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The Table Bay Nature Reserve is an nature reserve in
Milnerton Milnerton is a seaside suburb on Table Bay and is located north of central Cape Town in South Africa. It is located 11 kilometres to the north of the city's centre. Suburbs Suburbs/neighbourhoods of the greater Milnerton area include: * Both ...
,
Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
. It consists of several smaller constituent reserves including
Rietvlei Wetland Reserve The Rietvlei Wetland Reserve is a nature reserve situated in Table View, Western Cape, South Africa. It is managed by the City of Cape Town's Environmental Resource Management Department.
, Diep River Fynbos Corridor, Zoarvlei Wetlands, Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve, and Milnerton Lagoon, as well as surrounding protected areas. These adjacent reserves were amalgamated on 27 June 2012, in order to improve the
biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity' ...
management in the built-up area. It is managed by the
City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town ( af, Stad Kaapstad; xh, IsiXeko saseKapa) is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of the 2011 census, it had a population of 3,740,026. The remo ...
's Environmental Resource Management Department, with offices at Rietvlei.Nature reserves
 The Table Bay Nature Reserve forms the southernmost buffer area of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, and links it to the edge of Cape Town's city centre. It also contains a large portion of the critically endangered lowland habitats remaining in Cape Town. The central feature in the Table Bay Nature Reserve is the Rietvlei wetland system. The Rietvlei Wetlands and Milnerton Lagoon were proclaimed as a Nature Area on 3 August 1984, in proclamation number 1632 of Provincial Gazette No. 9345. The Nature Reserve is partly owned by the City of Cape Town and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature – South Africa, who own two of the Erven. The City of Cape Town manages these two Erven on a 99-year lease for the purposes of nature conservation.


Biodiversity

Fauna and flora in the reserve include the following:Table Bay Nature Reserve Draft Integrated Reserve Management Plan


