Nightshade Bush
Solanum
Observed in shrubland near Machakos, Kenya, Africa. May 2017.
Sharp, strong thorns on durable woody branches. It is also rarely consumed by goat or cattle in part because of those sharp thorns. But mostly, mammalian herbivores avoid it because the foliage is laced with very bitter and toxic alkaloids. There are many species of Solanum present in Kenya. In addition many of these species are highly variable making distinguishing them difficult.