DEG I NE OU S

IN S PLA NT
IN ETHIOPIA

NAME- SARA MEKONNEN

ID- 2164/13
 Eu C a n delabr
phorbia um ed n
ot be
e re ne
r i e f th r y : m e,--
r fe c tg
m e mo ains to .
ro m pe
r e ven
r n t rem f three
F
s d om o hen lea a cup o
Wi hing t ge has tti
O ne t odspur l Rosse
Am: Kulkual
e wo Gabrie
Eng: Candelabra euphorbia,Th Dante
—
Tree euphorbia

Grows in both dry deciduous

and evergreen woodlands in
Description A tree up to 15 m, Dry and Moist Kolla and Wey‑
the trunk thick, to 3 m, where na Dega agroclimatic zones in
the lower branches have fallen Shoa, Harerge, Bale and Sida‑
away. Erect branches have 3–5
LEAVES: No true leaves, just scales. spiny ribs or wings and branches
FLOWERS: Small, green‑yellow and go on dividing to make a large
fleshy in groups of 4–6 next to the
paired spines. FRUIT: Green‑red
pea‑size capsules, seeds spotted
with dirty white.

CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Type- Herb
Lifespan- Perennial
Bloom Time -Winter
Plant Height-33 feet
Spread -16 feet
Habitat -Dry deciduous, Evergreen
open wooded grasslands

Uses
Firewood, timber (roofing, tables,
matches, boxes, saddles), fence (cut
branches), live fence.

conditions requirement
sunlight-full sun
soil-loam The flower’s aroma is very bitter,
water-drought tolerant because like the other parts of the
plant, the flowers contain poisonous
latex sap. The sap can cause irritation
if it comes in contact with the skin
or eyes, and it is very harmful if it is
ingested.
 ch y s ci nerea
Dichrosta
Am: Ader, Ergett-dimmo
species of dichrostachys
eng-Amora

In Ethiopia it is found in
a variety of habitats: open
grassland, river banks, rocky
hillsides, coastal plains, often
in Dry and Moist Kolla ag-
roclimatic zones of nearly all
regions, 400‑2,000 m

CHARACHTERISTICS
Plant Type- Tree, Shrub
Lifespan -Perennial
Bloom Time- Spring,
Summer
Plant Height -8 to 24 feet
Spread- 0 to 60 inches
Flower Size- 3 to 4 inches
Habitat- Brushwood,
thickets, hedges, teak for-
Uses Firewood, char-
est, grassland
coal, poles, posts, tool
Flower Color- Yel-
handles, medicine
low,Pink,Purple,White
(leaves, roots), fodder
Leaf Color- Green
(leaves, pods), bee for-
Stem Col-
age, nitrogen fixation,
or-Green,White,Purpl
LEAVES: Compound, leaflets narrow, slight- soil conservation, fi-
ly hairy, to 1 cm. FLOWERS: In two‑coloured bre (bark), live fence,
Sunlight- partial sun, full fencing material (cut
heads, upper half pink, lower half yellow. They
sun branches
hang on a thin stalk 2–5 cm long. FRUIT: Brown
soil- loam, sand, clay, acidic
to black, twisted cluster of thin flattened pods.
 Senna didymobotrya
aw ay,
d
asse ay;
ve p
l ou ds ha is the d
l o om yc
g l or ious l ray,
a
The g right and th a geni lay.
b r p
And n gives fo es music
u z
The s entle bree
g
And . Cossar
D
— J. Eng: Candle bush
species of sennas

. LEAVES: Compound on spread-

ing stalks to 30 cm, without
glands, characteristic leafy stip-
ules at the base over 2 cm long,
heart‑shaped and pointed, 8–18
pairs of oval hairy leaflets to 6 cm
long, each with a rounded apex
bearing a clear, stiff, hair‑like tip.
Crushed leaflets have peculiar
bitter smell. FLOWERS: On erect
stalks to 30 cm, in dense clus-
ters, conspicuous as thin shiny
brown sepals overlap and cover
the rounded buds. Below each
bud is a leafy bract. Open flow-
ers at the base of the head have
bright yellow petals over 2 cm
long, the stamens of 3 sizes with
straight stalks. FRUIT: Oblong,
dark‑brown pods, to 12 cm by 2
cm across, flattened with sections
across holding the flat seeds.
Pods break open when dry.