Mammals


Indigenous

; Bathyergidae: *''Bathyergus suillus'' (
Cape dune mole-rat The Cape dune mole-rat (''Bathyergus suillus'') is a species of solitary burrowing rodent in the family Bathyergidae. It is endemic to South Africa and named for the Cape of Good Hope. Description The Cape dune mole-rat is the largest of all t ...
) *''Cryptomys hottentotus'' ( common mole-rat) *''Georychus capensis'' (
Cape mole-rat The Cape mole-rat (''Georychus capensis'') is a species of Blesmol, mole-rat endemic to South Africa. It is the monotypic, only extant species currently described as belonging to the genus ''Georychus''. Description Cape mole-rats closely resem ...
) ;
Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species ...
: *''Raphicerus campestris'' (
steenbok The steenbok (''Raphicerus campestris'') is a common small antelope of southern and eastern Africa. It is sometimes known as the steinbuck or steinbok. Description Steenbok resemble small oribi, standing 45–60 cm (16"–24") at the ...
) *''Raphicerus melanotis'' (
Cape grysbok The Cape or southern grysbok (''Raphicerus melanotis'') is a small antelope that is endemic to the Western Cape region of South Africa between Albany and the Cederberg mountains The Cederberg mountains are located near Clanwilliam, appr ...
) *''Sylvicapra grimmia'' (
common duiker The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope and the only member of the genus ''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of Africa ...
) ;
Canidae Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). There are three subfamily, ...
: *''Vulpes chama'' (
Cape fox The Cape fox (''Vulpes chama''), also called the asse, cama fox or the silver-backed fox, is a small species of fox, native to southern Africa. It is also called a South African version of a fennec fox due to its similarly big ears. It is the ...
) ;
Chrysochloridae Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, a ...
: *''Cryptochloris asiatica'' a.k.a. ''Chrysochloris asiatica'' (
Cape golden mole The Cape golden mole (''Chrysochloris asiatica'') is a small, insectivorous mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, the golden moles. The species is a solitary subterranean insectivore, confined to the coastal regions of the southwestern and sou ...
) ;
Felidae Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the ...
: *''Felis caracal'' (
caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...
) ;
Herpestidae A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to s ...
: *''Atilax paludinosus'' ( water mongoose) *''Cynictis penicillata'' (
yellow mongoose The yellow mongoose (''Cynictis penicillata''), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family. It averages about in weight and about in length. It lives in open country, semi-desert scrubland and grasslands in A ...
) *''Galerella pulverulenta'' (
Cape gray mongoose The Cape grey mongoose (''Herpestes pulverulentus''), also called the small grey mongoose, is a small mammal native to South Africa, Lesotho and southern Namibia. Appearance It is a small species (55–69 cm long, weight range 0.5 – 1 ...
) *''Herpestes ichneumon'' (
Egyptian mongoose The Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''), also known as ichneumon (), is a mongoose species native to the coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Turkey, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub ...
) ; Hystricidae: *''Hystrix africaeaustralis'' (
Cape porcupine The Cape porcupine (''Hystrix africaeaustralis''), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa. Description left, 180px, head Cape porcupines are the second large ...
) ;
Leporidae Leporidae is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 60 species of extant mammals in all. The Latin word ''Leporidae'' means "those that resemble ''lepus''" (hare). Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian ord ...
: *''Lepus capensis'' (
Cape hare The Cape hare (''Lepus capensis''), also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India. Taxonomy The Cape hare was one of the many mammal species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in ...
) *''Lepus saxatilis'' ( scrub hare) ;
Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae com ...
: *''Dendromus melanotis'' (
gray climbing mouse The gray climbing mouse (''Dendromus melanotis'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda ...
) *''Mus musculus'' (
house mouse The house mouse (''Mus musculus'') is a small mammal of the order Rodentia, characteristically having a pointed snout, large rounded ears, and a long and almost hairless tail. It is one of the most abundant species of the genus ''Mus''. Althoug ...
) *''Otomys irroratus'' (
vlei rat African vlei rats (''Otomys''), also known as groove-toothed rats, live in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Most species live in marshlands, grasslands, and similar habitats and feed on the vegetation of such areas, occasionally supplementing ...
) *''Otomys unisulcatus'' (
bush vlei rat The bush vlei rat or Karoo bush rat (''Myotomys unisulcatus'', formerly '' Otomys unisulcatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland. The Karoo rat us ...
) *''Rattus rattus'' (
black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...
) *''Rhabdomys pumilio'' (
striped field mouse The striped field mouse (''Apodemus agrarius'') is a rodent in the family Muridae. The range of this species stretches from Eastern Europe to Eastern Asia. Synonyms Accepted synonyms include ''Apodemus albostriatus'' (Bechstein, 1801), ''Apode ...
) *''Tatera afra'' (
Cape gerbil The Cape gerbil, ''Gerbilliscus afra'', is a species of rodent found only in South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by veget ...
) *''Mus indutus'' (
desert pygmy mouse The desert pygmy mouse (''Mus indutus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and ...
) ;
Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family ...
; *''Aonyx capensis'' (
Cape clawless otter The African clawless otter (''Aonyx capensis''), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub- ...
) *''Mellivora capensis'' (
honey badger The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is liste ...
) ; Soricidae: *''Myosorex varius'' ( forest shrew) ;
Vespertilionidae Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat famili ...
: *''Eptesicus capensis'' ( Cape serotine bat) ;
Viverridae Viverridae is a family of small to medium-sized, feliform mammals. The viverrids () comprise 33 species placed in 14 genera. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Viverrids occur all over Africa, southern Europe ...
: *''Genetta genetta'' (
small-spotted genet The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coa ...
) *''Genetta tigrina'' (
Cape genet The Cape genet (''Genetta tigrina''), also known as the South African large-spotted genet, is a genet species endemic to South Africa. As it is common and not threatened, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Like other genets, it ...
)


Introduced

;
Canidae Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). There are three subfamily, ...
: *''Canis lupus familiaris'' a.k.a. ''Canis familiaris'' (
domestic dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
) ;
Felidae Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the ...
: *''Felis silvestris catus'' a.k.a. ''Felis catus'' (
domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
)


