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Vumba Botanical Garden
The Bvumba Mountains or Vumba Mountains straddle the Zimbabwe–Mozambique border, and lie some 10 km southeast of the city of Mutare. The Bvumba rise to Castle Beacon at 1,911 metres, and are, together with the Chimanimani Mountains to the south and Nyanga Mountains to the north, part of the Eastern Highlands of the Manicaland and adjacent Manica provinces. They are referred to as the "Mountains of the Mist" (Bvumba being the Shona word for "mist"), as so often the early morning starts with a mist which clears by mid-morning. Although lying mostly within Zimbabwe, the mountains extend north-eastward to Mount Vumba (or Monte Vumba) in Mozambique. They are capped by cool, green hills which shelter country hotels, a casino and golf course at the Leopard Rock Hotel and a Botanical Garden with one of the best views in Africa. The mountains are also known for their coffee plantations. Access On the Zimbabwean side, the Mountains are accessible by a tarred road from Mutare. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castle Beacon
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a mansion, palace, and villa, whose main purpose was exclusively for ''pleasance'' and are not primarily fortresses but may be fortified. Use of the term has varied over time and, sometimes, has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th- and 20th-century homes built to resemble castles. Over the Middle Ages, when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls, arrowslits, and portcullises, were commonplace. European-style castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries after the fall of the Carolingian Empire, which resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. These nobles built castles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brachystegia
''Brachystegia'' is a genus of tree of the subfamily Detarioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as miombo, and are dominant in the miombo woodlands of central and southern tropical Africa. The Zambezian region is the centre of diversity for the genus.Emmanuel N. Chidumayo and Davison J. Gumbo, eds. (2010). ''The dry forests and woodlands of Africa: managing for products and services''. Earthscan, 2010. Description Hybridisation between the species occurs and taxa show considerable variation in leaflet size, shape and number, making identification difficult. New leaves show a great range of red colours when immature, later turning to various shades of green. Range and habitat ''Brachystegia'' species range from coastal West Africa through Nigeria and Central Africa to the Northern Province of South Africa. Habitats include seasonally dry forest, woodland, wooded grassland and bushland, and lowland tropical rain forest, often along ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Livingstone's Turaco
Livingstone's turaco (''Tauraco livingstonii'') is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae, which was named for Charles Livingstone, the brother of David Livingstone. It is distributed through the subtropical lowlands of southeastern Africa. It has an isolated population in Burundi, and is besides found from southern Tanzania to eastern and southern Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe, widely in Mozambique and along the subtropical coast of South Africa. By appearances and behaviour it has much in common with the Knysna turaco of South Africa, and Schalow's turaco Schalow's turaco (''Tauraco schalowi'') is a frugivorous bird in the family Musophagidae. This bird's common name and Latin binomial commemorate the German banker and amateur ornithologist Herman Schalow. Characteristics These birds are light ... which replaces it on the plateau regions to the west of its range. Gallery File:Tauraco livingstonii 20090110.jpg, In captivity File:Green in the trees.jpg, In captivity Fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swynnerton's Robin
Swynnerton's robin (''Swynnertonia swynnertoni'') is a species of passerine bird belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Swynnertonia''. The common and Latin names commemorate the entomologist Charles Swynnerton. Taxonomy Swynnerton's robin was first formally described as ''Erythracus swynnertoni'' in 1906 by the English geologist and ornithologist George Ernest Shelley. The type specimen was collected in June 1905 in the Chirinda Forest in eastern Rhodesia, modern Zimbabwe. It was thought to be closely related to the white-starred robin (''Pognocichla stellata'') so was placed by some authorities in the same genus, ''Pognocichla''. However, in 1922 Austin Roberts proposed that this taxon was distinctive enough from both the European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') and the white-starred robin that it should be classified within its own monospecific genus, ''Swynnertonia''. The genus ''Swynnertonia'' is classified within the subfamily Erithacinae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Eugene-maraisii
__NOTOC__ ''Encephalartos eugene-maraisii'' is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is limited to Limpopo. It is known as the Waterberg cycad. This plant grows in the sandstone hills of the Waterberg Range at 1400 to 1500 meters in elevation. The habitat is grassland and savanna. This endangered species is threatened by overcollection. This species was named for South African naturalist Eugène Marais.Gray, S. (2013)Soul-brother Eugène N. Marais: Some notes towards a re-edit of his works.''Tydskrif vir letterkunde'', 50(2), 62–80. Description This cycad is tree-like, with a stem up to 2.5 m tall and 30–45 cm wide. Its leaves are bluish or silvery, 100–150 cm long, and have a strong keel. The leaflets are lanceolate, 15–20 cm long, and arranged oppositely along the rachis at a 45–80° angle. They have smooth margins, although the lower leaflets may have a single spine. This species is dioecious, with brown, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Cycadifolius
''Encephalartos cycadifolius'' is a species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ... of cycad that is native to the Winterberg mountains to the north of Bedford in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. It is found at elevations from 1,200 to 1,800 meters. Description This cycad has an underground trunk, reaching up to 1.5 m in height and 25-30 cm in diameter. It often produces secondary stems from shoots at its base. Its pinnate leaves, 60–90 cm long, grow in a crown at the top of the stem, each supported by a 10-20 cm petiole without thorns. The leaves consist of numerous pairs of lanceolate leaflets, about 9-12 cm long, with an entire margin, and are olive-green in color. This species is dioecious, with male specimens bearing 1 or 2 cylindrical-conical cones, 13� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Pterogonus