Plant Type_ Shrub

Lifespan_ Perennial
Bloom Time_
A small Late
bush of spring,
montane Sum-
mer,wooded
Fall grassland, evergreen
Plant Height_
thicket and16 to 30 feet
bushland, often ri-
Spread_ 4 to
parian, or6infeet
disturbed places.
sunlight-full sun, partial sun Flower Size_
Found 1 to and
in Dry 2 inches
Moist Kolla
soil-loam, clay, sandy, nautral and Weyna
Habitat_ Montane Dega agroclimatic
wooded grass-
water- average zones
land, of Arsi,bushland
evergreen Sidamo, Wolega,
Uses Firewood, plantiing time- mid spring, late Shewa
Flower and in
Color_ the western part
Yellow
medicine (leaves, spring LeafofColor_
Welo, 1,400–2,400
Green m.
stems, roots), mulch, harvesting time- fall ,winter Orange_ Fruit Color
soil conservation
 F l u e gg e a v irosa
Am: Kechachilo
eng-common bushweed
species of bushweeds

characteristics Uses Firewood, fish traps (branch-

Plant Type_ Tree, lets), medicine (roots, bark), food
Shrub (fruit
Lifespan _Perennial
Bloom Time_ Spring,
Summer
Plant Height _8 to 24
feet
Spread _0 to 60 inches
Flower Size _3 to 4
inches
Habitat_ Brushwood,
thickets, hedges, teak
forest, grassland
Flower Color_ Yel-
low,PinkPurpleWhite
Leaf Color_ Green . In Ethiopia, this shrub is found mostly in open Acacia‑Combretum
Stem Color_ woodlands or riverine forests on alluvial flats, on black‑cotton soil and well
Green,White,Purple drained rocky slopes. It is widespread in Dry and Moist Bereha and Dry,
Moist and Wet Kolla and Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones, 120–2,000 m.
LEAVES: Simple and
alternate, very variable
to 6 cm, wider at the tip
which may be notched,
grey below. FLOWERS:
Male and female trees.
Small, green‑yellow,
sweet‑scented in leaf
axils; male flowers in
clusters but only one
or two female flowers.
FRUIT: Small white
berries, only 5 m across
but edible and sweet.
Propagation
 Ensete v e n tricosum
Am: Enset, Guna-guna, Koba
Eng: Wild banana

A leafy herb 6–12 m, swollen

below, the “false stem” formed Uses
by the leaf bases. LEAVES: Large Food (stems, root-
leaves grow in spirals, each one
to 6 m long and 1 m wide, bright
stock), medicine
green with a thick pink‑red mid- (stem decoction),
rib and a short red stalk. The leaf ornamental, soil
blades tear with
age. FLOWERS: In large hang-
conservation, fibres
ing heads 2–3 m long, the white (stem, leaf, mid-
flowers with 1 petal protected by rib), thatch (leaves),
large dark red bracts, 5 stamens
produce sticky pollen. FRUIT: Al-
beads (seeds).
though the small yellow clusters
look like normal bananas they are
not edible. Each leathery fruit,
about 9 cm long, contains many
hard seeds, brown‑black to 2 cm Common Name: red banana
long with only a thin layer of Type: Herbaceous perennial
pulp. The whole plant dies down Family: Musaceae
after fruiting. Zone: 10 to 11
Height: 8.00 to 10.00 feet
Spread: 6.00 to 8.00 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: High In Ethiopia, it grows in wet
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Evergreen
upland valleys and ravines
Fruit: Showy and along streams in the for-
ests of lower mountain slopes,
1,000–2,700 m. In south‑cen-
tral Ethiopia enset is exten-
sively cultivated for food up
to 3,000 m in Moist and Wet
Weyna Dega and Dega agro-
climatic zones in nearly all re-
gions.
 Phoenix re clin ata
Am: Selen, Zembaba
eng-African Wild Date,
Senegal Date Palm

Light Preference
Full Sun
Water Preference
Moderate Water
Found throughout tropical Plant Growth Rate
Africa, it grows in the humid Moderate
lowland woodlands, high-
land forests and on open
rocky hillsides in Dry and
Moist Kolla and Weyna Dega
agroclimatic zones in nearly
all regions, 700–2,600 m.

