur and others in accordance with their growing habits. The Sanctuary is at an elevation of approximately 1780m (5800’) just south of the Equator and receives about 650mm (25”) of rain annually. Rain normally falls in April/May and November. Humidity is generally between 60-80%, and owing to its latitude day length is almost constant. The Sanctuary is easily accessible from The Giraffe Centre and there are many walking paths. The upper eastern areas adjacent to Mukoma Estate consist of several small vleis under which are black cotton soils, open rocky areas and slopes overlain by red soil. There are two main areas of forest: a higher area which is dominated by tall African Olive (Olea africana) and a valley running north south, through which the seasonal Gogo River flows and within which there is a diversity of indigenous trees. Other than the Rothschild’s giraffe, for which the Sanctuary is best known, there are many other mammals occurring here: bushbuck, dikdik, and suni are all regularly seen. Warthog are prolific, and I have once seen a family of bush pig. Tree hyrax are very vocal, hyena are often heard at night, along with greater galago (bushbaby). Smaller nocturnal mammals include dwarf galago, white-tailed mongoose, African hedgehog and the giant pouched rat. Slender mongoose are frequently seen as are ochre bush squirrels. Sykes monkeys enjoy the forest and vervet monkeys visit very occasionally.
There are around 130 bird species found in the Sanctuary. Raptors are commonly seen in the forest: namely the Great Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Black Kite, Augur Buzzard, Longcrested Eagle, African Fish Eagle and the occasional Crowned Eagle. Bat Hawks live close by and hunt in the twilight. Wood Owls, Barn Owls and Verreaux’s Eagle Owls are all seen here. Hamerkop and Giant Kingfisher frequent the Gogo River. Crowned Crane, Sacred Ibis, Cattle Egret, Black-headed and Grey Herons are all seen flying over. Scaly Francolin forage the forest floor with Lemon, Tambourine and Emerald Wood Doves. Hartlaub’s Turacos are numerous, Narina’s Trogon is a treat to see, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill occasionally visit. Speckled Mousebird, the African Hoopoe and White-headed Barbet are common. The Cardinal Woodpecker can be seen in the higher parts of the Sanctuary. Garden birds include the African Firefinch, Streaky Seedeater, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Purple Grenadier, Common Bulbul, Village Indigo-bird and Bronze Mannikin. Flycatchers include the African Paradise, friendly Slaty White-eyed and the Common Wattle-eye. The weavers that nest mostly near water include; Holub’s Golden, Baglafecht, Spectacled and Grosbeaks. Swallows, Martins and Swifts all feed busily over pools and vleis. The Common Fiscal and Tropical Boubou are common. Isabelline, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes migrate through as does the Red-chested Cuckoo and Violet-backed Starling. Oxpeckers travel with the giraffe frequently giving away their location. Sunbirds include the Bronze, Amethyst, Variable and Collared and very occasionally the Green-headed and Golden-winged. Dawn and dusk are special times here when a chorus of Ruppell’s and Cape Robin Chats fills the air. After dusk their calls are replaced by the serenade of the Montane Nightjar. This book is designed for those who enjoy wildflowers rather than as a definitive account of the plants here, it is simply a collection of photographs.
December 2019
Dry upland forest
Open vlei underlain by black cotton
Rocky slopes
Deep shade in dry upland forest
Carissa spinarum
Ochna ovata
RED SOIL
SHRUBS & SMALL TREES
Ochna ovata
Clausena anisata
Gymnosporia heterophylla
Clausena anisata
Turraea parvifolia
Dodonea viscosa
Grewia tembensis
Gnidia subcordata
Grewia sp.
Grewia similis
Vernonia brachycalyx
Rotheca myricoides
Rhus natalensis
Tinnea aethiopica
Indigofera arrecta
Psiadia punctulata
Crotolaria agatiflora
Ocimum gratissimum
Lippia kituiensis
Ocimum gratissimum
Lippia javanica
Croton dichogamus
Strychnos henningsii
Aloe ngongensis
Hibiscus fuscus
Hibiscus flavifolius
RED SOIL
WILDFLOWERS
Sida cuneifolia
Pelargonium alchemilloides
Crossandra subacaulis
Leucas grandis
Gutenbergia cordifolia
Ruellia patula
Emilia discifolia
Osteospermum vaillantii
Barleria ventricosa
Barleria submollis
Cassia grantii
Indigofera nairobiensis
Ipomoea obscura
Zornia setosa
Portulaca quadrifida
Kalanchoe schweinfurthii
Blepharis mederaspatensis
Monechma debile
Ocimum kilimandscharia
Nesaea kilimandscharica
MIXED SOILS
Gomphocarpus fruticosa
rys
Ledebouria kirkii
Craterostigma hirsuta
Helichrysum odoratissimum
Chlorophytum silvaticum
Moraea stricta
Hypoxis obtusa
Gladiolus candida
Aspilia mossambicensis
Cycnium tubulosum
Ocimum obavatum
BLACK COTTON SOILS WILDFLOWERS
Lobelia fervens
Athroisma gracile
Sphaeranthus suaveolens
Cyphia glandulifera
Crinum macowanii
Pseudognaphalium luteo-album
Commelina africana
Commelina reptans
Murdannia simplex
Murdannia clarkeana
Aloe myriacantha
Cyanotis arachnoides
Plectranthus pseudomarrubiodes
ROCKY GROUND WILDFLOWERS
Gomphocarpus stenophyllus
Plectranthus caninus
Aeolanthus repens
Huernia aspera
Tephrosia hildebrandtii
Drimia calcarata
Justicia diclipteroides
Pentas lanceolata
SHADE LOVING WILDFLOWERS
Vernonia brachycalyx
Isoglossa bruceae
Craterostigma plantagineum
Acalypha volkensii
Justicia calyculata
Crotalaria goodiiformis
Commelina benghalensis
Phaulopsis imbricata
Oxalis latifolia
Ageratum conyzoides
Oxalis corniculata
Orthociphon thymiflorus
Hibiscus caliphyllus
Dombeya burgessiae
SHADE LOVING SHRUBS
Abutilon longiscupe
Pentanisia ouragnoyne
Leonotis nepetefolia
DISTURBED GROUND
Triumfetta rhomboidea
Solanum campylacanthum
Abutilon mauritianum
Taraxacum officinale
Pavonia burchellii
Melhania angustifolia
Acyranthus aspera
Melhania ovata
Bidens pilosa
Cyphostema adenocaule
Asparagus africanus
CLIMBERS
Jasminum abyssinicum
Gloriosa superba
Cissampelos pareira
Ceropegia denticulata
Cynanchum gerrardi
Ceropegia meyerii-johannes
Rhynchosia elegans
Vigna membranacea
Neonotonia wightii
Thunbergia alata
Rangaeris amaniensis
ORCHIDS
Aerangis brachycarpa
Microcoelia moreauae
Diaphananthe rutila
Bonatea steudneri
Marsilea macrocarpa
Nymphaea lotus
WATER PLANTS
Courtoisia assimilis
Nymphaea caerulea
Lantana camera
Tagetes minuta
NON-INDIGENOUS INVASIVE PLANTS
Kalanchoe delagoensis
Rhipsalis brachycarpa
AFRICA’S ONLY CACTUS
Rhipsalis brachycarpa
Gladiolus natalensis
Pentas parvifolia
ONE OFFS
Evolvulus alsinoides
Tapinanthus ziziphifolius
THANKS Many friends helped me with identification but especially Annie Powys and Maria Dodds. Isabella Robertson helped enormously with the design. Years of encouragement from James to complete this small project were essential and much appreciated.
2019