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Guassa Community Conservation Area
The Guassa Community Conservation Area (GCCA) is a protected area in central Ethiopia. It is one of the oldest known common property resource management in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been the focus of an indigenous natural resource management institution, known as “Qero,” system for over 400 yearsZelealem Tefera Ashenafi and Leader-Williams, N. (2005) Indigenous Common Property Resource Management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. Human Ecology, 33: 539-563. It is located 80 km off the main highway, and is home to numerous endemic birds and wildlife species, including the iconic Ethiopian wolfZelealem Tefera Ashenafi, Coulson, T, Sillero-Zubiri, C, and Leader-Williams, N. (2005) Behavior and ecology of the Ethiopian wolf in a human-dominated landscape outside protected areas. Animal Conservation, 8:1-9. and the Ethiopian gelada. The high altitude Afro-alpine ''Festuca'' grassland, or ‘Guassa” grass gives the area its name. Location GCCA lies at a latitude of 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Menz
Menz or Manz ( am, መንዝ, romanized: ''Mänz'') is a former subdivision of Ethiopia, located inside the boundaries of the modern Semien Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region. William Cornwallis Harris described Menz as lying "westward" of Gedem but between that former province and Marra Biete. Donald Levine explains that Menz was divided into three parts: Mama Meder in the center; Lalo Meder in the south; and Gera Meder in the north. Further, he defines its boundaries as "the Mofar River in the south, the Adabay and Wanchet rivers in the west, the Qechene River in the north, and in the east a long chain of mountains which pour forth the waters that drain across Manz and which divide it from the lowlands of Efrata, Gedem, and Qawat." This would roughly equate to the modern woredas of Gera Midirna Keya Gebriel and Mam Midrina Lalo Midir. History The Shewa Amhara came to prominence later in the history of the Ethiopian Empire than other provinces, but were instrumental in shapi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liturgical Language
A sacred language, holy language or liturgical language is any language that is cultivated and used primarily in church service or for other religious reasons by people who speak another, primary language in their daily lives. Concept A sacred language is often the language which was spoken and written in the society in which a religion's sacred texts were first set down; these texts thereafter become fixed and holy, remaining frozen and immune to later linguistic developments. (An exception to this is Lucumí, a ritual lexicon of the Cuban strain of the Santería religion, with no standardized form.) Once a language becomes associated with religious worship, its believers may ascribe virtues to the language of worship that they would not give to their native tongues. In the case of sacred texts, there is a fear of losing authenticity and accuracy by a translation or re-translation, and difficulties in achieving acceptance for a new version of a text. A sacred language is typ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euryops
''Euryops'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family. They are native mostly to rocky sites in southern Africa, with a few species in other parts of Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula. They produce daisy-like flowerheads from fern-like foliage. The name ''Euryops'' is probably a contraction of the Greek words () meaning 'wide,' and () meaning 'eye,' possibly referring to the large flowerheads compared to the narrow leaves. ; Species ; Gallery Euryops abrotanifolius - Cape Town.jpg, '' Euryops abrotanifolius'', Western Cape, South Africa File:Euryops acraeus 1.JPG, '' Euryops acraeus'' File:Euryops annae 2c.JPG, '' Euryops annae'' File:Euryops brownei 02.jpg, '' Euryops brownei'', Kenya File:Margaritón - Margarita amarilla (Euryops chrysanthemoides) - Flickr - Alejandro Bayer.jpg, ''Euryops chrysanthemoides'', South Africa File:Euryops linearis KirstenboschBotGard09292010D.JPG, '' Euryops linearis'', Western Cape, South Africa File:Euryops pectinatus (hortul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asphodelaceae
Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 40 genera and 900 known species. The type genus is ''Asphodelus''. The family has a wide but scattered distribution throughout the tropics and temperate zones. Many of the species are cultivated as ornamentals. A few are grown commercially for cut flowers. Two species of '' Aloe'' are grown for their leaf sap, which has medicinal and cosmetic uses. ''Xanthorrhoea'' is endemic to Australia. Description Members of the Asphodelaceae are diverse, with few characters uniting the three subfamilies currently recognized. The presence of anthraquinones is one common character. The flowers (the inflorescence) are typically borne on a leafless stalk ( scape) which arises from a basal rosette of leaves. The individual flowers have jointed stalks ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kniphofia Foliosa
''Kniphofia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794. Species are native to Africa. Common names include tritoma, red hot poker, torch lily and poker plant. Description Herbaceous species and hybrids have narrow, grass-like leaves long, while evergreen species have broader, strap-shaped foliage up to long. All plants produce spikes of upright, brightly coloured flowers well above the foliage, in shades of red, orange and yellow, often bicoloured. The flowers produce copious nectar while blooming and are attractive to bees and sunbirds. In the New World, they may attract nectarivores such as hummingbirds and New World orioles. Etymology The genus ''Kniphofia'' is named after Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German physician and botanist. Species There are about 73 described species, including two hybrids. # ''Kniphofia acraea'' Codd - Cape Provinces of South Africa # ''Kniphofia albescens'' Codd - Mp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carex Fischeri
