Afrosciadium kerstenii

Afrosciadium kerstenii, synonym Peucedanum kerstenii, is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae. It is native to east tropical Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaïre).^[1] It grows among the giant groundsels (Dendrosenecio) atop of the mountains of east Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Rwenzori Mountains and the Virunga Volcanoes.^[2][3][4]

Afrosciadium kerstenii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Genus:	Afrosciadium
Species:	A. kerstenii
Binomial name
Afrosciadium kerstenii (Engl.) P.J.D.Winter[1]
Synonyms[1]
Anthriscus dissectus C.H.Wright Peucedanum dissectum (C.H.Wright) Dawe Peucedanum kerstenii Engl. Peucedanum mildbraedii H.Wolff Peucedanum wrightii M.Hiroe

Afrosciadium kerstenii is a shrublike^[3] "large hardy perennial" ^[4] umbel that grows to be 2 meters (6 – 7 feet) tall and found on the Ruwenzori Range in woodlands at altitudes of 3,500 - 4,200 meters (11,000 - 14,000 feet),^[3] and on the slopes of all the larger mountains mixed with Hagenia abyssinica.^[4]

Afrosciadium kerstenii on the Shira Plateau of Mount Kilimanjaro

References

1. "Afrosciadium kerstenii (Engl.) P.J.D.Winter", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2020-10-16
2. Aluka. "Peucedanum kerstenii Engl. [family UMBELLIFERAE]". African Plants. Ithaka Harbors, Inc. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
3. H. Peter Linder and Berit Gehrke (2 March 2006). "Common plants of the Rwenzori, particularly the upper zones" (PDF). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of Zurich. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-30. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
4. "VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO". World Conservation Union. 1984. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2008-05-09.