|
Bvumba Mountains
The Bvumba Mountains or Vumba Mountains straddle the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, and are situated some 10 km south east of Mutare. The Bvumba rise to Castle Beacon at 1,911 metres, and are, together with the Chimanimani Mountains to the south and Nyanga Mountains to the north, part of the Eastern Highlands of the Manicaland and adjacent Manica provinces. They are referred to as the "Mountains of the Mist" (Bvumba being the Shona word for "mist"), as so often the early morning starts with a mist which clears by mid-morning. Although lying mostly within Zimbabwe, the mountains extend north-eastward to Mount Vumba (or Monte Vumba) in Mozambique. They are capped by cool, green hills which shelter country hotels, a casino and golf course at the Leopard Rock Hotel and a Botanical Garden with one of the best views in Africa. The mountains are also known for their coffee plantations. Access On the Zimbabwean side, the Mountains are accessible by a tarred road from Mutare. The Mozamb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castle Beacon
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified house, fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; from a ''pleasance'' which was a walled-in residence for nobility, but not adequately fortified; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Use of the term has varied over time and has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th-20th century homes built to resemble castles. Over the approximately 900 years when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protea
''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, possibly because they have such a wide variety of forms. Linnaeus's genus was formed by merging a number of genera previously published by Herman Boerhaave, although precisely which of Boerhaave's genera were included in Linnaeus's ''Protea'' varied with each of Linnaeus's publications. Taxonomy The family Proteaceae to which ''Protea'' species belong is an ancient one among angiosperms. Evidence from pollen fossils suggests Proteaceae ancestors grew in Gondwana, in the Upper Cretaceous, 75–80 million years ago. The Proteaceae are divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Pterogonus
''Encephalartos pterogonus'' is a species of cycad that is native to Mount Mruwere (Monte Urueri) and adjacent mountains in the Manica province of Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi .... Description It is a cycad with an erect stem, up to 1.5 m tall and with a diameter of about 40 cm, sometimes with secondary stems that originate from suckers that arise at the base of the main stem. The leaves, pinnate, 1.2-1.5 m long, are arranged in a crown at the apex of the stem and are supported by a 4-8 cm long petiole; each leaf is composed of several pairs of dark green lanceolate leaflets, on average 15-18 cm long. It is a dioecious species with male specimens showing 1-3 cones, spindle-shaped, 30–38 cm long and 10–11 cm broad, pedunculated, and female specimen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Lehmannii
''Encephalartos lehmannii'' is a low-growing palm-like cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is commonly known as the Karoo cycad and is endemic to South Africa.Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. ''Trees of Southern Africa''. Cape Town (1972). The species name ''lehmannii'' commemorates Prof J.G.C. Lehmann, a German botanist who studied the cycads and published a book on them in 1834. This cycad is listed as near threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Description This cycad grows up to two metres tall with a trunk diameter of up to forty five centimetres and may be branched or unbranched. The leaves are up to one hundred and fifty centimetres long, blue or silver and strongly keeled. The leaflets are lanceolate, do not overlap each other and have smooth margins. The male cones are green or brown and up to thirty five centimetres long. The female cones are a similar colour and up to fifty centimetres long. The seeds are red and up to four and a half centimetres long. Distribut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Ferox
''Encephalartos ferox'', a member of the family Zamiaceae, is a small cycad with 35 cm wide subterranean trunk. It gets its name from the Latin word ferocious, likely from the spine-tipped lobes on the leaves of the plant.Norstog, Knut J., and Trevor J. Nicholls. The Biology of the Cycads. New York : Cornell University Press, 1997. It is found naturally on the south-eastern coast of Africa where it has been used by local people for its starch content.Jones, David L. Cycads of the World. Australia: Reed Books, 1993. It is considered to be one of the most popular cultivated cycads. Naming The species was first described in 1851 when material was collected from Mozambique. After looking at material found in Natal, South Africa, it was redescribed as ''E. kosiensis'' Hutchinson. After looking more carefully at the material, the original name was kept, and the redescribed name was no longer used. Habitat ''E. ferox'' is found along the southern coast of Mozambique and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Manikensis