''Encephalartos pterogonus'' is a species of cycad that is native to Mount Mruwere (Monte Urueri) and adjacent mountains in the Manica province of Mozambique. Description This cycad has an upright stem, reaching up to 1.5 m in height and about 40 cm in diameter, sometimes producing additional stems from suckers at its base. Its pinnate leaves, 1.2-1.5 m long, form a crown at the top of the stem, supported by 4-8 cm long petioles. Each leaf consists of several pairs of dark green lanceolate leaflets, typically 15-18 cm long. This species is dioecious. Male specimens bear 1-3 spindle-shaped cones, 30–38 cm long and 10–11 cm wide, on stalks. Female specimens have 2-3 roughly cylindrical cones, 35–40 cm long and 16-18 cm wide, in bright green colour. The seeds are roughly ovoid, 28–35 mm long, and have an orange-red sarcotesta The sarcotesta is a fleshy seedcoat, a type of testa. Examples of seeds with a sarcotesta are pomegranate, ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Lehmannii
''Encephalartos lehmannii'' is a low-growing Arecaceae, palm-like cycad in the family ''Zamiaceae''. It is commonly known as the Karoo cycad and is endemic to South Africa.Palmer, E. and Pitman, N. ''Trees of Southern Africa''. Cape Town (1972). The species name ''lehmannii'' commemorates Johann Georg Christian Lehmann, Prof J.G.C. Lehmann, a German botanist who studied the cycads and published a book on them in 1834. This cycad is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Description This cycad grows up to two metres tall with a trunk diameter of up to forty five centimetres and may be branched or unbranched. The leaves are up to one hundred and fifty centimetres long, blue or silver and strongly keeled. The leaflets are lanceolate, do not overlap each other and have smooth margins. The male cones are green or brown and up to thirty five centimetres long. The female cones are a similar colour and up to fifty centimetres long. The seeds are red and up to fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Ferox
''Encephalartos ferox'', a member of the family Zamiaceae, is a small cycad with 35 cm wide subterranean trunk. It gets its name from the Latin word ferocious, likely from the spine-tipped lobes on the leaves of the plant.Norstog, Knut J., and Trevor J. Nicholls. The Biology of the Cycads. New York : Cornell University Press, 1997. It is found naturally on the south-eastern coast of Africa where it has been used by local people for its starch content.Jones, David L. Cycads of the World. Australia: Reed Books, 1993. It is considered to be one of the most popular cultivated cycads. Naming The species was first described in 1851 when material was collected from Mozambique. After looking at material found in Colony of Natal, Natal, South Africa, it was redescribed as ''E. kosiensis'' Hutchinson. After looking more carefully at the material, the original name was kept, and the redescribed name was no longer used. Habitat ''E. ferox'' is found along the southern coast of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encephalartos Manikensis
''Encephalartos manikensis'' (Gorongo Cycad, Gorongowe Cycad) is a species of cycad that is native to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Description This cycad has a tree-like structure, growing up to 1.5 m tall, sometimes with additional stems growing from its base. Its feather-like leaves, forming a crown at the top of the stem, are 1–2 m long, supported by a 5–6 cm long petiole, and consist of around 60 pairs of lance-shaped leaflets. These leaflets may have 1-2 spines on both their upper and lower edges, and they are attached to the stem at a 180° angle, tapering to thorns near the petiole. This species is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. Male plants produce 1-4 erect, cylindrical-ovoid cones that are 25–65 cm long and 15–22 cm wide, light green in color. Female plants bear 1-2 ovoid cones that are 30–45 cm long and 20–25 cm wide. The seeds are roughly ovoid, 3–5 cm long, and have a bright red sarcotesta The sarcotesta is a fleshy seedcoat, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve
The Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve conserves mist-forest along the southern slopes of the Bvumba Mountains in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It is the largest conserved area in the Bvumba highlands, and can be accessed from various points along the circuitous Burma Valley Road. The forest was logged for timber up to the mid 20th century. Flora ''Syzygium guineense'' predominates the primary forest, and ''Dracaena fragrans'' is common in its shaded undershrub. Pioneer plants include ''Aphloia theiformis'', ''Macaranga mellifera'' and ''Maesa lanceolata''. ''Albizia gummifera'' and ''Albizia schimperiana, A. schimperiana'' dominate the lower slopes and western rain shadow. Bracken-briar on the forest verges is populated by ''Pteridium aquilinum'', ''Smilax anceps'', ''Buddleja salviifolia'', besides ''Vangueria'' and ''Vernonia'' species. Fauna Marshall's pygmy chameleon is present, as is several range-restricted birds, including Swynnerton's robin, Stripe-cheeked greenbul, Chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strelitzia
''Strelitzia'' is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower. Two of the species, '' S. nicolai'' and '' S. reginae'', are frequently grown as houseplants. It is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles and is featured on the reverse of the South African 50-cent coin. Taxonomy The genus was named by Joseph Banks in honour of the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Description The species ''S. nicolai'' is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 m (33 ft) tall, with stately white and blue flowers; the other species typically reach tall, except ''S. caudata'', which is a tree of a typically smaller size than ''S. nicolai''. The leaves are large, long and broad, similar to a banana leaf in appearance, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