Reptiles

; Chamaeleonidae: *''Bradypodion pumilum'' (
Cape dwarf chameleon The Cape dwarf chameleon (''Bradypodion pumilum'') is a chameleon native to the South African province of the Western Cape, where it is restricted to the region around Cape Town. As with most chameleons, its tongue is twice the length of its bod ...
) *''Bradypodion occidentale'' ( Namaqua dwarf chameleon) ;
Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ev ...
: *''Psammophylax rhombeatus'' (
rhombic skaapsteker ''Psammophylax rhombeatus'' (psammo=sand, phylax=guard) or Rhombic Skaapsteker, is a small, attractively patterned, Southern African snake usually measuring between 45 and 85 centimetres in length, though occasionally reaching 140 cm. In co ...
) *''Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia'' (herald snake) *''Dasypeltis scabra'' ( common eggeater) *''Dispholidus typus'' (
boomslang The boomslang (, , or ; ''Dispholidus typus'') is a large, highly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. Taxonomy and etymology Its common name means "tree snake" in Afrikaans and Dutch – ''boom'' meaning "tree", and ''slang'' meaning "sn ...
) *''Duberria lutrix lutrix'' ( common slugeater) *''Lamprophis aurora'' (
Aurora house snake The Aurora house snake, Aurora snake, or night snake (''Lamprophis aurora'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana). Distribution This species is widespread in ...
) *''Lamprophis fuscus'' (
yellow-bellied house snake The yellow-bellied house snake (''Lamprophis fuscus'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake famil ...
) *''Lamprophis inornatus'' ( olive house snake) *''Lycodonomorphus rufulus'' ( common brown water snake) *''Psammophis crucifer'' ( cross-marked grass snake), (crossmarked grass snake) *''Psammophis leightoni'' ( Cape sand snake) *''Psammophis notostictus'' ( Karoo sand snake) *''Pseudaspis cana'' (
mole snake The mole snake (''Pseudaspis cana'') is a species of snake. It has been placed in the family Lamprophiidae, and more recently in the family Pseudaspididae, along with the genus '' Pythonodipsas''. It is native to much of southern Africa, and is ...
) *''Chamaesaura anguina'' (
Cape grass lizard The Cape grass lizard (''Chamaesaura anguina''), also known as the Cape snake lizard or the highland grass lizard, is a species of lizard in the genus Chamaesaura. It widely found in southern Africa, inhabiting grasslands. In one of the countrie ...
) ;
Elapidae Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids ; grc, ἔλλοψ ''éllops'' "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydoce ...
: *''Homoroselaps lacteus'' ( spotted harlequin snake) *''Naja nivea'' (
Cape cobra The Cape cobra (''Naja nivea''), also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert and semi-desert reg ...
) ;
Gekkonidae Gekkonidae (the common geckos) is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 64 genera. Members of the Gekkonidae comprise many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos ('' Hemidactylus''), tokay ...
: *''Afrogecko porphyreus'' (
marbled leaf-toed gecko The marbled leaf-toed gecko (''Afrogecko porphyreus'') is a gecko found in southern and southwestern South Africa (including many offshore islands) and in Namibia. It is a flat, medium-sized gecko. Description It has a mottled, greyish body, a ...
), (marbled leaftoed gecko) *''Pachydactylus geitje'' ( ocellated thick-toed gecko), (ocellated thicktoed gecko) ;
Gerrhosauridae The Gerrhosauridae are a family of lizards native to Africa and Madagascar. Habitat Also known as plated lizards, species in the family Gerrhosauridae live in a range of habitats, from rocky crevices to sand dunes. Description Their form i ...
: *''Gerrhosaurus flavigularis'' (
yellow-throated plated lizard The yellow-throated plated lizard or plated lizard (''Gerrhosaurus flavigularis'') is a species of lizard, which is about 45½ cm (18 inches) in total length (including tail) and lives in the grassland and scrub of Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, ...
) ;
Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found i ...
: *''Meroles knoxii'' ( Knox's desert lizard) ;
Leptotyphlopidae The Leptotyphlopidae (commonly called slender blind snakes or thread snakes) are a family of snakes found in North America, South America, Africa and Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites. Two subfamilie ...
: *'' Leptotyphlops nigricans'' (black thread snake) ;
Pelomedusidae :''Alternatively, "Pelomedusidae" may refer to the Pelomedusoidea. See below for details.'' Pelomedusidae is a family of freshwater turtles endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar, São Tomé, and the Seychelles(Although this pop. ...
: *''Pelomedusa subrufa'' (
marsh terrapin The African helmeted turtle (''Pelomedusa subrufa''), also known commonly as the marsh terrapin, the crocodile turtle, or in the pet trade as the African side-necked turtle, is a species of omnivorous side-necked terrapin in the family Pelome ...
) ; Scincidae: *''Acontias meleagris meleagris'' ( Cape legless skink) *''Scelotes bipes'' ( silvery dwarf burrowing skink) *''Trachylepis capensis'' ( Cape skink) *''Typhlosaurus caecus'' ( Cuvier's blind legless skink) *''Trachylepis homalocephala'' ( red-sided skink), (redsided skink) ; Testudinidae: *''Chersina angulata'' (
angulate tortoise The angulate tortoise (''Chersina angulata'') is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and coastal scrub vegetation in South Africa. This tortoise is the only known member of the genus ''Chersina''. Name and taxonomy This species is highly d ...
) *''Homopus areolatus'' (
parrot-beaked tortoise ''Homopus areolatus'', commonly known as the common padloper or parrot-beaked tortoise, is a tiny species of tortoise of the genus ''Homopus'', indigenous to the southern part of South Africa. Naming ''Homopus areolatus'' is known by a wide ran ...
), (parrotbeaked tortoise) ;
Typhlopidae The Typhlopidae are a family of blind snakes. They are found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and all mainland Australia and various islands. The rostral scale overhangs the mouth to form a shovel-like burrowing stru ...
: *''
Rhinotyphlops lalandei ''Rhinotyphlops lalandei'', known commonly as Delalande's beaked blind snake, is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''lalandei'', is in honor of French natural ...
'' (Delalande's beaked blind snake), (Delalande's blind snake) ;
Viperidae The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs t ...
: *''
Bitis ''Bitis'' is a genus of venomous vipers found in Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. It includes the largest and the smallest vipers in the world. Members are known for their characteristic threat displays that involve inflating and defl ...
armata'' ( southern adder)


