Cordia somaliensis

Botanical Description

Cordia somaliensis is a scrambling shrub or a bushy tree with several stems from the base; it usually grows around 1.8 - 6 metres tall[ 610 Title Flora of Tropical East Africa Publication Author Beentje H.J. Website http://plants.jstor.org/search?st=396814 Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 2002 ISBN Description Available on-line, a modern flora of East Africa. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Cordia somaliensis has a large extent of occurrence but there is significant decline of the species' coastal dune habitat. In Kenya this is mainly due to the development of tourist facilities whilst in Somalia, the main threat is shifting sands and erosion coupled with increasing human pressure and increasing aridity in the region. It is inferred that over the last three generations there has been a decline in population size of between 30 - 40% based on the rate of habitat loss over the species range. The threat of decline is considerably greater in Kenya then Somalia. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].