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Cape Flats Dune Strandveld
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld is an endangered vegetation type. This is a unique type of Cape Strandveld that is endemic to the coastal areas around Cape Town, including the Cape Flats. Habitat ''Strandveld'' means “beach scrub” in the Afrikaans language. It covers and stabilises sand dunes on the beaches around Cape Town, and is incredibly colourful in spring when it bursts into flower. It supports a very high biomass of browsing animals, and in the past it was grazed by large herds. The strongly alkaline, calcareous dune sand of the coast lies over a base of older limestone. In some places, this limestone juts out of the dune sand, and forms impressive beach cliffs. Succulents form a high proportion of Strandveld plants, consequently, fires are much less common in Strandveld than in the neighbouring Fynbos vegetation. Cape Flats Dune Strandveld is endangered. More than half of the Cape’s Strandveld has been lost to urbanisation and the building of beach resorts, and only 14 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld - Wolfgat - Cape Town
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a Hood (headgear), hood in the Chaperon (headgear), chaperon. They have had periodic returns to fashion - for example, in nineteenth-century Europe. Roman Catholic clergy wear a type of cape known as a ferraiolo, which is worn for formal events outside a ritualistic context. The cope is a liturgical vestment in the form of a cape. Capes are often highly decorated with elaborate embroidery. Capes remain in regular use as rainwear in various military units and police forces, in France for example. A gas cape was a voluminous military garment designed to give rain protection to someone wearing the bulky gas masks used in twentieth-century wars. Rich noblemen and elite warriors of the Aztec Empire would wear a tilmàtli; a Mesoamerican cloak/cape used as a symbol of thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olea Exasperata
''Olea'' ( ) is a genus of about 40 species in the family Oleaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Middle East, southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia, and Australasia. They are evergreen trees and shrubs, with small, opposite, entire leaves. The fruit is a drupe. Leaves of ''Olea'' contain trichosclereids. For humans, the most important and familiar species is by far the olive (''Olea europaea''), native to the Mediterranean region, Africa, southwest Asia, and the Himalayas, which is the type species of the genus. The native olive (''O. paniculata'') is a larger tree, attaining a height of 15–18 m in the forests of Queensland, and yielding a hard and tough timber. The yet harder wood of the black ironwood ''O. capensis'', an inhabitant of Natal, is important in South Africa. ''Olea'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including double-striped pug. Species Species accepted: # '' Olea ambrensis'' H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Guarri
''Euclea racemosa'' (the sea guarrie or dune guarrie) is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree that is indigenous to the Indian Ocean coast of Africa from Egypt to South Africa, as well as in Comoros, Oman and Yemen. ''Euclea racemosa'' has leathery foliage that can be exceptionally even and dense - making it an ideal plant for hedges. A dioecious tree (male and female flowers on separate trees), it produces small white flowers, which are followed by red, purple and black fruits that attract birds. The berries are used locally to make "Guarrie vinegar". The name guarrie appears to derive from the local Khoe language, in which it is spelled gwarri. Pictures File:Euclea racemosa - Sea Guarrie Tree - flowers 6.JPG, Detail of inflorescence. File:Euclea racemosa - Sea Guarrie Tree - berries 7.JPG, The characteristic multi-coloured berries of the Sea Guarrie tree. File:Euclea racemosa - Sea Guarrie Tree - berries 2.JPG, Detail of berries. File:Euclea racemosa - Dune Guarrie hedge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dimorphotheca Pluvialis
''Dimorphotheca pluvialis,'' common names white African daisy, Cape marigold, weather prophet, Cape rain-daisy, ox-eye daisy, Cape daisy or rain daisy, is a plant species native to South Africa and Namibia. It is sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in California. ''Dimorphotheca pluvialis'' is an annual herb up to 40 cm (16 in) tall. It has long, narrow leaves, sometimes entire but sometimes toothed or pinnately lobed. Ray flowers are white to yellowish, sometimes with blue or purple markings. Disc flowers are usually white to yellowish with purple tips.Moench, Conrad. Methodus Plantas Horti Botanici et Agri Marburgensis : a staminum situ describendi 585. 1794. References External linksphoto of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in South Africa {{Taxonbar, from=Q13036412 pluvialis '' Pluvialis '' is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senecio Burchellii
''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family ( Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Morphology The flower heads are normally rayed with the heads borne in branched clusters, and usually completely yellow, but green, purple, white and blue flowers are known as well. In its current circumscription, the genus contains species that are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, small trees, aquatics or climbers. The only species which are trees are the species formerly belonging to '' Robinsonia'' occurring on the Juan Fernández Islands. Chemistry Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are found in all ''Senecio'' species. These alkaloids serve as a natural biocides to deter or even kill animals that would eat them. Livestock generally do not find them palatable. ''Senecio'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senecio Elegans
''Senecio elegans'' is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names redpurple ragwort, purple groundsel, wild cineraria and purple ragwort. Description It is an annual herb producing a single, erect, branching stem which grows to a maximum height around 60 centimeters. The leaves have blades up to about 8 centimeters long which are deeply cut or divided into several toothed lobes. The herbage is somewhat hairy and glandular, sticky to the touch. The inflorescence bears flower heads lined with black-tipped phyllaries. They contain many yellowish disc florets at the center. Each has usually 13 ray florets 1 to 1.5 centimeters long which can be most any shade of red-purple. Distribution It is native to southern Africa, and it is cultivated as an ornamental plant for its colorful flowers. It has been known to escape cultivation and become naturalized in areas of appropriate climate; it can be found growing wild in parts of New Zealand, Australia, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geranium
