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Diepkloof Rock Shelter
Diepkloof Rock Shelter is a rock shelter in Western Cape, South Africa in which has been found some of the earliest evidence of the human use of symbols, in the form of patterns engraved upon ostrich eggshell water containers. These date around 60,000 years ago. The symbolic patterns consist of lines crossed at right angles or oblique angles by hatching. It has been suggested that "by the repetition of this motif, early humans were trying to communicate something. Perhaps they were trying to express the identity of the individual or the group."Amos, J. (2010)Etched ostrich eggs illustrate human sophistication.BBC News In 2024, the Diepkloof Rock Shelter became a part of the World Heritage Site of Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa. Site description The cave is about from the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean in a semi-arid area, near Elands Bay about north of Cape Town. It occurs in quartzitic sandstone in a butte that overlooks in an east direction above the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Cape
The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and List of South African provinces by population, 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, Western Cape, George. Geography The Western Cape 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
University Of Bordeaux
The University of Bordeaux (, ) is a public research university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bordeaux, Dax, Gradignan, Périgueux, Pessac, and Talence. There are also several smaller teaching sites in various other towns in the region, including in Bayonne. The University of Bordeaux counts more than 50,000 students, over 6,000 of which are international. It is a member of the ComUE d'Aquitaine university group. History The original ''Université de Bordeaux'' was established by Pope Eugene IV on 7 June 1441 when Bordeaux was an English town. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the National Convention abolished the university. The university re-opened in 1896 as a result of the law of 18 July 1896. In 1970, the university was split into three universities: Bordeaux I, Bordeaux II, and Bordeaux III. In 1995, Bordeaux IV split off from Bordeaux I. Since 2014, the aforementioned universitie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podocarpus Elongatus
''Podocarpus elongatus'', the Breede River yellowwood, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. In contrast to other yellowwood species of southern Africa, ''Podocarpus elongatus'' often resembles an enormous, round, multi-stemmed bush in its habit. The Breede River yellowwood is a protected tree in South Africa. Description It can be distinguished from the other yellowwood species of Southern Africa by its relatively elongated, grey-blue leaves (hence its species name ''"elongatus"''), and by its round, bushy shape. Note however, that '' Podocarpus henkelii'' was not described until after the name ''Podocarpus elongatus'' was established, and its leaves are decidedly longer, which might lead to some confusion. ''Podocarpus elongatus'' generally grows about as wide as it is tall, and its foliage reaches very low, roughly resembling a hut in habit. Range and habit It occurs only in South Africa, where it is restricted to the Breede River valley in the Western Cape an ... [...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, it grows up to 20 m (66 ft) in the wild. 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family (biology), family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The common fig (''F. carica'') is a temperate species native to southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region (from Afghanistan to Portugal), which has been widely cultivated from ancient times for its fruit, also referred to as figs. The fruit of most other species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife. Figs are also of considerable cultural importance throughout the tropics, both as objects of worship and for their many practical uses. Description ''Ficus'' is a pantropical genus of trees, shrubs, and vines occupying a wide variety of ecological niches; most a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afromontane
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lower-lying areas, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago, as their distribution is analogous to a series of sky islands. Geography Afromontane communities occur above elevation near the equator, and as low as elevation in the Knysna-Amatole montane forests of South Africa. Afromontane forests are generally cooler and more humid than the surrounding lowlands. The Afromontane archipelago mostly follows the East African Rift from the Red Sea to Zimbabwe, with the largest areas in the Ethiopian Highlands, the Albertine Rift Mountains of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania, and the Eastern Arc highlands of Kenya and Tanzani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hartogiella Schinoides
