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Maytenus Oleoides
''Maytenus oleoides'', commonly known as the mountain maytenus or rock false candlewood, is a dense, medium-sized tree that grows throughout the western half of South Africa. It is known as klipkershout in Afrikaans. Description The bark of ''Maytenus oleoides'' is greyish-brown, smooth when young but becoming rugged and corky as it ages, with vertical grooves and transverse cracks. The leaves are alternate, oval, with a narrow base, stiff and leathery, mid-green with a bluish tinge. The margins are inrolled and smooth and the apex is rounded, or may be notched. The midribs are ridged, and when the leaves are snapped in half they differ from some other ''Maytenus'' species such as ''Maytenus acuminata'' in not having pale threads linking the halves. The young foliage is reddish. The flowers are small and grow in clusters in the axils of the leaves. The flowering period is normally from August to November but in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, some specimens flower in May a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ludwig Eduard Theodor Loesener
Ludwig Eduard Theodor Lösener (23 November 1865 – 2 June 1941) was a German botanist who collected widely in the field in Germany: Amrum island (1912), the Alps, the Black Forest, Bavaria, Rügen island and County of Tyrol, Tyrol in modern Austria. His speciality was the Aquifoliaceae of the world. He also studied cultivars of ''Ilex'' species. His name is often spelled as 'Loesener' in English sources. In 1941, botanist Albert Charles Smith published a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Celastraceae, as ''Loeseneriella'' in his honour. Works * * Abbreviation The abbreviation Loes. is used to indicate Ludwig Eduard Theodor Lösener as an authority in the description and scientific classification of plants. The International Plant Names Index lists more than 1800 taxon, taxa attributed Lösener. References External links Ludwig Eduard Theodor Loesener on Wikispecies {{DEFAULTSORT:Loesener, Ludwig Eduard Theodor Botanists with author abbreviations 1865 bir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Groot Winterhoek
The Groot Winterhoek mountains are located in the Western Cape province of South Africa and are part of the Cape Fold Belt comprising a watershed area of 552,606 hectares. They rise to a maximum height of 2077 m just north of the town of Tulbagh as Groot Winterhoek peak. The mountains are predominantly made up of Table Mountain sandstone. Up to 83% of the range is still classified as being in a natural state and up to 72% of the range is protected. The towns of Saron and Porterville are located at the foot the mountain range's western side. A plateau in the northern half of the mountains is accessible via the Dasklip Pass. Mammals found in the range include klipspringer, grey rhebok, grysbok, Cape mountain leopard (''Felis leopardus'' var. ''melanotica'' ), caracal, African wild cat, mongoose, and genets. A wide range of indigenous plant species, such as Agathosma, Aspalathus linearis and various proteas (all of which are harvested commercially), naturally grow in the ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brabejum Stellatifolium
''Brabejum'' is a genus of a single species of large evergreen tree, ''Brabejum stellatifolium'' in the family Proteaceae, commonly called wild almond, bitter almond or ghoeboontjie. It is restricted in the wild to South Africa's Western Cape province, where it grows in thickets along the banks of streams. The plant is of botanical interest as being Africa's only member of the large grevilleoid subfamily. It is a bushy small tree with branches widely at ground level and numerous erect vigorous stems. Leaves grow up to 6 in (15 cm) long, narrow and bluntly toothed, appear at intervals along the branches, mostly in whorls of 6. In summer, the plant bears white flowers densely crowded on spikes arising from rusty buds at the leaf axils. The fruits to 2 in (5 cm) long, magenta to reddish brown, similar to an almond, appear in autumn. The nut is too bitter to eat; however, in earlier times it was boiled, roasted, and ground to make a "coffee" drink. This tree has special sig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ilex Mitis
''Ilex mitis'' (commonly called Cape holly, African holly, waterboom or umDuma) is a tall, dense, evergreen tree that is indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It makes an excellent fast-growing hedge for gardens - growing tall, straight and dense. Appearance If not pruned, ''Ilex mitis'' can grow to a height of 20 meters or more. Its trunk is straight, grey or brown and usually spotted while it produces a dense, even canopy. Young growth and leaf-stalks tend to be purple or red. The simply shaped, pointed, shiny-green leaves have wavy margins that are sometimes slightly serrated. The tree can be identified by its purple or maroon leaf stalks and the leaves’ strongly impressed midribs. The small, white, scented flowers appear in spring. Ilex mitis is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The bright red fruits ripen in autumn, creating a colourful display and attracting a variety of birds. Range and habitat This is the only holly (''Ilex'') species nati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiggelaria Africana
