Cape Town Botanist

Popular science blog about the flora and natural history of South Africa's Cape Floristic Region and beyond

[Solofo Rakotoarisoa @RseSolofo]

163 taxa of #Aloe #Asphodelaceae occur in #Madagascar, all are endemics, which makes #Madagascar the richest country in the world for Aloes @KewGardens @TeamKMCC

[OverbergRenosterveld @Renosterveld]

Microhabitats in #OverbergRenosterveld: The #Renosterveld of South Africa’s #Overberg region is one of the most species diverse Mediterranean type shrublands: https://t.co/PCyorpTzwF @CTBotanist @BotSocSA @BotsocSOverb

[BotSocSA @BotSocSA]

One in five of the world's plants are at risk of extinction. We are fighting to ensure the Albertina Sisulu Orchid and its vital habitat are conserved and not lost forever. Read more: https://t.co/TBsWGGc8ZS #BotSocSA #Orchids #Donate

[David Gwynne-Evans @tnbloganist]

#KREAG, #FroGS & #CASABIO tackling the approved Kenilworth Racecourse MEGA-CONSTRUCTION this Monday 3rd of September at 18:30 at the Ubuntu Novalis Institute. Botanical talk. 5 guest speakers. Q&A session.

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Serruria aemula (Proteaceae): Endemic to the #CapeFlats and thought to have only around 1000 plants remaining in the wild. #CriticallyEndangered on the Red List. Photo: Tony Rebelo https://t.co/5BqcmpgH5C #PlantProfiles #ThreatenedSpecies

[BotSocSA @BotSocSA]

We tell all about the extraordinary mass flowering of Brunsvigia bosmaniae that took place this April in the small #Namaqualand town of #Nieuwoudtville. Read on to find out more https://t.co/SggbK61ZTn #BotSocSA #BotSocBlog

[Fernkloof @fernkloofza]

An assortment of pink #Ericas flowering in #Fernkloof Nature Reserve #Hermanus now. #Erica rhopalantha, #Erica tenella, #Erica plukenetii subsp. penicellata, and #Erica ericoides

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Babiana villosula (#Iridaceae): Distributed from #Malmesbury to #GordonsBay growing in lowland seasonally moist areas. It is known from just seven localities and is #Vulnerable on the Red List. #CapeFlora #Geophytes #ThreatenedSpecies

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

Jordaniella anemonifolia (Aizoaceae): Originally discovered in coastal dunes around #Hermanaus in 1924. No further populations were identified until it was found in the Macassar and since lost to development. #Extinct in the wild. Photo: Alice Notten #PlantProfiles #CapeFlora

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Hessea mathewsii (#Amaryllidaceae) Grows in damp depressions adjacent to granite outcrops between Vredenburg and Langebaan on the #WestCoast. It is known from only three fragmented subpopulations and is threatened by urban development. Red Listed as #CriticallyEndangered.

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

Water droplets on one of our favourite geophytes #Lachenalia viridflora (Hyacynthaceae). It grows in damp cracks in granite boulders and has just two fragmented subpopulations at its #WestCoast home. #CriticallyEndangered on the Red List. #CapeFlora #Geophytes #Strandveld

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Erica grisbrookii (Ericaceae): Distributed from #Stanford to #Bredasdorp in the #Overberg on rocky outcrops. It was named by Guthrie and Bolus after Charles Grisbrook (1843-1902) who discovered this species. #PlantProfiles #CapeFlora #SouthAfrica

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Microloma tenuifolium is also known as the Wax Creeper. It is found from Gifberg to the #CapePeninsula and east to Grahamstown. where it grows on sandy or loamy soils derived from granite or shale. This species is pollinated by sunbirds. #CapeFlora #Fynbos #Renosterveld

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

Hessea cinnamomea (Amaryllidaceae) is distributed from the #CapePeninsula to the #Swartland in seasonally waterlogged lowland fynbos. Endangered on the Red List due to urbanisation and habitat loss for agriculture. Photo by Clifford Dorse #CapeFlora #Geophytes

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Protea neriifolia: Distributed from #CapeTown eastwards to #PortElizabeth, growing on sandstone derived soils. This species was first discovered in 1597 and illustrated in 1605, making it the first Protea to be mentioned in the botanical literature. #Proteas #CapeFlora

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Haemanthus pubescens subsp pubescens: This species was first collected from the #Cape by Francis Masson who introduced it to @kewgardens in the 1770s. It was later described by Linnaeus in 1781. Distribution from #Graafwater to the #CapePeninsula #Geophytes #CapeFlora

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Erica retorta: Also known as the Bottle Heath. Common on dry mountain slopes at #BettysBay and #Kleinmond in the #Overberg. The species epithet retorta means twisted or bent back in Latin, referring to the leaf shape. #CapeFlora #Fynbos

[Cape Town Botanist @CTBotanist]

#Gladiolus brevifolius (#Iridaceae): Common on shale derived soils from #Clanwilliam to #Bredasdorp. Pollinated by anthophorid bees but populations on the #CapePeninsula have also been visited by the fly Psilodena valida #PlantProfiles #Geophytes