''Encephalartos manikensis'' (Gorongo Cycad, Gorongowe Cycad) is a species of cycad that is native to Mozambique 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 .... Description It is a cycad with an arborescent habit, with a stem up to 1.5 m high, sometimes with secondary stems originating from basal shoots. The pinnate leaves, arranged in a crown at the apex of the stem, are 1–2 m long, supported by a petiole 5–6 cm long, and composed of about 60 pairs of lanceolate leaflets, sometimes with 1-2 spines on the upper margin and lower, inserted on the rachis with an angle of 180°, reduced to thorns towards the petiole. It is a dioecious species, with male specimens that have from 1 to 4 cylindrical-ovoid cones, erect, 25–65 cm long and 15–22 cm broad, light gree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Botanical Garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, and is the more usual term in the United Kingdom. is a garden with a documented collection of living plants for the purpose of scientific research, conservation, display, and education. Typically plants are labelled with their botanical names. It may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and other succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shadehouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants. Most are at least partly open to the public, and may offer guided tours, educational displays, art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other entertainment. Botanical gar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vumba Botanical Garden
The Bvumba Mountains or Vumba Mountains straddle the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, and are situated some 10 km south east of Mutare. The Bvumba rise to Castle Beacon at 1,911 metres, and are, together with the Chimanimani Mountains to the south and Nyanga Mountains to the north, part of the Eastern Highlands of the Manicaland and adjacent Manica provinces. They are referred to as the "Mountains of the Mist" (Bvumba being the Shona word for "mist"), as so often the early morning starts with a mist which clears by mid-morning. Although lying mostly within Zimbabwe, the mountains extend north-eastward to Mount Vumba (or Monte Vumba) in Mozambique. They are capped by cool, green hills which shelter country hotels, a casino and golf course at the Leopard Rock Hotel and a Botanical Garden with one of the best views in Africa. The mountains are also known for their coffee plantations. Access On the Zimbabwean side, the Mountains are accessible by a tarred road from Mutare. The M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve
The Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve conserves mist-forest along the southern slopes of the Bvumba Mountains in the Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe. It is the largest conserved area in the Bvumba highlands, and can be accessed from various points along the circuitous Burma Valley Road. The forest was logged for timber up to the mid 20th century. Flora '' Syzygium guineense'' predominates the primary forest, and ''Dracaena fragrans'' is common in its shaded undershrub. Pioneer plants include '' Aphloia theiformis'', ''Macaranga mellifera'' and ''Maesa lanceolata''. ''Albizia gummifera'' and '' A. schimperiana'' dominate the lower slopes and western rain shadow. Bracken-briar on the forest verges is populated by ''Pteridium aquilinum'', ''Smilax anceps'', ''Buddleja salviifolia'', besides ''Vangueria'' and ''Vernonia'' species. Fauna Marshall's pygmy chameleon is present, as is several range-restricted birds, including Swynnerton's robin, Stripe-cheeked greenbul, Chirinda apalis and Whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strelitzia
''Strelitzia'' is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, who was born a princess of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower and is featured on the reverse of the 50-cent coin. It is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles; two of the species, '' S. nicolai'' and '' S. reginae'', are frequently grown as houseplants. Description The species ''S. nicolai'' is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m (33 ft) tall, with stately white and blue flowers; the other species typically reach 2.0 to 3.5 m tall, except ''S. caudata'', which is a tree of a typically smaller size than ''S. nicolai''. The leaves are large, 30–200 cm long and 10–80 cm broad, similar ... [...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 "A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protea
''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, possibly because they have such a wide variety of forms. Linnaeus's genus was formed by merging a number of genera previously published by Herman Boerhaave, although precisely which of Boerhaave's genera were included in Linnaeus's ''Protea'' varied with each of Linnaeus's publications. Taxonomy The family Proteaceae to which ''Protea'' species belong is an ancient one among angiosperms. Evidence from pollen fossils suggests Proteaceae ancestors grew in Gondwana, in the Upper Cretaceous, 75–80 million years ago. The Proteaceae are divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
