Plant story
Aloe ballyi from Taita Hills, Kenya
• Endemic to Kenya and Tanzania
• Vulnerable species of high conservation concern
Charles Ndiege of GBK and Paul Kirika of the National Museums of Kenya collecting Aloe ballyi (Photo: V. Bertenshaw)
The seeds of a rare tree Aloe were collected in the Taita Hills of Kenya during a collaborative collecting mission of the National Genebank of Kenya (GBK) and the MSBP. The Taita Hills are located in the south-west corner of the Coast region of Kenya, between the East and West zones of Tsavo National Park. These hills have been isolated ecologically for a long period of time, causing an endemic group of flora to establish. Aloe ballyi is confined to dense bush near Mwatate, south-west of Voi. This species is included in the 2002 IUCN Red List and has a 'vulnerable' global conservation status, showing high conservation concern.
Fruits on Aloe ballyi tree (Photo: V. Bertenshaw)
Trees of Aloe ballyi were found at the side of the public road linking the two zones of Tsavo. Fruits were collected from a number of trees, yielding sufficient seeds for a collection to be banked at GBK and duplicated at MSBP. As Aloe ballyi is listed under CITES Appendix II, herbarium vouchers could not be collected. This is one of the few poisonous aloes in Kenya, known commonly as the 'rat aloe' due to malodorous chemicals contained in its leaves. It is used medicinally as a purgative, for 'opening the bowels'.
Seeds of Aloe ballyi
Aloe ballyi was included in a conservation project set up in 1996 by the East African Herbarium in Kenya, to protect a range of succulent species. Field studies were carried out to identify existing populations of the selected species. The conservation status of each was assessed and threats were documented. Seeds were gathered for ex-situ conservation collections and herbarium specimens were taken for further research. A specimen of Aloe ballyi can now be found in the Succulent Garden of the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi.
Story by Vanessa Bertenshaw, MSBP.