The Green Heath, Erica sessiliflora, is one of the unmistakable heathers of the fynbos. With over 600 species of Erica in the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region it is not surprising to find that each species will share at least some characters in common with other species. Erica sessiliflora…
Not all special plants are bold and beautiful. We found this Wurmbea glassii the other day. It is no more than a couple of centimetres high. The minute flowers are a greenish yellow and it took a second-look to realise that we were not looking at a small grass or…
Despite their name the majority of everlasting flowers are finished by mid-summer. They remain on the bush but their glory has faded. The autumn-flowering Syncarpha canescens, Pienksewejaartjie, however starts flowering in April and continues on into July. It is not as bold and noticeable in the fynbos as its cousins,…
As names go, Dogface is not a flattering one. Yet this rather derogatory name is given to an endearing shrub, Trichocephalus stipularis, which should be welcome in any garden. The unfortunate common name, Hondegesiggie in Afrikaans, is a reference to the fruiting heads. These apparently, though I don’t see it…
One of the most noticeable species on the reserve in autumn is Stoebe capitata. It is common plant of the disturbed fynbos at the side of the entrance road. It lines each side of the track with low bushes covered in a mass of pink pompom flowers. They start flowering…
Monopsis is a genus closely related to Lobelia. It is a small genus of about 13 species confined to sub-Saharan Africa of which 8 are found in the Cape. All the species form small herbaceous plants with colourful flowers. There are two species in the Klein River Mountains, Monopsis lutea…