Amphibians

;
Brevicipitidae Brevicipitidae or rain frogs is a small family of frogs found in eastern and southern Africa. As of 2020 contains 37 species in 5 genera. eb application 2013. Berkeley, CaliforniaBrevicipitidae AmphibiaWeb, available at http://amphibiaweb.org/. ...
: *''Breviceps rosei'' ( sand rain frog) ;
Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae. Animals by common name Frogs ...
: *''Vandijkophrynus angusticeps'' ( sand toad) *''Amietophrynus pantherinus'' (
western leopard toad The western leopard toad (''Sclerophrys pantherina'') is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. The species is endemic to the low-lying areas of the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Flats and the Agulhas flats of the Western Cape, South Africa. Pop ...
) endangered (EN) *''Amietophrynus rangeri'' (
raucous toad The raucous toad (''Sclerophrys capensis''), also known as Ranger's toad, is a species of toad from Southern Africa.Du Preez, L. H., Carruthers, Vincent; A complete guide to the frogs of southern Africa. Pub: Cape Town, South Africa : Struik Na ...
) ;
Pipidae The Pipidae are a family of primitive, tongueless frogs. The 41 species in the family Pipidae are found in tropical South America (genus ''Pipa'') and sub-Saharan Africa (the three other genera). Description Pipid frogs are highly aquatic and ...
: *''Xenopus laevis'' ( common platanna) ; Pyxicephalidae bonaparte: *''Cacosternum platys'' ( caco) sp., (
flat caco The flat caco, flat dainty frog, or smooth dainty frog (''Cacosternum platys'') is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae, Endemism, endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, subtropical or t ...
) *''Strongylopus grayii grayii'' (
clicking stream frog Gray's stream frog (''Strongylopus grayii'') is a fairly small species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae.Du Preez, L. H.; Carruthers, Vincent. ''A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa''. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Nature. 2009C ...
) *''Tomopterna delalandii'' (
Cape sand frog Delalande's sand frog (''Tomopterna delalandii''), also known as Delalande's frog, Cape sand frog, or striped pixie, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is endemic to western and southern South Africa and occurs in the low-lyi ...
) *''Amietia fuscigula'' (
Cape river frog The Cape river frog (''Amietia fuscigula'') is a species of frog in the Family (biology), family Pyxicephalidae named for the Cape of Good Hope. Formerly, it was placed in the family Ranidae. It occurs widely in the Eastern Cape and Western Cap ...
)