Uses Timber (local doors,

roofing, windows), food
(fruit), ornamental, soil
conservation, fibres (leaves,
leaf bases), roofing (leaves),
basketry, mats (leaves), dye.

Uses Timber (local

doors, roofing, win-
dows), food (fruit),
ornamental, soil
conservation, fibres
(leaves, leaf bases),
roofing (leaves), bas-
ketry, mats (leaves),
dye.
 Podocarpus f a l c atus
Am: Zigba
Eng: Podo, East Af-
rican yellowwood

Uses Firewood, tim-

ber (furniture, boxes,
plywood, panels), poles,
. P. falcatus is a large tree medicine (bark), shade,
of the semi‑humid low- ornamental
er highland forests of the
central and eastern high-
lands of Ethiopia in Moist
and Wet Weyna Dega and
Dega agroclimatic zones in
Gonder, Gojam, Wolega,
LEAVES: Narrow, Shoa, Harerge, Arsi, Bale,
shiny dark green, Sidamo and Kefa, 1500–
2–5 cm, gradual- 2,500 m
ly tapering. Young
leaves larger and
brighter giving a
green flush. CONES:
1–3 male catkins,
yellow‑brown, about
2 cm, female cones
hard, rounded to
2 cm, very slow to
develop, green with
dull purple bloom
 Ro sa abys s i n i ca
Am: Kega
Eng: Abyssinian
rose

this rose is common

in Ethiopia in upland
dry evergreen forests
and margins or clear-
ings of forests as well
as in bushland and
dry grasslands. It is also
found near houses and on
river banks in Dry, Moist
and Wet Weyna Dega and
Dega agroclimatic zones of
Tigray, Gondar, Welo, Go-
jam, Shewa, Harerge, Arsi
and Bale, 1,700–3,300 m.
2 cm long, tip rounded
to square, many sta-
Uses Firewood,
mens. FRUIT: Green
food (fruit), medi-
at first, ripen to or-
cine (flowers, roots,
ange‑red, about 2 cm
fruit), live fence.
long, fleshy and edible, Description A prickly evergreen
seeds within shrub, creeper or climber, or
a small tree that grows to 7 m.
Few prickles on the stem, slight-
ly curved from a wide base and
all similar. Variable in many
features. LEAVES: Compound,
leathery, 3 pairs of leaflets plus
one at the tip, each narrowly
ovate 1–6 cm, tip sharp, edge
toothed, on a short stalk which
is winged by the leafy stipules.
FLOWERS: Fragrant white‑pale
yellow, usually 3–20 in dense
heads, each stalked, the sepals
long, narrow and hairy, soon fall,
5 petals about
 Se s ban ia s es ban

Am: Girangire
Eng: River bean,
Egyptian rattle pod

Uses Firewood, poles, med-

icine (ground leaves), fod-
der (leaves), shade (young
coffee), mulch, nitrogen
fixation, soil improve-
ment, soil conservation,
fibres (young stems), soap
(leaves).
. It is found at the margin
of fresh‑water lakes and
seasonal ponds. Some types
tolerate acid and saline
soils. Easy to establish even
in waterlogged soil and dry
eroded soil. In Ethiopia,
it performs well in Moist
and Wet Bereha, Kolla and
Weyna Dega agroclimatic
zones of Afar plains and
in nearly all other regions,
300—2,000 m.

