Fern-Leaf
Filicium decipiens
Photographed in a Nairobi urban landscape, Kenya. March 2013.
People find the foliage and form of this small tree very appealing. As a result, this native of Kenya has been brought into cultivation and distributed world wide through the nursery trade
The leaves are shiny and dark green. The winged rachis gives it a fern-like appearance. Large panicles of small white flowers give rise to purple-black fruits containing single, very hard seeds.
This small katydid (right), an ant-mimic, was found feeding upon the leaves in
Eldoret, Kenya.