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Crassula Atropurpurea
''Crassula atropurpurea'' (Purple Crassula) is a succulent plant, very common and widespread in the southern Karoo regions of South Africa and Namibia. Description This species is extremely variable. It is typically a small (up to 60 cm), shrubby perennial, with erect, branching stems. Its leaves are erect, or only slightly twisted across the stem. The leaves are sessile and packed evenly along the stems. Each leaf is typically linear-obovate (though this varies greatly), and has a slightly waxy surface. During drought or sun exposure, the leaves can develop a purple colour. Its slender spike-like inflorescence bears pale yellow-white flowers. The key distinguishing character of this species is its roughly canaliculate dorsal petal appendage. Varieties var. ''atropurpurea'' The type variety is the most widespread and variable in appearance. Key features for identifying it include: * The leaf surface is smooth or papillate, but never hairy. * There are 3-4 (rarely 2 or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Succulent Plant
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meaning "juice" or "sap". Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaf, leaves and Plant stem, stems. The water content of some succulent organs can get up to 90–95%, such as ''Glottiphyllum semicyllindricum'' and ''Mesembryanthemum barkleyii''. Some definitions also include roots, thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs may be regarded as succulents. The habitats of these water-preserving plants are often in areas with high temperatures and low rainfall, such as deserts, but succulents may be found even in Alpine climate, alpine ecosystems growing in rocky soil. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince Albert, Western Cape
Prince Albert ( af, Prins Albert) is a small town in the Western Cape in South Africa. It is located on the southern edge of the Great Karoo, at the foot of the Swartberg mountains. In recent years the moniker the "''Franschhoek of the Karoo''" has been used to describe the town's appeal to the art community and wealthier South Africans, many of whom have become residents of the town. History Prince Albert was founded in 1762 on a farm called Queekvalleij.The Great Karoo.com, ''Prince Albert Tourism Info'', available URL:http://www.thegreatkaroo.com/listings/tourism_info/western_cape/great_karoo/prince_albert, accessed: 11 February 2015 Originally known as Albertsburg, when it obtained municipal status in 1845 it was renamed Prince Albert in honour of Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Prince Albert was historically part of the Cape Colony. During the latter part of the century, a nugget of gold was discovered on a farm in the area. Due to the fact that a sim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crassula
''Crassula'' is a genus of succulent plants containing about 200 accepted species, including the popular jade plant (''Crassula ovata''). They are members of the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) and are native to many parts of the globe, but cultivated varieties originate almost exclusively from species from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Crassulas are usually propagated by stem or leaf cuttings. Most cultivated forms will tolerate some small degree of frost, but extremes of cold or heat will cause them to lose foliage and die. Taxonomy ''Crassula'' was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 with 10 species. Etymology The name crassula comes from the Latin adjective ''crassus'', meaning thick, referring to the thickening of the succulent leaves. List of selected species *''Crassula alata'' *'' Crassula alba'' *''Crassula alpestris'' (Sand-Coated Crassula) *'' Crassula alstonii'' *''Crassula aquatica'' (common pigmyweed, water pygmyweed) *'' Crassula arbore ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oudtshoorn
Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world", is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Two ostrich-feather booms, during 1865–1870 and 1900–1914, truly established the settlement. With approximately 60,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the Little Karoo region. The town's economy is primarily reliant on the ostrich farming and tourism industries. Oudtshoorn is home to the world's largest ostrich population, with a number of specialised ostrich breeding farms, such as the Safari Show Farm and the Highgate Ostrich Show Farm , as told by Mnr. Pierre D. Toit. Bhongolethu is a township east of Oudtshoorn. Derived from Xhosa, its name means "our pride". History Settlement The pioneer farmers in the area that would be known as Oudtshoorn arrived in the 1750s, and became well-established in the area by the end of the 18th century. In addition to rearing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Karoo
The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent is also not precisely defined. The Karoo is partly defined by its topography, geology and climate, and above all, its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold.Potgieter, D.J. & du Plessis, T.C. (1972) ''Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa''. Vol. 6. pp. 306–307. Nasou, Cape Town.''Reader’s Digest Illustrated Guide to Southern Africa''. (5th Ed. 1993). pp. 78–89. Reader’s Digest Association of South Africa Pty. Ltd., Cape Town. The Karoo also hosted a well-preserved ecosystem hundreds of million years ago which is now represented by many fossils. The ǃ’Aukarob formed an almost impenetrable barrier to the interior from Cape Town, and the early adventurers, explorers, hunters, and travelers o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Cape Province
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province. The two largest cities are Cape Town and George. Geography The Western Cape Province is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about northwards along the Atlantic coast and about eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is , about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Namaqualand
