I have searched in vain so far for a list of plants native to Kivu - immediately west of the E. African Rift, and west of Lake Kivu. This is a frivolous enquiry to the extent that it is meant to assist me with writing a novel rather than the serious business of cultivating my garden.

Some of the action in my novel is based in Northern Kivu. A character names all her children after flowers and I decided one must be called MIMOSA - because I like the name. But I discover that is not native to Africa. I can get around it by allowing the mother to be similarly attracted to the name! but would rather use a native plant if possible. Hence the need for a list. Or has anyone got a suggestion?

Many thanks for any help/advice.

In message , e-quill
writes

I have searched in vain so far for a list of plants native to Kivu -
immediately west of the E. African Rift, and west of Lake Kivu. This is
a frivolous enquiry to the extent that it is meant to assist me with
writing a novel rather than the serious business of cultivating my
garden.

Some of the action in my novel is based in Northern Kivu. A character
names all her children after flowers and I decided one must be called
MIMOSA - because I like the name. But I discover that is not native to
Africa. I can get around it by allowing the mother to be similarly
attracted to the name! but would rather use a native plant if possible.
Hence the need for a list. Or has anyone got a suggestion?

Many thanks for any help/advice.

I've looked for this sort of thing before without success.

There is an Africa wide list at African Flowering Plants Database
(URL:http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php),
where you could work through the "distribution" maps.

Aluka also have information on African plants, and you can drill down in
its database as far as DR Congo
(URL:http://www.aluka.org/action/doBrowse...t=6897&t=6901&
br=tax-geo-tdwg%7Cdistributed-in%7Cgeography-country)

Off-line, the nearest thing to a standard flora for the region seems to
be Robyns' Flore des spermatophytes du Parc National Albert (1948-55). I
had assumed that you would need an inter-library loan to get this, but
it turns out that it's online at
URL:http://cd.chm-cbd.net/archives_rdc/a...ns/exploration
-du-parc-national-albert/mission-j-verhoogen-1938-1940

There's a list of plants in The Biodiversity of the Virunga Volcanoes
(URL:http://programs.wcs.org/portals/49/m...es_Biodiv_surv
ey.pdf
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Excellent info, for which many thanks Stewart. I shall delve. Duncan