Fish


Indigenous

; Anabantidae: *''Sandelia capensis'' (
Cape kurper The Cape kurper (''Sandelia capensis'') is a species of fish in the family Anabantidae, the climbing gouramis or climbing perches. It is endemic to South Africa. Description The Cape kurper can grow to 25 cm in length and weigh up to 200g. ...
) ;
Anguillidae The Anguillidae are a family of ray-finned fish that contains the freshwater eels. Eighteen of the 19 extant species and six subspecies in this family are in the genus ''Anguilla''. They are elongated fish with snake-like bodies, their long dorsa ...
: *'' Anguilla mossambica steinitzi'' ( longfin eel) ;
Clupeidae Clupeidae is a family of ray-finned fishes, comprising, for instance, the herrings, shads, sardines, hilsa, and menhadens. The clupeoids include many of the most important food fishes in the world, and are also commonly caught for production ...
: *''
Gilchristella aestuaria ''Gilchristella aestuaria'', the Gilchrist's round herring or estuarine round-herring, is a member of the herring family Clupeidae that occurs off the coasts of Southern Africa. It is the only species in its genus, which was named for John Dow F ...
'' ( estuarine round-herring) ;
Galaxiidae The Galaxiidae are a family of mostly small freshwater fish in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority live in Southern Australia or New Zealand, but some are found in South Africa, southern South America, Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, and th ...
: *''Galaxias zebratus'' (
Cape galaxias The Cape galaxias (''Galaxias zebratus'') is a species of freshwater fish of the family Galaxiidae. It is a small fish, rarely larger than 6 cm, that inhabits clear streams, rivers and ponds of South Africa. It shares the same habitat as i ...
) ;
Gobiidae Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and t ...
: *''
Caffrogobius nudiceps ''Caffrogobius'' is a genus of fish in the family Gobiidae, native to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts of southern Africa and from around the Seychelles. Species There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: * ''Caffrogobius a ...
'' ( barehead goby) ;
Mugilidae The mullets or grey mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since ...
: *''Liza richardsonii'' ( southern mullet) *''Mugil cephalus'' (
flathead mullet The flathead grey mullet (''Mugil cephalus'') is an important food fish species in the mullet family Mugilidae. It is found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Its length is typically . It is known with numerous English names ...
) ;
Sparidae The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated by a ...
: *''Lithognathus lithognathus'' (
white steenbras The white steenbras (''Lithognathus lithognathus'') is a species of fish in the family Sparidae endemic to South Africa. Due to overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greate ...
) *''
Rhabdosargus globiceps ''Rhabdosargus globiceps'', the white stumpnose, is an endemic fish found on the southern African coast, from Angola to the Qora River just south of Port St Johns. In Afrikaans it is known as . Description The fish is silver in color with 5 - ...
'' ( white stumpnose)


Introduced

;
Cichlidae Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted th ...
: *''Oreochromis mossambicus'' (
Mozambique tilapia The Mozambique tilapia (''Oreochromis mossambicus'') is an oreochromine cichlid fish native to southeastern Africa. Dull colored, the Mozambique tilapia often lives up to a decade in its native habitats. It is a popular fish for aquaculture. Due ...
) *''Tilapia sparrmanii'' (
banded tilapia ''Tilapia sparrmanii'', the banded tilapia, or vlei kurper, is a widespread and adaptable cichlid fish that is found in warmer freshwater habitats of southern Africa. They prefer water with ample plant cover, and occur naturally as far north as D ...
) ; Clariidae: *''Clarias gariepinus'' ( sharp-tooth catfish) ;
Cyprinidae Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...
: *''Cyprinus carpio'' (
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
) ;
Poeciliidae The Poeciliidae are a family of freshwater fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail. The original distribution of the family wa ...
: *''Gambusia affinis'' (
mosquitofish The western Mosquitofish (''Gambusia affinis'') is a North American freshwater fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply Mosquitofish or by its generic name, ''Gambusia'', or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the east ...
)