Namaqualand (khoekhoe: "Nama-kwa" meaning Nama Khoe people's land) is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of . It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions – Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the north. Little Namaqualand is within the Namakwa District Municipality, forming part of Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It is geographically the largest district in the country, spanning over 26,836 km2. A typical municipality is Kamiesberg Local Municipality. The semidesert Succulent Karoo region experiences hot summers, sparse rainfall, and cold winters.Discover South Africa: Your Online Travel Directory. Discover Namakwa. Great Namaqualand in the Karas Region of Namibia, is sparsely populated by the Namaqua, a Khoikhoi people who have traditionally inhabited the Namaqualand region. Tourism The area’s landscape ranges from an unexploited coast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of river systems; the Zambezi River being the most prominent. The Zambezi flows from the northwest corner of Zambia and western Angola to the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique. Along the way, the Zambezi River flows over the mighty Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a major tourist attraction for the region. Southern Africa includes both subtropical and temperate climates, with the Tropic of Capricorn running through the middle of the region, dividing it into its subtropical and temperate halves. Countries commonly included in Southern Africa include Angola, Botswana, the Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crassula Nudicaulis
''Crassula nudicaulis'' is a succulent plant native to South Africa (the Cape Provinces, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Provinces), and Lesotho. Description ''Crassula nudicaulis'' is a perennial succulent herb with a thickened taproot and several low rosettes of basal leaves. Plants are somewhat variable in appearance and there are several subspecies over the plant's wide range. The leaves of this species can turn brown, but they do not adopt the brick red hues sometimes taken on by ''Crassula subacaulis'' and ''Crassula clavata''. The inflorescence is a spike, with bracts that are not ciliate; the lowest one to three pairs of bracts have no flowers in the axils but the others do. The flowers are turned upwards, they have yellow anthers and distinctive dorsal appendages. This species is closely related to ''Crassula cotyledonis'', which is a more robust species that has marginal leaf-hair in more than one line. It can also be confused with ''Crassula clav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crassula Pubescens
''Crassula pubescens'' is a succulent plant, common and widespread in the southern Karoo regions of South Africa. Description A small (up to 40 cm), shrubby perennial, with delicate, erect stems and pubescent (velvety) leaves that are 1-3 cm long. The peduncle emerges above the leaves of the rosette. The peduncle is 3-15 cm long, with one or two bract-pairs (not 15-40 cm long with 2-5 bract pairs like those of ''Crassula subacaulis''). The tips of its 2-3mm long petals are roughly twice as long as they are broad, and have rounded appendages (not beaked/rostrate like those of ''Crassula atropurpurea''). Subspecies This species is variable, and several subspecies exist, which differ in their core features: * sbsp. ''pubescens'': The main subspecies has erect, non-rooting branches that are visible between the pubescent-to-papillate leaves. Its petal appendages are elongated ovally rounded. * sbsp. ''radicans'' (Haw.) Tölk.: This eastern subspecies has smooth leaves and s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crassula Cotyledonis
''Crassula cotyledonis'' is a succulent plant endemic to the arid Namaqualand and Karoo regions of South Africa. Description This plant forms a low, sparse rosette. Its tiny, woody stem is short and against the ground. Its flattened, ovate (sickle/moon-shaped) leaves are usually a light grey-green colour, and can vary from narrowly-ovate (e.g. in the Karoo), to broadly ovate. The greyish leaves are pubescent (velvety) and the fine velvety fur points backward. There is also a line of short hairs along the leaf-margins. The tiny, closed-tubular, globular flowers have 2-3 mm long petals, and are held in rounded bunches along the long, elongated flower-stem (peduncle 8-15 cm). This species is closely related to ''Crassula nudicaulis'', and resembles it in many ways. However, ''C. cotyledonis'' can always be distinguished by the cilia on the margins of the infertile bracts lower on its peduncle, which are not in one single row. The cilia on the margins near the tips of the lea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crassula Cultrata
''Crassula cultrata'' (Sharp-leaved Crassula) is a succulent plant native to the southern parts of South Africa (the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal). Description A small, erect, branching shrub (20-80 cm in height) with rounded, yellow-green leaves that have sharp, red-brown, cartilaginous margins. The leaf tip is typically rounded or obtuse. The succulent leaves are flattened, and ob-lanceolate or knife-shaped ("cultrata"). This shape, and the sharp, cartilaginous edges of its leaves, are distinctive. In December/January it produces elongated flower stems (12-40 cm), each with several loosely-held clumps of yellowish flowers (one of which is terminal). Each flower has black anthers and 3,5-4,5 mm long, cream coloured petals. The loose arrangement of the flowers is a key diagnostic character of this species. Relatives This species is related to ''Crassula atropurpurea'', ''Crassula subaphylla'', ''Crassula cotyledonis'', ''Crassula pubescens'' and ''Crassula nudicaul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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