The King Protea, Protea cynaroides, needs no introduction. It is a very worthy holder of the title of South Africa’s National Flower. The flowerheads can be up to 30cm in diameter. No other member of the genus Protea has flowers that come close to that size. Its fame has also…
A curious aspect of living amongst the Cape Flora is that we sometimes forget how special some of our commoner plants actually are. A case in point is Saltera sarcocolla. This species is found widely across the whole of the Klein River Mountains. It is found both at low and…
The golden yellow heads of Leucadendron, conebushes, are easy to identify, but the species can often be a challenge to separate. A key character in narrowing down the options is the size of the colourful leaves that surround the flowerhead. One of the species with comparatively large flowerheads is Leucadendron…
One of the rarest members of the Protea Family at Phillipskop is Paranomus sceptrum-gustavianus. The rather long and tortuous name refers to the patronage of King Gustav III of Sweden. The species, was originally described by Anders Sparrman as a Protea in 1777 and beautifully illustrated at the same time.…
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…
Common names are often descriptive but few are as ironic in their description as that of Climber’s Friend, Cliffortia ruscifolia. Climber’s Friend is a member of the Rose Family, Rosaceae, and the most recognized member of the large Cape genus, Cliffortia. The species is well-known for growing amongst rocks and…