Birds

;
Accipitridae The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium- ...
: *''Buteo rufofuscus'' (
jackal buzzard The jackal buzzard (''Buteo rufofuscus'') is a fairly large African bird of prey. The taxonomy of this species has caused some confusion in the past and it almost certainly belongs in a species complex with other African ''Buteo'' species. Some ...
) *''Buteo vulpinus'' (
steppe buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...
) *''Circus ranivorus'' (
African marsh-harrier The African marsh harrier (''Circus ranivorus'') is a bird of prey belonging to the harrier genus ''Circus''. It is largely resident in wetland habitats in southern, central and eastern Africa from South Africa north to South Sudan. Description ...
) vulnerable (VU) *''Elanus caeruleus'' (
black-winged kite The black-winged kite (''Elanus caeruleus''), also known as the black-shouldered kite (not to be confused with the closely-related Australian species of the same name), is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for i ...
) *''Haliaeetus vocifer'' (
African fish eagle The African fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vocifer'') or the African sea eagle, is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, ...
) *''Milvus migrans'' (
black kite The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations ha ...
), (
yellow-billed kite The yellow-billed kite (''Milvus aegyptius'') is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (''Milvus migrans''), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantl ...
) *''Accipiter melanoleucus'' (
black sparrowhawk The black sparrowhawk (''Accipiter melanoleucus''), sometimes known as the black goshawk or great sparrowhawk, is the largest African member of the genus '' Accipiter''.Arkive. Black goshawk (''Accipiter melanoleucus''). In: Arkive: Images of Li ...
) ;
Acrocephalidae The Acrocephalidae (the reed warblers, marsh- and tree-warblers, or acrocephalid warblers) are a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. The species in this family are usually rather large "warblers". Most are rather p ...
: *''Acrocephalus scirpaceus'' (
Common reed warbler The common reed warbler (''Acrocephalus scirpaceus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic where it is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a res ...
) *''Acrocephalus gracilirostris'' (
lesser swamp warbler The lesser swamp warbler or Cape reed warbler (''Acrocephalus gracilirostris'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It is a resident breeder in Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Chad and Ethiopia south t ...
) ;
Alaudidae Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark oc ...
: *''Calandrella cinerea'' (
red-capped lark The red-capped lark (''Calandrella cinerea'') is a small passerine bird. This lark breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and Somaliland. In the south, its range stretches across the continent to Angola and south ...
) ; Alcedinidae: *''Alcedo cristata'' (
malachite kingfisher The malachite kingfisher (''Corythornis cristatus'') is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. Taxonomy The malachite kingfisher was de ...
) ;
Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating ...
: *''Alopochen aegyptiacus'' (
Egyptian goose The Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca'') is a member of the duck, goose A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), ...
), ( Kolgans) *''Anas capensis'' (
Cape teal The Cape teal (''Anas capensis'') also Cape wigeon or Cape widgeon is a 44–46 cm long dabbling duck of open wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy The Cape teal was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich G ...
) *''Anas erythrorhyncha'' ( red-billed teal) *''Anas platyrhynchos'' (
mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
) *''Anas smithii'' (
Cape shoveler The Cape shoveler or Cape shoveller (''Spatula smithii'') is a species of dabbling duck of the genus ''Spatula''. It is resident in South Africa, and uncommon further north in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, an ...
) *''Anas sparsa'' (
African black duck The African black duck (''Anas sparsa'') is a species of duck of the genus ''Anas''. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and (as far as they can be discerned) plumage; it is accordingly pla ...
) *''Anas undulata'' (
yellow-billed duck The yellow-billed duck (''Anas undulata'') is a 51–58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. This duck is not migratory, but wanders in the dry season to find suitable waters. It is hi ...
) *''Plectropterus gambensis'' (
spur-winged goose The spur-winged goose (''Plectropterus gambensis'') is a large bird in the family Anatidae, related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore treated in its own subfamily, ...
