South Africa
Flora of the Western Cape
Western Cape
Photographic captures of flora found in the Western Cape were made over several years while hiking through its various regions. Not all inclusive, but provides a general impression of the natural beauty found there.
Flora of Southern Africa
I’ve provided information from the extensive research done by Michael L. Charters (2003-2021 Michael L. Charters, Sierra Madre, CA). However, the photographs used in this presentation are entirely my own.
Click on image to enlarge.
Western Cape Flora
The Western Cape Province shares with Southern California the distinction of being among the five regions of the world which harbor what is referred to as Mediterranean vegetation, the others being southwestern Australia, western Chile, and of course, the coastal Mediterranean. It is obviously no coincidence that these regions have developed similar types of vegetation, because even a cursory glance at a world map reveals that all of them are situated approximately the same distance from the equator, with Chile, South Africa and Australia being between 30° and 40° south of that line, and Southern California and the Mediterranean being between 30° and 40° north of it, and all of them are either on the western edges of continents or are influenced by prevailing winds from the west.
Endangered Species
Unfortunately, almost three-quarters of all the species in South Africa’s IUCN Red Data book of threatened or endangered species are currently growing in this Floral Kingdom, and this means that hundreds of species are facing extinction.
Western Cape Fynbos
The primary vegetation type of the Western Cape is fynbos, a term derived from Dutch and Afrikaans words meaning “fine bush,” which typically grows on fairly nutrient-depleted mostly sandstone-derived acidic soils.
Renosterveld (superficial fynbos)
A second vegetation type within the fynbos biome that resembles fynbos is called renosterveld and is found in both in the coastal lowlands and the mountains, and dominated to some extent by the renosterbush, Elytropappus rhinocerotis, in the Asteraceae family.
Genus Erica
The great majority of species of genus Erica (a plant of the genus Erica (family Ericaceae), and especially (in gardening) heather) in the world are endemic to South Africa. Most of these are smallish shrubs with small, needle-like, often down-rolled leaves with the stomata being positioned inside a very narrow slit, upper surfaces which are hard and waxy, and delicate tubular flowers The leaf characteristics are fairly common features of the Ericas and are an adaptation to minimize water loss. Erica flowers have eight anthers and four petals joined to form a tube or cup. Another characteristic of the Ericas is that they have evolved a symbiotic relationship with fungi which helps them to maximize nutrient absorption in the relatively deprived soils of the Cape. About 80% of the Ericas are insect-pollinated, and the pollinators are often flies. It is speculated that the Ericas evolved after the breakup of Gondwanaland because they do not appear in either South America or Australia. There are some 650 species of Ericas in the Cape Province, giving them the highest degree of regional speciation on earth.
Restionaceae
The third major component of the Fynbos plant community is the Restionaceae, also an old family that evolved in Gondwanaland (Gondwanaland or “Gondwana” is the name for the southern half of the Pangaean supercontinent that existed some 300 million years ago. Gondwanaland is composed of the major continental blocks of South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Antarctica, and Australia). Of the approximately 480 species in the world, about 330 species inhabit the Cape region. These rush-like plants thus occupy the position of the grasses that are so prevalent elsewhere. The Restios are shallow-rooted with highly reduced dry, brownish leaves, and grow in clumps with the taller species being about waist high. Most of the species are dioecious. The flowering spikelets at the ends of the stems typically give the landscape a greenish-brown look.
Species Extinction
As previously noted, many of the species presently inhabiting this region are threatened by extinction. Three-quarters of the plants listed in the latest edition of the South African Red Data Book are in the Cape Floral Kingdom. The coastal area has been subject to the multiple pressures of development, population growth, agriculture, plant collectors, and the spread of invasive, alien plants. Only a very small percentage of this area has received any form of protection. But in 1998, the Cape Peninsula National Park was established and now preserves a very significant expanse that stretches some 60 km from Cape Town all the way to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope. It is hoped that more areas will be set aside so that many of these endangered species will not be forever lost.