''Elaeodendron schinoides'' (known as the spoonwood or smalblad), is a species of flowering plant in family Celastraceae. It is a medium-sized tree from the southern Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ... province of South Africa. It has opposing leaves that show elastic threads when broken, and red fleshy fruit that becomes dry later in the year. References External links Southern Cape Trees & Shrubs {{Taxonbar, from1=Q17246151, from2=Q55870510 Trees of South Africa Trees of Mediterranean climate Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces schinoides ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhus
Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is '' Rhus coriaria'' that is most commonly used for culinary purposes. Sumac is prized as a spice—especially in Kurdish, Arab, Lebanese, Turkish, Armenian, Iranian, and other Eastern cuisines —and used as a dye and holistic remedy. The plants grow in subtropical and temperate regions, on nearly every continent except Antarctica and South America. Description Sumacs are dioecious shrubs and small trees in the family Anacardiaceae that can reach a height of . The leaves are usually pinnately compound, though some species have trifoliate or simple leaves. The flowers are in dense panicles or spikes long, each flower very small, greenish, creamy white or red, with five petals. The fruits are reddish, thin-fleshed drupes covered in varying levels of hai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maytenus
''Maytenus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central America, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia, and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa. They grow in a very wide variety of climates, from tropical to subpolar. The traditional circumscription of ''Maytenus'' was paraphyly, paraphyletic, so many species have been transferred to ''Denhamia'' and ''Gymnosporia''. Species 176 species are accepted. * ''Maytenus abbottii'' Abraham Erasmus van Wyk, A.E.van Wyk * ''Maytenus acanthophylla'' * ''Maytenus acuminata'' (L.f.) Loes. * ''Maytenus agostinii'' * ''Maytenus alaternoides'' * ''Maytenus albata'' * ''Maytenus amazonica'' * ''Maytenus angolensis'' * ''Maytenus apiculata'' * ''Maytenus apurimacensis'' * ''Maytenus aquifolium'' (Mart.) * ''Maytenus ardisiifolia'' * ''Maytenus basidentata'' * ''Maytenus belizensis'' * ''Maytenus boaria'' Juan Ignacio Molina, Molina (type specie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cassine Peragua
''Cassine peragua'', also known as Cape saffron, bastard saffron and forest spoonwood, is a medium-sized tree with fragrant flowers, decorative fruits and a saffron-coloured trunk. It is indigenous to the Afromontane, Afro-montane forests of South Africa. Appearance Cape saffron is an evergreen tree which is usually around 2 to 5 meters in height, but can sometimes grow to 15 meters in the right conditions. The tough, round, leathery leaves are usually dark green, but can be copper, orange or scarlet coloured depending on growth. The bunches of small, bisexual flowers have a strong, but pleasant fragrance, and the fruits are berries that appear as green and then gradually darken to purple and black. The trunk eventually assumes an orange saffron colour, as the grey bark flakes off exposing the orange under-layer. File:Cassine peragua tree South Africa 7.jpg, File:Cassine peragua Cape Saffron tree Berries 2.JPG, File:Cassine peragua - Cape Town 1.JPG, Natural distribution ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diospyros
''Diospyros'' is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees. Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants. Taxonomy and etymology The generic name ''Diospyros'' comes from a Latin name for the Caucasian persimmon ('' D. lotus''), derived from the Greek διόσπυρος : dióspyros, from ''diós'' () and ''pyrós'' (). The Greek name literally means "Zeus's wheat" but more generally intends "divine food" or "divine fruit". The genus is a large one and the number of species has been estimated variously, depending on the date of the source. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, lis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It may be the mature vegetation type in a particular region and remain stable over time, or it may be a transitional community that occurs temporarily as the result of a disturbance, such as fire. A stable state may be maintained by regular natural disturbance such as fire or browsing (predation), browsing. Shrubland may be unsuitable for human habitation because of the danger of fire. The term was coined in 1903. Shrubland species generally show a wide range of adaptations to fire, such as heavy seed production, lignotubers, and fire-induced germination. Botanical structural form In botany and ecology a shrub is defined as a much-branched woody plant less than 8 m high, usually with many plant stem, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
