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Albany Thickets
The Albany thickets is an ecoregion of dense woodland in southern South Africa, which is concentrated around the Albany region of the Eastern Cape (whence the region's name originates). Geography The thickets grow on well-drained sandy soils in the wide valleys of the Great Fish, Sundays and Gamtoos River in the Eastern Cape and, extending further northwest, in the valleys of the Cape Fold Belt. Thicket is vulnerable to fire and to grazing so has always been restricted to valley areas where these are less of a threat than on open plains. Climate The climate is dry, especially as one proceeds inland, but the shady valleys are cooler than the surrounding terrain which is hot in summer, cold in winter and receives irregular rainfall. Flora The thickets contain many endemic plants, in particular succulent ''Euphorbia'' species and can be divided into three sections of varying habitat. The thicket is richest and most dense in the river valleys near the coast where it contains thorn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Bush Elephant
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body mass of up to . It is distributed across 37 African countries and inhabits forests, grasslands and woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. Since 2021, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is threatened foremost by habitat destruction, and in parts of its range also by poaching for meat and ivory. It is a social mammal, travelling in herds composed of cows and their offspring. Adult bulls usually live alone or in small bachelor groups. It is a herbivore, feeding on grasses, creepers, herbs, leaves, and bark. The menstrual cycle lasts three to four months, and females are pregnant for 22 months, the longest gestation period of any mammal. Taxonomy ''Elephas africanus'' was the scientific name proposed by Jo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamtoos River
Gamtoos River or Gamptoos River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Kouga River and the Groot River and is approximately long with a catchment area of . Course The Gamtoos river system is formed by the Groot, the Kouga and the Baviaanskloof rivers. The latter is a tributary of the Kouga. Although the rainfall in the catchment area is low, it supports a commercial irrigated agriculture in the lower catchment in which oranges, tobacco, citrus fruit and vegetables are grown. There is an estuary where the Gamtoos river enters the Indian Ocean. It is located between Jeffreys Bay and Port Elizabeth and the Gamtoos River Mouth Nature Reserve is in the area. The towns of Hankey, the oldest town situated in the Gamtoos river valley, and Patensie are situated in the lower catchment. Further inland are the towns of Steytlerville, Joubertina, Uniondale, Willowmore and Murraysburg. Tributaries include the Loerie River, Klein River, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it. Overview and history The word fynbos is often confusingly said to mean "fine bush" in Afrikaans, as "bos" means "bush". Typical fynbos foliage is ericoid rather than fine. The term, in its pre-Afrikaans, Dutch form, ''fynbosch'', was recorded by N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schotia Afra
''Schotia afra'' is a flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Detarioideae. It occurs in Southern Africa. The genus was named for Richard van der Schot by Jacquin who was the director of the Imperial Gardens at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna. Van der Schot was his head gardener. Description and ecology The tree is small in stature (max. height 5 m), evergreen, with rigid branches and has a gnarled trunk. The flowers are numerous, bright red to pink in colour and are borne in small clusters during the months of February to March. They are distributed throughout the tree. Flowers produce copious amounts of nectar which attract birds, especially the Lesser Double-collared Sunbird and Malachite Sunbird. The butterfly ''Dantalis'' breeds in the tree. Flowers are followed by attractive, large, lime green to pink seedpods which turn brown when ripe. The seed is dispersed through an explosive seedpod, which when dry, catapults the seeds great distances ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aloe
''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Accessed on: 06 Nov 2022 The most widely known species is ''Aloe vera'', or "true aloe". It is called this because it is cultivated as the standard source for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. Other species, such as '' Aloe ferox'', are also cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications. The APG IV system (2016) places the genus in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae. Within the subfamily it may be placed in the tribe Aloeae.Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards).Asphodelaceae. ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website''. Retrieved 2016-06-09. In the past, it has been assigned to the family Aloaceae (now included in the Asphodeloidae) or to a broadly circumscribed family Liliaceae (the lily family). The plant '' Agave americana'', which is sometimes called ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhigozum Obovatum
''Rhigozum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. ''Rhigozum'' is a flowering shrub or small tree which is native to the drier areas of Africa. It can grow to 3 metres in height. This genus is characterised by branches which are short, rigid and twisting in angular directions. This genus produces flowers between the months of September and December. It is native to the dry, open woodlands and rocky outcrops of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam .... Species * '' Rhigozum brevispinosum'' Kuntze * '' Rhigozum madagascariense'' Drake * '' Rhigozum obovatum'' Burch. * '' Rhigozum somalense'' Hallier f. * '' Rhigozum trichotum'' Burch. * '' Rhigozum trichotomum'' Burch. * '' Rhigozum virgat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euclea Undulata