LEAVES: Compound to
12 cm long, 10–25 pairs of
leaflets, each leaflet to 2 cm
oblong, tip notched, nar-
row. FLOWERS: Pale yel-
low, speckled maroon, in
few‑flowered sprays to 15
cm long. FRUIT: Abundant
bunches of thin pale brown
pods to 20 cm, with sepa-
rated sections so seeds rattle
within.
 Myrtus communis
b o y,
nts ,
sh m e
l i m e-
n f urni nd the
Am: Ades P e rsia d arou w h ere
te e es
I ha ths twin e. l a c
Eng: Common myrtle,
re a l e a s g t he p
Myrtle bush w
s d isp seekin y r tle,
e
tre e from ades. le m
species of myrtles s f i m p
Cea te rose to the s
la
the nothing
Add

A leafy evergreen shrub 3–5 m high.

LEAVES: Simple and opposite, leath-
ery and shiny, oval and sharply tipped conditions requirement
to 5 cm long, the base rounded. When sunlight- full sun,partial sun
crushed sweet‑scented oil is released soil- sand, loam, clay, neutral A shrub that grows in
from special cells. FLOWERS: Sweet Water Moist and Wet Kolla and
scented, white with 5 petals around Give young Common myrtle Weyna Dega agrocli-
many white stamens, to 3 cm across. trees a good deep-watering often matic zones in Gonder,
FRUIT: A rounded blue‑ black berry, 1 enough to keep the soil around Harerge, Welo and Shoa,
cm or less. them slightly moist. Once the 700– 2,500 m.
Characteristics tree matures, you can cut back to
Plant Type_ Shrub watering when the first few inch-
Lifespan_ Biennial, Perennial es of soil dry out. This plant has
Bloom Time_ Summer trouble tolerating hard water. Use
Plant Height_ 16 feet gathered rainwater if available.
Spread_ 8 to 12 feet
Flower Size_ 0.4 to 1.2 inch
Habitat_ Scrub
Flower Color_ White
Leaf Color_ Green
Fruit Color_ Black,Purple
Stem Color_ Green,White

Uses Flavouring, perfume, in-

cense (smoke used for pleasant
scent in rooms, especially during
the traditional coffee ceremony).
Characteristics
Common myrtle can
Plant Type_ Shrub
cause mild discomfort if
Lifespan_ Biennial, Perenni
consumed but does not
Bloom Time_ Summer
contain life-threatening
Plant Height_ 16 feet
toxins.
Spread_ 8 to 12 feet
Flower Size_ 0.4 to 1.2 inch
Habitat_ Scrub
Flower Color_ White
Leaf Color_ Green
Fruit Color_ Black,Purple
Stem Color_ Green,White
 Tamarix aphylla Tamaricaceae
Eng: Athel tree, Full day begind the tamarisks -- the sky is blue
Leafless tamarisk, and staring --
Salt cedar, Tamarisk As the cattle crawl afield beneath the yoke,
And they bear One o’er the field-path, who is
past all hope or caring
— Rudyard Kipling

Uses Firewood,
charcoal, timber
(general purpos-
es), fodder (leafy
branchlets), mulch,
soil conservation,
soil improvement,
dune fixation,
windbreak, fire-
break

Plant Type_ Tree

Lifespan_ Perennial
Bloom Time _Summer, Fall
Plant Height_ 20 to 60 feet
Spread_ 25 to 50 feet
Flower Size 1 inch
Habitat Desert
Flower Color_ White,Pink
Leaf Color,Green,Gray

LEAVES: Sprays of slender green‑grey

branchlets or twigs, very drought hardy,
have the function of usual green leaves.
In Ethiopia, it is usually Leaves remain as 2 mm scales, encircling
found with Acacia albida, the branchlets, each with a sharp tip and
Balanites and Tamarindus appearing as one section along the jointed
in Bereha and Dry Kolla twig. FLOWERS: At the tips of
conditions requirement agroclimatic zones of Welo, branchlets, about 15 cm long, each one le
sunlight- full sun, partial Hararge, Shewa and Sidamo, than 3 mm, pink‑white, with 5 floral part
sun from sea levle to 900 m. FRUIT: Many narrow pointed capsules, 5
soil-sand ,loam ,clay, neutral
mm, splitting into 3 to release tiny brown
seeds each with a tuft of white hairs.
 Vernonia am yg d al i na