''Kiggelaria africana'' (also known as the wild peach or umKokoko) is a large, robust, low-branching African tree, and is currently the only accepted species in the genus ''Kiggelaria''. Despite its common name, ''Kiggelaria africana'' is not related to the more familiar fruit-producing peach tree (''Prunus persica'') although the leaves do look similar, if only very superficially. Unlike peach leaves, they are fairly thick and stiff, with a thin coating of fur on the undersides. Appearance A well-shaped, robust, evergreen tree with grey-green leaves. The smooth bark is pale grey in colour and the tree tends to be low-branching. The wild peach is dioecious (having separate male and female trees) and its tiny flowers are bell-shaped and a yellowish colour. The flowers are followed later in the summer by round, green capsules. These split open once ripe and the seeds, which are each covered in a layer of bright orange-red flesh, are eaten and spread by birds. Distribution This tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cunonia Capensis
''Cunonia capensis'', the butterspoon tree, butterknife tree, African red alder, red alder or rooiels, is a small tree found in the afromontane forests of southern Africa, and along rivers. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens for its attractive glossy foliage and its clusters of tiny, scented, white flowers. It is the only one of 24 species of '' Cunonia'' to occur outside of New Caledonia in the Pacific. Appearance ''Cunonia capensis'' is a beautiful specimen tree, especially for southern African gardens. Its foliage is glossy, with tints of red, and it produces sprays of dense, fragrant, cream-coloured flowers from February to May (late austral summer to autumn). The flowers are bisexual and attract butterflies and honey bees. The fine seeds appear in tiny two-horned capsules, and are dispersed by birds and by wind. The large stipules which enclose the growth tip are pressed together in a spoon-like structure, giving the tree one of its common names, the butterspoon tree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire(bushfires in Australia, in Australia), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Fire ecology, Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Wildfires are distinct from beneficial human usage of wildland fire, called controlled burn, controlled burning, although controlled burns can turn into wildfires. Fossil charcoal indicates that wildfires began soon after the appearance of terrestrial plants approximately 419 million years ago during the Silurian period. Earth's carbon-rich vegetation, seasonally dry climates, atmospheric oxygen, and widespread lightning and volcanic ignitions create favorable conditions for fires. The occurre ... [...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 Nob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end is Table Mountain, overlooking Table Bay and the city bowl of Cape Town, South Africa. The peninsula is 52 km long from Mouille point in the north to Cape Point in the south. The Peninsula has been an island on and off for the past 5 million years, as sea levels fell and rose with the Glacial period, ice age and interglacial global warming cycles of, particularly, the Pleistocene. The last time that the Peninsula was an island was about 1.5 million years ago. Soon afterwards it was joined to the mainland by the Geology of Cape Town#Tertiary to Recent events, emergence from the sea of the sandy area now known as the Cape Flats. The towns and villages of the Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats, and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Table Mountain
Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top. Table Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in South Africa, attracting 4.2 million people every year for various activities. The mountain has 8,200 plant species, of which around 80% are fynbos, meaning fine bush. It forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, and part of the lands formerly ranged by Khoe-speaking clans, such as the (the "High Clan"). It is home to a large array of mostly endemic fauna and flora. Features The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately from side to side, edged by steep cliffs. The plateau, flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and by Lion's Head to the west, forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. This broad sweep of mount ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Cape
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 S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini. It also completely enclaves the country Lesotho. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the second-most populous country located entirely south of the equator, after Tanzania. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with unique biomes, plant and animal life. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 24th-most populous nation and covers an area of . South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town respectively. The largest city is Johannesburg. About 80% of the population are Black South Afri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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