| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT
A botanic 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 check listing of vascular plants has been or is being
carried out in botanic gardens around the world. At theUniversity Botanic Garden, Maseno
(UBGM), no elaborate research on check listing of vascular plant species has been done. There
has scarcely been any attempt to carry out phytochemical analysis for taxonomic value on various
in situ and ex situ plants conserved at the UBGM, 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 high and so the need of plant conservation. It is on the basis of such need that
the study was carried out at the 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 vascular plants,
determine phytochemical analysis for classification relationship, and document the educational
and economic values of the UBGM. During field surveys observations were made, interviews
conducted and notes taken on plant morphological characteristics and habits. Some plants were
identified through taxonomic keys and by the aid 'of the herbarium specimens in the UBGM.
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. Phytochemical screening of 5 medicinal plant extracts in
each of the ten selected plant families based on frequency of appearance in the UBGM was done
using various reagents. Interviews based on toe questionnaire were administered to members of
the surrounding community and workers in the garden. The questionnaires were also issued to the
botany staff and students. Through it, economic and educational values of the University botanic
garden and conservation strategies of threatened plants ex situ in the garden were gathered. It was
found that there are 235 plant species in the botanic garden, belonging to 66 families. For each
plant species, species name, common name (where available), family, habit and usage were
provided. A plant usage was considered valid when cited by three different respondents. Trees
were 31%, shrubs 32% and herbs 37%. Seventy (70) out of 235 plants were medicinal, 29 out of
235 were ornamental, 17 out of 235 for food provision and 6 out of 235 for building
materials.The other 123 out of 235 plants had more than one usage. The data collected was
presented using tables and pie-charts, and then analysed using SPSS and PRM3 statistical
programmes. The phytochemical analysis revealed that saponins were the most abundant '
phytochemicals constituting 32.43%, followed by alkaloids (27.03 %), flavanoids (14.86 %),
steroids (12.16%), terpenes (10.81 %) and anthraquinones (2.70 %). Chi-square analysis and
ANOV A at P:::;0.05 revealed that plant families in which the plants are grouped are dependent on
the phytochemicals present in plants. Conservation measures documented included raising of
propagules, education and domestication of wild plants. The education and economic values
documented included research, plant conservation and food provision. The information collected
through annotated checklist has provided a database of vascular plants of high economic value
found within the UBGM, information on phytochemicals present in some plants were useful for
their taxonomic and herbal medicine which is imperative for sustainable biodiversity
conservation. This information is vital to the local community members who still rely on plants
for the provision of herbal medicine. The plant database, strategies for conservation, educational
and economic values of UBGM will be disseminated through publications to provide vital
information to conservationists and plant researchers. This study has made significant
contribution towards accounting for conservation strategies, and listing of plant families
conserved in the garden | en_US |