Am: Grawa Eng: Bitter

leaf, Tree vernonia
eng- Bitterleaf
species of gymnanthemum

. In Ethiopia, it grows in sub‑hu-

mid wooded savannah or wetter
highlands in Dry, Moist and Wet
Weyna Dega and Dega agrocli-
matic zones of Gojam, Wolega,
Ilubabor, Shewa, Hararge, Arsi,
Bale and Sidamo, 600 – 2,700 m. LEAVES: Ovate, up to 20 x 5 cm,
Uses Firewood, charcoal, food
It is found on light shallow soils, tapering at both ends, dark green
(leaves), medicine (roots, bark,
often left in pasture land. above, soft pale hairs below, edge
leaves), fodder, ornamental,
may be widely toothed. FLOW-
mulch, soil improvement, live
ERS: White‑green, each only 6 mm
fence, toothbrushes (stems),
across, in dense branching flat-
stakes.
tened heads to 30 cm across, sweet
characteristics scented in the evening. FRUIT:
Plant Type_ Tree, Shrub Tiny seeds with stiff white hairs.
Lifespan_Perennial
Bloom Time_ Spring, Winter
Plant Height_ 26 feet conditions requirements
Spread_ 23 feet sunlight-ful sun
Flower Size_ Inflorescence 6 soil-sand , loam, clay
inches
Habitat
Riversides, lakesides, forest They are evergreen
margins, woodland, grassland, are perennial
disturbed localities, abandoned grow relatively quickly
farmland, secondary woodland
Flower Color_
White,Cream,Purple
Ximenia americana
Eng: Hog plum, Wild plum
Am: Inkoy, Kol

Uses Firewood,
In Ethiopia, it occurs in
charcoal, timber
Dry, Moist and Wet Kol-
(utensils), food
la and Weyna Dega and
(fruit), medicine
Dega agroclimatic zones LEAVES: Alternate, sim-
(roots, bark,
of all regions, 500–2,100 ple or tufts, oblong, up to
leaves), fodder,
m. It may rarely be found 7 x 3 cm, blue‑grey‑green,
live fence.
in places up to 2,450 m. folding upwards along mid-
rib, tip round or notched.
FLOWERS: Very fragrant,
small green‑white (white
hairs in throat) in small
branched clusters. FRUIT:
Oval to 2.5 cm, thin skin
red, yellow to orange pulp,
sour but refreshing, around
1 large seed containing oil.
 spina ‑ chr ist i
Ziziphus
Am: Qurqura
eng- Jerusalem thorn
species of paliurus

In Ethiopia, it occurs in Bere-

ha and Dry and Moist Kolla
LEAVES: Rath- agroclimatic zones in Afar
er small, narrow- plains, Dire‑ dawa, Hararge,
ly ovate, variable Bale, Gamo Gofa, Shewa,
in length, 1–8 cm, Welo, and Tigray, 0–1,900 m
shortly stalked, usu-
Uses Firewood, charcoal, ally narrowed to
timber (spear shafts, roof the base where each
beams), furniture, uten-
sils, food (fruit), fodder
(fruit, leaves), shade, live
fence, fencing material
(dry branches).

Characteristics
Plant Type_ Tree
Lifespan_ Peren-
nial
Bloom Time_
Summer
Plant Height_ 10
to 13 feet

condtion requirements
sunlight-full sun
soil-sand , loam,chalky,
clay
poisonousness
The thorns of jerusalem thorn are
sharp and can cause injury if han-
dled carelessly. However, the plant
itself is not considered poisonous.
 Adansonia d ig i tata