''Euclea'', from the Greek ''eukleia'' meaning "glory and fame", denotes a group of flowering plants in the Ebenaceae or ebony family. They were described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1774. The genus includes evergreen trees and shrubs, native to Africa, the Comoro Islands and Arabia. Several species are used for timber, producing a hard, dark heartwood timber similar to ebony. Species There are some 16 to 18 species, including: *'' Euclea acutifolia'' E.Mey. ex A.DC. – Cape Province *'' Euclea angolensis'' Gürke – Angola *'' Euclea asperrima'' E.Holzh. – Namibia *'' Euclea balfourii'' Hiern ex Balf.f. *''Euclea coriacea'' A.DC. – Lesotho, South Africa *'' Euclea crispa'' (Thunb.) Gürke – southern Africa *'' Euclea dewinteri'' Retief – Limpopo *''Euclea divinorum'' Hiern – from Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal *'' Euclea lancea'' Thunb. – Cape Province *'' Euclea laurina'' Hiern ex Balf.f. *''Euclea natalensis'' A.DC. – from Somalia to KwaZulu-Natal *''Euclea neghell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacketplum
''Pappea capensis'' is a South African tree in the family Sapindaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Pappea''. Common names Common names include Jacket plum, Indaba tree and bushveld cherry. In other languages, it is known as: ' (Afrikaans); ', ', ' ( Zulu); ', ' (Xhosa); ', ' ( Pedi); ' ( Swati); ', ' (Tsonga). Description The jacket plum (small to medium tree with a height of ) is a long-lived, hardy, evergreen. The greenish flowers are borne on catkins in the axils of the leaves. ''Pappea capensis'' is monoecious with flowers going through a distinct male phase followed by an equally distinct female phase. The trees flower from September to May and the fruit is produced from February to July. The dense crown is popular with nesting birds as it provides good nesting sites. The fruit are furry green capsule diameter that splits to yield an orange-red flesh containing a single black seed. The red fruit is eaten by birds, animals and humans. The jacket plum is relate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boxthorn
''Lycium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The genus has a disjunct distribution around the globe, with species occurring on most continents in temperate and subtropical regions. South America has the most species, followed by North America and southern Africa. There are several scattered across Europe and Asia, and one is native to Australia.Fukuda, T., et al. (2001)Phylogeny and biogeography of the genus ''Lycium'' (Solanaceae): Inferences from chloroplast DNA sequences. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 19(2), 246-58. Common English names for plants of this genus include box-thorn''Lycium''. The Jepson eFlora 2013. and desert-thorn. There are about 70 to 80 [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jade Plant
''Crassula ovata'', commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide. Much of its popularity stems from the low levels of care needed; the jade plant requires little water and can survive in most indoor conditions. It is sometimes referred to as the money tree; however, ''Pachira aquatica'' also has this nickname. Description The jade plant is an evergreen with thick branches. It has thick, shiny, smooth leaves that grow in opposing pairs along the branches. Leaves are a rich jade green, although some may appear to be more of a yellow-green. Some varieties may develop a red tinge on the edges of leaves when exposed to high levels of sunlight. New stem growth is the same colour and texture as the leaves, becoming woody and brown with age. It grows as an upright, round ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portulacaria Afra
''Portulacaria afra'' (known as elephant bush, porkbush, purslane tree and ' in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulent plant found in South Africa. These succulents commonly have a reddish stem and leaves that are green, but also a variegated cultivar is often seen in cultivation. They are simple to care for and make easy houseplants for a sunny location. In frost-free regions they may be used in outdoor landscaping. Description It is a soft-wooded, semi-evergreen upright shrub or small tree, usually tall. It is sometimes confused with '' Crassula ovata'' (Jade plant), which it is not closely related to. ''P. afra'' has smaller and rounder pads and more compact growth (shorter internodal spaces, down to ). It is much hardier, faster growing, more loosely branched, and has more limber tapering branches than ''Crassula'' once established. The genus '' Portulacaria'' has been shown to be an outlier, relatively unrelated to the other genera in the family, which are all restri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euphorbia
''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to the type genus), not just to members of the genus. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees. The genus has roughly 2,000 members, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plants. It also has one of the largest ranges of chromosome counts, along with ''Rumex'' and ''Senecio''. '' Euphorbia antiquorum'' is the type species for the genus ''Euphorbia''. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in ''Species Plantarum''. Some euphorbias are widely available commercially, such as poinsettias at Christmas. Some are commonly cultivated as ornamentals, or collected and highly valued for the aesthetic appearance of their unique floral structures, such as the crown of thorns plant ('' Euphorbia milii'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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