) *''Spatula hottentota'' (
blue-billed teal The blue-billed teal, spotted teal or Hottentot teal (''Spatula hottentota'') is a species of dabbling duck of the genus ''Spatula''. It is migratory resident in eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria and ...
) *''Netta erythrophthalma'' (
southern pochard The southern pochard (''Netta erythrophthalma'') is a species of duck, and a member of the genus '' Netta''. There are two subspecies, the South American (southern) pochard ''N. e. erythrophthalma'' (Wied-Neuwied, 1833) and the African (southern) ...
) *''Oxyura maccoa'' (
Maccoa duck The Maccoa duck (''Oxyura maccoa'') is a stiff-tailed diving duck found across Eastern and Southern Africa. Description As members of the stiff-tailed duck group, Maccoas are often found wading in the water with their tail feathers cocked upwar ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Sarkidiornis melanotos'' (
Knob-billed duck The knob-billed duck (''Sarkidiornis melanotos''), or African comb duck, is a duck found in tropical wetlands in Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Subcontinent from northern India to Laos and extreme southern China. Most taxonomic ...
) *''Tadorna cana'' (
South African shelduck The South African shelduck or Cape shelduck (''Tadorna cana'') is a species of shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a common species nativ ...
) ; Anhingidae: *''Anhinga rufa'' (
African darter The African darter (''Anhinga rufa''), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq. Taxonomy The African darter is a member of the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to American (''Anhinga anh ...
) ;
Apodidae The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are not closely related to any passerine species. Swifts are placed in the order Apodiformes with hummingbirds. The treeswifts are closely ...
: *''Apus affinis'' (
little swift The little swift (''Apus affinis''), is a small species of Swift (bird), swift found in Africa and southwestern Asia, and are vagrants and local breeders in southern Europe. They are found both in urban areas and at rocky cliffs where they build ...
) *''Apus barbatus'' (
African black swift The African black swift (''Apus barbatus''), also known as the African swift or black swift, is a medium-sized bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya southwards to South Afric ...
) *''Apus caffer'' (
white-rumped swift The white-rumped swift (''Apus caffer'') is a species of swift. Although this small bird is superficially similar to a house martin, it is not closely related to that passerine species. The resemblances between the swallows and swifts are due t ...
) *''Tachymarptis melba'' (
Alpine swift The alpine swift (''Tachymarptis melba'') formerly ''Apus melba'', is a species of swift found in Africa, southern Europe and Asia. They breed in mountains from southern Europe to the Himalaya. Like common swifts, they are migratory; the souther ...
) ;
Ardeidae The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...
: *''Ardea cinerea'' (
grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...
) *''Ardea melanocephala'' ( black-headed heron) *''Ardea purpurea'' ( purple heron) *''Bubulcus ibis'' (
cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard ...
) *''Egretta garzetta'' ( little egret) *''Egretta intermedia'' (
yellow-billed egret The intermediate egret, median egret, smaller egret, or yellow-billed egret (''Ardea intermedia'') is a medium-sized heron. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus ''Egretta'' or ''Mesophoyx''. It is a resident breeder from east Africa ac ...
) *''Ixobrychus minutus'' (
little bittern The little bittern or common little bittern (''Ixobrychus minutus'') is a wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. ''Ixobrychus'' is from Ancient Greek ''ixias'', a reed-like plant and ''brukhomai'', to bellow, and ''minutus'' is Latin for "sma ...
) *''Nycticorax nycticorax'' (
black-crowned night heron The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and N ...
) *''Ardea goliath'' (
Goliath heron The Goliath heron (''Ardea goliath''), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller, declining numbers in Southwest and South Asia. Description This ...
) *''Egretta alba'' (
great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...
) ; Caprimulgidae: *''Caprimulgus pectoralis'' (
fiery-necked nightjar The fiery-necked nightjar (''Caprimulgus pectoralis'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, which is found mostly in Africa south of the equator, though it has been spotted in a few countries north of the equator. It is most ...
) ; Centropodidae: *''Centropus burchelli'' ( Burchell's coucal) ; Cerylidae: *''Ceryle rudis'' (
