Join us as we learn the names of trees in Luhya. Today we get to know facts, cultural importance and uses of embano through stories, taboos, beliefs and science.
Quick facts about Embano
Not to be confused with kumubano, the Bukusu word for knife.
Scientific Name
Type and how it looks like
Flowering plant that is multistemmed at the base and grows into a crown of slender erect branches.
Common names:
Striped dracaena, compact dracaena, and corn plant.
Other Luhya names for Embano:
Lukhuba, Likuvu (Maragoli), Lukhuvu
Interesting facts and importance of Embano in Luhya culture
- Among trees and shrubs of Kakamega Forest National Reserve.
- Alongside the plant known as kinagosi in Kimaragoli, embano was used in boundary demarcation among the Maragoli, and indeed across all tribes of the Luhya of Kenya. Kindly note that drawing of boundaries among the Luhya is an important task that is undertaken by men of the clan only under certain strict rules and once done, carries heavy cultural fines and taboos if interfered with.
- Can also be used as a hedge.
- The Isukha of Kakamega following certain rituals use embano to make bulls fierce during bullfighting.
- In contemporary times, embano has found use as an extremely popular indoor plant. It is a forgiving plant that’s evergreen, can survive low light conditions, doesn’t require much water and is said to be a perfect filter of benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene from air, purifying indoor conditions.
References
- Image [Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
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