Am: Bamba Eng: Baobab

ENG-baobab
species of baobabs

Ethiopia it grows in Bereha and Dry

Kolla agroclimatic zones of Tigray
Uses Fuel (dry fruit cases), carving and Gonder (common in Tekeze
(utensils, floats, light canoes), food Valley), growing best in moist and
(shoots, leaves, seeds), drink (fruit well‑drained soils. It is deep rooted,
pulp is high in vitamin C), medicine drought hardy, and prefers a high
(fruit pulp, bark, leaves), fodder (leaves, water table, 500–1,400 m.
shoots, fruits), bee forage, shade, or-
namental, mulch, fibre (young bark,
roots), tannin (bark), red dye (roots), LEAVES: Seedlings have simple
water containers, dishes (fruit cases), leaves, mature leaves with up to
storage (hollow trees). 9 leaflets. FLOWERS: Large and
white, opening at night, the un-
pleasant
smelling nectar attracts pollinat-
Characteristics ing fruit bats. FRUIT: Big (15–
Plant Type_ Tree 22 cm), hairy, yellow‑brown
Lifespan_ Perennial capsules, hanging on long stalks
Bloom Time_ Winter on the bare tree. Many seeds,
Plant Height_ 15 to 80 feet within white‑pink, dry, edible
Spread_ 49 feet pulp that contains tartaric acid.
Flower Size_ 5 to 6 inches
Habitat_ Thorn woodlands
Flower Color_ White
Leaf Color_ Green
Fruit Color_ Green

Conditions Requirement
Sunlight_ Full sun
soil-loam,clay, sand
water- drought tolerant. al-
low the soil to dry completely
between watering
 Apodyte s d imi diata
Am: Cheleleqa, Donga Eng:
White pear, Pearwood
eng- white pear
species of apodytes

Uses Firewood, tim-

ber (construction,
doors, veneer), bee
forage, ornamental.

In Ethiopia, it is found in
Podocarpus-Olea-Syzyg-
ium upland rain forest in
Moist and Wet Kolla ag-
roclimatic zones of near-
ly all regions, above 1,350
m, Moist and Wet Dega
below 2,600 m and Moist
and Wet Weyna Dega

LEAVES: Shiny, dark green, oval to

13 cm, tip usually rounded, edge
very wavy, midrib pale and clear
below, other veins not at all clear
but branching irregularly. Leaves
dry black. FLOWERS: Very small
and fragrant, white, like stars, black
anthers, in loose heads to 9 cm long
at the end of branchlets, all over the
tree. FRUIT: Small and flat, 8
mm, green then black when ripe
with a soft red bump making it kid- Characteristics
ney‑shaped; thin style remaining. Plant Type_ Tree, Shrub
One seed inside Lifespan _Perennial
Bloom Time_ Summer Conditions Requirement
Plant Height_ 16 feet Sunlight
Spread_ 10 to 13 feet Full sun, Partial sun,
Habitat_ Forest margin Full shade
Flower Color_ White,Green Soil
Leaf Color_ Green,White,Red Sand, Loam, Chalky,
Fruit Color_ Blue Clay, Acidic, Neutral,
Alkaline
 A r un do d o n ax
Am: Shembeko, Meka
eng- reed giant
cultivar of giant reed

. LEAVES: As in many grasses, the

leaf base or sheath surrounds the
stem. Leaf blades are spaced regu-
larly around stem, each one 30–50
cm x 5–7 cm wide with a long
pointed tip. FLOWERS: This grass
does not normally flower in Ethi-
opia. Elsewhere, pright flowering
heads reach up to 60 cm and pro-
duce typical grass seed.
Grows in dense clumps by
water courses even in Dry
Kolla agroclimatic zone, but
most common in Moist and
Wet Kolla as well as in Dry,
Moist and Wet Weyna Dega
agroclimatic zones, up to
2,400 m.
Uses Furniture (local), fod-
der, fences, spinning tools,
grain stores, thatching, bas-
ketry.
 Bersama abyssinica
Am: Azamir
Eng: Winged bersa-
ma
species of bersama

