Checklist of plants in the University Botanic Garden of Maseno and their significances to the society

Abstract

A botanical garden is an area set aside and maintained by an organization for growing and studying various groups of plants for aesthetic, conservation, economic, educational, recreational and scientific purposes. A lot of research on checklisting of vascular plants has been or is being carried out in various botanic gardens around the world. At the University Botanic Garden Maseno, no elaborate research on check listing of plant species has been done. There has scarcely been any attempt to carry out phytochemical analysis on various in situ and ex situ plants conserved at the University Botanic Garden and no research has been done to document the educational and economic values of the garden. Moreover, the rate at which the plant biodiversity is being cleared is alarming, and calls for urgent need of conserving plants of high economic values. It is on the basis of such need that the study was carried out at the University Botanic Garden, Maseno (UBGM). The study was carried out over a period of eleven months. The main objective of the study was to identify and provide checklist of plants conserved at the University Botanic Garden, Maseno. During field survey observations were made, interviews conducted and notes taken on plant morphological characteristics and habit of plants. Some plants were identified through the available literature, and by the aid of the herbarium specimens in the University botanic garden. Unidentified plants were collected, pressed, dried, preserved, mounted and identified at the National museums of Kenya herbarium. Voucher specimens of the same were deposited in the University botanic garden herbarium. It was found that there are 235 plant species in the botanic garden, belonging to 66 families. For each plant species, species name, author name(s), common name (where available), family, habit and use of plant species were provided. A plant usage was considered valid when cited by three different respondents. Interviews based on the questionnaire were administered to members of the surrounding community and workers in the garden. The questionnaires were also issued to the botany students and staff of the University. Through it, economic and educational values of the University botanic garden and conservation strategies of threatened plants ex situ in the garden were gathered. The data collected was presented using tables and pie-charts, and then analysed using SPSS programme. The data collected was presented using tables. The information collected through annotated checklist will be used to provide database of vascular plants of high economic value found within the University Botanic Garden, provide information on phytochemicals present in some medicinal plants and hence need for sustainable biodiversity conservation. The knowledge of such medicinal plants will provide vital information to the local community members who still rely on herbal medicine for the treatment of most diseases.