Kenya camping:The cuctus plant

It is a spiky plant that grows from 1.5M-2M high. It’s a widely common in a semi arid region. It has large leaves full of thorns with a red sweat fruit surrounded by spikes. The fruits are edible by humans, birds and domestic animals.

Useful

The leaves are quite important that play a major role in some communities. The leaves are cut from fully plant then spread in a line of a compound to make a constructive fence. During dry season the leaves are sliced into small piece after all thorns are burned then it is used as animals’ fodders. Leaves have high percentage of cellulose and help in digestion. The flower plays a major role in ecosystem where it facilitates nectars for bees. Cactus plant is sometime grown in a deep valley so as to control soil erosion by the help of roots and leaves.

In some communities like luos community who live in the western shore of Lake Baringo they are not happy to have such plant In their homestead since they dislike the thorny leaves cactus which might bring harm to their family.luos community are major  fishermen and they do not recognized the advantages of cactus plant as animal fodder.

The ilchamus community who lives on the southern shore of the lake baringo they are pastoralists hence they have a quite advantage of this plant where in most cases they grow more in their fence so as to safe guard themselves and their animals against any raids because they are impassable plant.

The pokot community most of the women and young ladies they normally do a lot of hand craft such as necklaces, baskery, calabashes, and many others. They use the cactus spike as needle in such duties.

Peter K. Philip

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