LEAVES: Compound with 5–10 pairs of

dark green leaflets, plus one at the tip. The
leaf stalk may reach 60 cm and be wingless or
just lightly winged (other subspecies not ap-
pearing in Ethiopia have clearly winged leaf
stalks) while hairy at the base. Each leaflet
is about 10 cm long, narrowed to a pointed
tip; the edge may be slightly toothed or not.
FLOWERS: Grow from
thick upright spikes, like “candles” to 35 cm,
buds and stalk hairy, opening to green‑cream
flowers, slightly pink, each 2 cm across.
FRUIT: Thick woody capsules, rounded to
2.5 cm across with golden hairs at first. Cap-
sules crack open into 3–5 sections, each with
a bright orange‑red seed, 1 cm, wrapped for
half its length in a waxy yellow aril.
Uses Firewood,
medicine (crushed
leaves, bark juice,
root decoction), bee
. In Ethiopia, found in forest, at forest forage, live fence
edges or on cleared land as well as in
grassland, open woodlands, on slopes
and hills in Dry, Moist and Wet Wey-
na Dega and lower Dega agroclimatic
zones of almost all regions, 1,700–
2,700 m.

Characteristics
Plant Type_ Tree
Lifespan_ Perennial
Plant Height_ 39 to 82 feet
Flower Size_ Inflorescence 1.1 foot
long
Habitat_ Lowland and montane forest
Flower Color_ White
Calotropis procera
Am: Ghinda, Qimbo,
Tobiaw
Eng: Apple of Sodom,
Dead Sea fruit
spescies of milkweeds

conditions require-
ments Uses Firewood (old
sunlight-full dry stems), fibre
sun,partial sun (stems), medicine
soil- sand,loam,clay (bark, latex), seed
fluff (stuffing), med-
icine for camels. LEAVES: Large and oval, pale grey‑green
and fleshy, about 20 cm long, in pairs
around the stems. FLOWERS: In stalked
clusters of 3–10 between the leaves, each 2
cm across, with 5 white‑pale mauve lobes
tipped with dark purple. FRUIT: Develop
in twin‑lobed round bodies over 10 cm
long. Green and spongy, then dry out to
release numerous flat brown seeds with
long silky hairs

Characteristics
Plant Type_ Tree, Herb, Shrub
Lifespan_ Perennial
Bloom Time_ Spring, Summer,
Fall
Plant Height_ 6 to 8 feet
Spread_ 6 to 8 feet
Flower Size_ 1 inch
Habitat
Grows in dry deciduous bushlands, in Along degraded roadsides, lagoon
bare soil at roadsides and abandoned edges and in overgrazed native
residences. Also often found along pastures.
permanent or seasonal water courses Flower Color_ White,Purple,Pink
and where the water table is high in the Leaf Color_ Green,Silve
Bereha and Kolla agroclimatic zones in
Afar plains and Tigray, Welo, Gojam,
Shoa, Harerge, Arsi, Sidamo, Gamo
Gofa and Ilubabor, 600‑ 2,300 m.
 Catha edulis Celastraceae
Am: Chat
eng-khat
species of catha

World, AfricaGrows in
semi‑humid lowland and
lower highland forests,
particularly in Dry, Moist
and Wet Kolla and Weyna
Dega agroclimatic zones of
Tigray, Welo, Wolega, Shoa,
Harerge and Sidamo re-
gions, 1,400–2,200 m.
Uses Firewood, medicine
(leaves, roots, bark), stim-
ulant drug (shoots, stalked
leaves). It is a cash crop in
Ethiopia.

Characteristics
Plant Type_ Tree, Shrub
Lifespan_Perennial
Bloom Time_ Spring
Plant Height_ 3 to 33 feet
Flower Size_ Flower 0.1 . LEAVES: Opposite oval
inch to 0.2 inch to 11 cm, long leathery
Flower Color_ Yel- grey‑green above, paler below
low,Green with clear veins, edge regular-
ly toothed; leaf stalks reddish
about 1 cm allowing leaves
to twist in the wind. FLOW-
ERS: Very small, pale yellow
in bunched clusters beside the
leaves. FRUIT: Red‑brown
capsules, 1 cm long, 3‑sid-
ed, containing small winged
seeds.