Scientists from Kenya and China made history on Monday, September 25, with the launch of "The Flora of Kenya," a groundbreaking book that provides unprecedented insights into Kenya's plant life.
This marks the inaugural publication of such a comprehensive work dedicated to Kenya's plant diversity.
Comprising an extensive 31 volumes, "The Flora of Kenya" aims to document the array of approximately 7,000 plant species, spanning across 223 plant families within the country.
The series commenced with the release of the inaugural volume, "Rubiaceae," and is officially published through the collaboration of Hubei Science and Technology Press and the East African Natural History Society.
Before this book, there wasn't any official book that catalogued the plants in Kenya. Meaning, this book addresses a huge gap in documenting Kenyan plant life, which will in turn enlighten Kenyans and foreigners on what the country has to offer.
According to Mary Gikungu, the Director-General of the National Museums of Kenya, the plant documentation project will help in plant conservation.
"The book that we have just launched is very important because it provides the identity of the flora of Kenya,” she stated.
Essentially, it talks about important plant species that we need to protect in our environment and maybe use to our benefit.
The book accords readers an insight into the plants that they interact with detailing their use and ecological significance.
“Flora is an important research tool in taxonomy, especially by enhancing understanding of plant identity and their relationships,” she said. “Similarly, the flora is an important resource for students and researchers, providing in-depth geographical floristic knowledge.”
The journey to this book began in 2015 when Kenyan and Chinese scientists teamed up.
They traveled across Kenya for years, exploring and studying various plants, even discovering new species.
“The Flora of Kenya publication documents the results of field research spanning nearly 10 years and will illuminate China's edge in plant science,” said Wang Qingfeng, the director of the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Geoffrey Mwachala, the chief scientist at the National Museums of Kenya, sees this launch as a big step in China and Kenya working together scientifically to protect Kenya's plant species.