''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. The palmately cleft leaves are broadly circular in form. The flowers have five petals and are coloured white, pink, purple or blue, often with distinctive veining. Geraniums will grow in any soil as long as it is not waterlogged. Propagation is by semiripe cuttings in summer, by seed, or by division in autumn or spring. Geraniums are eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail, ghost moth, and mouse moth. At least several species of ''Geranium'' are gynodioecious. The species ''Geranium viscosissimum'' (sticky geranium) is considered to be protocarnivorous. Name The genus name is derived from the Greek (''géranos'') or (''geranós'') ' crane'. The English name ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Restio
''Restio'' is a genus of flowering plants within the family Restionaceae, described in 1772.Rottbøll, Christen Friis. 1772. Descriptiones Plantarum Rariorum 9 The entire genus is endemic to South Africa (Cape Province and KwaZulu-Natal). In common with a number of other genera in the Restionaceae, restios are widely cultivated for use as garden ornamentals for their attractive nodular foliage. They are mildly frost hardy. ; Species * '' Restio acockii'' * '' Restio adpressus'' * '' Restio affinis'' * '' Restio albotuberculatus'' * '' Restio alticola'' * '' Restio andreaeanus'' * '' Restio anomalus'' * '' Restio arcuatus'' * '' Restio aridus'' * '' Restio asperus'' * '' Restio aureolus'' * '' Restio bifarius'' * '' Restio bifidus'' * ''Restio bifurcus'' * '' Restio bolusii'' * '' Restio brachiatus'' * '' Restio brunneus'' * ''Restio burchellii'' * ''Restio caespitosus'' * ''Restio calcicola'' * ''Restio capensis'' * ''Restio capillaris'' * ''Restio cedar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesembryanthemum
''Mesembryanthemum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Aizoaceae; like many members of this family, it is characterized by long-lasting flower heads. Flowers of ''Mesembryanthemum'' protect their gametes from night-time dews or frosts but open in sunlight. There is an obvious evolutionary advantage to doing this; where sun, dew, frost, wind or predators are likely to damage exposed reproductive organs, closing may be advantageous during times when flowers are unlikely to attract pollinators. It is indigenous to southern Africa. Many ''Mesembryanthemum'' species are known as ice plants because of the glistening globular bladder cells covering their stems, fruit and leaves, "... they sparkle like ice crystals". In South Africa, Mesembryanthemums are known as "vygies" (from Afrikaans "vy"), although this term refers to many plants in the family Aizoaceae. Species formerly placed in ''Mesembryanthemum'' have been transferred to other genera, such as ''Cleretum'', '' Carpob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carpobrotus Edulis
''Carpobrotus edulis'' is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus '' Carpobrotus'', native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot-fig, sour fig, ice plant or highway ice plant. Description ''Carpobrotus edulis'' is a creeping, mat-forming succulent species. It grows year round, with individual shoot segments growing more than 1 m (3 ft) per year. It can grow to at least 50 m (165 ft) in diameter. The leaves are a dull-green or yellow-green colour. They are only very slightly curved and have serrated sides near the tips. The yellow flowers are produced from April to October, and range from in diameter. Two of the calyx lobes are longer, extending further than the petals. The flowers open in the morning in bright sunlight and close at night. The receptacle is somewhat wedge-shaped, tapering down to the pedicel. The fruit is multi-chambered, ripening from green to yellow. The species is easily confused with its close relative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carpobrotus Acinaciformis
''Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' (commonly known as Elands sourfig, Elandssuurvy or Sally-my-handsome) is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa. Description All species of ''Carpobrotus'' ("sour fig") form sprawling succulent groundcovers. The flowers of ''C. acinaciformis'' are a bright pink-purple colour. The five calyx lobes are all short, and of relatively similar length (unlike those of '' C. edulis''). The receptacle is sub-globose in shape (rarely slightly oblong), tapering only slightly down to where it meets the stalk. The top of the ovary is often slightly depressed in the centre. The leaves of ''C. acinaciformis'' are stout, scimitar-shaped ("acinaciform") and have the shape of an isosceles triangle in cross-section, if cut perpendicularly. They have a dull glaucous-green colour (sometimes with reddish edges or angles). Distribution This species is naturally endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa. Its natural habitat is coastal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhus Glauca
''Searsia glauca'' (or the blue kuni-rhus) is a small, compact tree or bush that is commonly found along the coastline of southern Africa. Although commonest near the coast, it is also found inland among fynbos vegetation. Description The leaves are characteristically glossy/shiny and often a slightly glaucous (blue-green) colour. The leaves are trifoliate, with three obtuse (obcordate-cuneate) leaflets. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The fruits reach a maximum diameter of 5 mm (distinguishing it from '' Searsia undulata'' which has 3mm fruits).Coates Palgrave, M. (2002) ''Trees of southern Africa''. Struik, Cape Town. Distribution This species occurs along the coast of South Africa, as well as in certain areas inland. It occurs from Velddrif Velddrif (the name of the town) or Velddrift (the name of the farm on which the town was established), is a coastal fishing town in the Bergrivier Local Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