''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' may be called true sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of ''Carex'' is known as caricology. Description All species of ''Carex'' are perennial, although some species, such as '' C. bebbii'' and '' C. viridula'' can fruit in their first year of growth, and may not survive longer. They typically have rhizomes, stolons or short rootstocks, but some species grow in tufts (caespitose). The culm – the flower-bearing stalk – is unbranched and usually erect. It is usually distinctly triangular in section. The leaves of ''Carex'' comprise a blade, which extends away from the stalk, and a sheath, which encloses part of the stalk. The blade is normally long and flat, but may be folded, inrolled, cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carex Monostachya
''Carex monostachya'' is a species of sedge native to the mountains of East Africa. Distribution and ecology ''Carex monostachya'' lives at altitudes of above sea level in Afromontane region, including Mount Kenya, the Aberdare Range and Mount Elgon. It grows in the upper bamboo and ''Hagenia'' forests, in grassland in the ericaceous belt, and in shallow water near glaciers. ''Carex monostachya'' can be the dominant species in the bogs found on the mountains' higher reaches. Other plants found in the same habitat include the giant senecios of the genus ''Dendrosenecio'', the gentian '' Swertia crassiuscula'', the buttercup '' Ranunculus oreophytus'' and the thistle '' Carduus keniensis''. Taxonomy ''Carex monostachya'' was described by Achille Richard Achille Richard was a French botanist, botanical illustrator and physician (27 April 1794 in Paris – 5 October 1852). Biography Achille was the son of the botanist Louis-Claude Marie Richard (1754–1821). He was a phar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alchemilla
''Alchemilla'' is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Rosaceae, with the common name lady's mantle applied generically as well as specifically to ''Alchemilla mollis'' when referred to as a garden plant. The plant used as a herbal tea or for medicinal usage such as gynaecological disorders is '' Alchemilla xanthochlora'' or in Middle Europe the so-called common lady's mantle ''Alchemilla vulgaris''. There are about 700 species, the majority native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of Europe and Asia, with a few species native to the mountains of Africa and the Americas. Most species of ''Alchemilla'' are clump-forming or mounded perennials with basal leaves arising from woody rhizomes. Some species have leaves with lobes that radiate from a common point and others have divided leaves—both are typically fan-shaped with small teeth at the tips. The long-stalked, gray-green to green leaves are often covered with soft hairs, and show a high degree of water-re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helichrysum
The genus ''Helichrysum'' consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is ''Helichrysum orientale''. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name is derived from the Anicent Greek words (helios, sun) and (, gold). It occurs in Africa (with 244 species in South Africa), Madagascar, Australasia and Eurasia. The plants may be annuals, herbaceous perennials or shrubs, growing to a height of . The genus was a wastebasket taxon, and many of its members have been reclassified in smaller genera, most notably the Everlastings, now in the genus ''Xerochrysum''. Their leaves are oblong to lanceolate. They are flat and pubescent on both sides. The bristles of the pappus are scabrous, barbellate, or plumose. The receptacle (''base of the flower head'') is often smooth, with a fringed margin, or honey-combed, and resemble daisies. They may be in almost all colors, except blue. There are man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erica (plant)
''Erica'' is a genus of roughly 857 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names heath and heather are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance. The genus ''Calluna'' was formerly included in ''Erica'' – it differs in having even smaller scale-leaves (less than 2–3 mm long), and the flower corolla consisting of separate petals. ''Erica'' is sometimes referred to as "winter (or spring) heather" to distinguish it from ''Calluna'' "summer (or autumn) heather". Etymology The Latin word ''erica'' means "heath" or "broom". It is believed that Pliny adapted ''erica'' from Ancient Greek ἐρείκη. The expected Anglo-Latin pronunciation, , may be given in dictionaries (''OED'': "Erica"), but is more commonly heard. Description Most of the species of ''Erica'' are small shrubs from high, though some are taller; the tallest are '' E. arborea'' (tree heath) and '' E. scoparia'' (besom heath), both of which can reach up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lobelia Deckenii
''Lobelia deckenii'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Campanulaceae. It is a giant lobelia endemic to the mountains of Tanzania. It is listed as a threatened plant of the forests of Cherangani hills, Kenya. It grows in moist areas, such as valley bottoms and moorland, in contrast to ''Lobelia telekii'' which grows in a similar but drier habitat. These two species produce occasional hybrids. ''Lobelia deckenii'' plants usually produce multiple rosettes. Each rosette grows for several decades, produces a single large inflorescence and hundreds of thousands of seeds, then dies. Because individual plants have multiple rosettes, they survive to reproduce repeatedly, and plants with more rosettes flower more frequently. It is iteroparous. ''Lobelia deckenii'' plants usually form between one and eighteen rosettes which are connected underground. The individual rosettes grow slowly in the alpine environment, and may take decades to reach reproductive size. The rosette that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it is considered an imprecise merging of separate though related rift and fault systems. This valley extends northward for 5,950 km through the eastern part of Africa, through the Red Sea, and into Western Asia. Several deep, elongated lakes, called ribbon lakes, exist on the floor of this rift valley: Lakes Malawi, Rudolf and Tanganyika are examples of such lakes. The region has a unique ecosystem and contains a number of Africa's wildlife parks. The term Great Rift Valley is most often used to refer to the valley of the East African Rift, the divergent plate boundary which extends from the Afar Triple Junction southward through eastern Africa, and is in the process of splitting the African Plate into two new and separate plates. Geologi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
