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Paranomus Lagopus
''Paranomus lagopus'', the rabbit-paw sceptre, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Paranomus'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape where it occurs in the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains, Groot-Winterhoek Mountains and Elandskloof Mountain. The shrub grows to 1.3 m tall and flowers from September to November. Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. The plant is bisexual and pollination takes place through the action of insects. The fruit ripens, two months after flowering, and the seeds fall to the ground where they are spread by ants. The plant grows in sandstone sandy heights of 200 – 1100 m. References External links * * lagopus ''Lagopus'' is a small genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains three living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas. Taxonomy and etymology The ge ... Endemic flora of the Cape P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. After studying under Linnaeus at Uppsala University, he spent seven years travelling in southern Africa and Asia, collecting and describing many plants and animals new to European science, and observing local cultures. He has been called "the father of South African botany", "pioneer of Occidental Medicine in Japan", and the "Japanese Linnaeus". Early life Thunberg was born and grew up in Jönköping, Sweden. At the age of 18, he entered Uppsala University where he was taught by Carl Linnaeus, regarded as the "father of modern taxonomy". Thunberg graduated in 1767 after 6 years of studying. To deepen his knowledge in botany, medicine and natural history, he was encouraged by Linnaeus in 1770 to travel to Paris and Amsterdam. In Amsterdam and Leiden Thunberg met the Dutch botanis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it. Overview and history The word fynbos is often confusingly said to mean "fine bush" in Afrikaans, as "bos" means "bush". Typical fynbos foliage is ericoid rather than fine. The term, in its pre-Afrikaans, Dutch form, ''fynbosch'', was recorded by N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Koue Bokkeveld Mountains
The Koue Bokkeveld, meaning "Cold Buck Shrubland" in Afrikaans, is a mountain range in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Geologically the range is composed of Cedarberg Sandstone of the Cape System. Location and extent It is located above Prince Alfred Hamlet, north of Ceres, and south and east of Citrusdal. The range runs in a WNW-ESE direction with a tall escarpment on its southern and southwestern side. Elevations of the range are an average of 1,600 m and there is often snow in winter. These heights are one of the coldest places in the Western Cape in winter. Drainage The Koue Bokkeveld falls within the Olifants/Doring system and the Doring River has its sources in this range, contributing substantially to the flow of the Olifants catchment area. Ecology The flora of the Koue Bokkeveld is similar to the Cedarberg flora, with mountain fynbos at high altitudes, Karoo vegetation on the lower slopes and patches of Mountain cypress. Plants such as the oil bract conebu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paranomus
''Paranomus'' is a genus of 18 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "sceptres", in the protea family. It is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Distribution and habitat The species occur mainly in mountainous areas of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces from the Cederberg to Uitenhage, with the highest numbers found in the districts of Caledon, Worcester and Swellendam. They are often associated with fynbos habitats. Etymology The genus was named by English botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury from its unusual leaves, from the Greek ''para'' ("illegal" or "contrary"), and ''nomos'' ("custom" or "law"). It was subsequently renamed ''Nivenia'' by rival botanist Robert Brown to honour plant collector James Niven, but Salisbury's name has priority. They are commonly known as “sceptres” or “sceptre plants” for the shape of their inflorescences and after the first of the genus to be described, ''P. sceptrum-gustavianus'' – “King Gustav's s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