pied kingfisher The pied kingfisher (''Ceryle rudis'') is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well a ...
) *''Megaceryle maximus'' (
giant kingfisher The giant kingfisher (''Megaceryle maxima'') is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest. Taxonomy The first formal description o ...
) ;
Charadriidae The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 68 species in all. Taxonomy The family Charadriidae was introduced (as Charadriadæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the ...
: *''Charadrius tricollaris'' (
three-banded plover The three-banded plover, or three-banded sandplover (''Charadrius tricollaris''), is a small wader. This plover is resident and generally sedentary in much of East Africa, southern Africa and Madagascar. It occurs mainly on inland rivers, pools, ...
) *''Vanellus armatus'' (
blacksmith lapwing The blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (''Vanellus armatus'') is a lapwing species that occurs commonly from Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa. The vernacular name derives from the repeated metallic 'tink, ti ...
), ( blacksmith plover) *''Charadrius pecuarius'' (
Kittlitz's plover Kittlitz's plover (''Charadrius pecuarius'') is a small shorebird (35-40 g) in the family Charadriidae that breeds near coastal and inland saltmarshes, sandy or muddy riverbanks or alkaline grasslands with short vegetation. It is native to much o ...
) *''Vanellus coronatus'' (
crowned lapwing The crowned lapwing (''Vanellus coronatus''), or crowned plover, is a bird of the lapwing subfamily that occurs contiguously from the Red Sea coast of Somalia to southern and southwestern Africa. It is an adaptable and numerous species, with bold ...
) *''Charadrius hiaticula'' (
common ringed plover The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from ...
) *''Charadrius marginatus'' (
white-fronted plover The white-fronted plover or white-fronted sandplover (''Charadrius marginatus'') is a small (45-50 g) shorebird of the family Charadriidae that inhabits sandy beaches, dunes, mudflats and the shores of rivers and lakes in sub-saharan Africa and ...
) *''Charadrius pallidus'' (
chestnut-banded plover The chestnut-banded plover (''Charadrius pallidus'') is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. This species has a large range, being distributed across Southern Africa. However, it occupies a rather small area. Identification It grows abo ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Pluvialis squatarola'' (
grey plover The grey plover or black-bellied plover (''Pluvialis squatarola'') is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. Taxonomy The grey plover was forma ...
) ; Chionidae: *''Burhinus capensis'' (
spotted thick-knee The spotted thick-knee (''Burhinus capensis''), also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee, is a wader in the family Burhinidae. It is native to tropical regions of central and southern Africa. Description The spotted thick-knee, which ...
), (
spotted dikkop The spotted thick-knee (''Burhinus capensis''), also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee, is a wader in the family Burhinidae. It is native to tropical regions of central and southern Africa. Description The spotted thick-knee, which ...
) *''Burhinus vermiculatus'' (
water thick-knee The water thick-knee or water dikkop (''Burhinus vermiculatus'') is a species of bird in the thick-knee family Burhinidae. The species is found across sub-Saharan Africa, usually close to water. Distribution and habitat The water thick-knee has ...
), (
water dikkop The water thick-knee or water dikkop (''Burhinus vermiculatus'') is a species of bird in the thick-knee family Burhinidae. The species is found across sub-Saharan Africa, usually close to water. Distribution and habitat The water thick-knee has a ...
) ; Ciconiidae: *''Ciconia ciconia'' (
white stork The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
) *''Ciconia nigra'' (
black stork The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, th ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Mycteria ibis'' (
yellow-billed stork The yellow-billed stork (''Mycteria ibis''), sometimes also called the wood stork or wood ibis, is a large African wading stork species in the family Ciconiidae. It is widespread in regions south of the Sahara and also occurs in Madagascar. Tax ...
) ;
Cisticolidae The family Cisticolidae is a group of about 160 warblers, small passerine birds found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They were formerly included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. This family probably originated ...
: *''Apalis thoracica'' (
bar-throated apalis The bar-throated apalis (''Apalis thoracica'') is a small African passerine bird belonging to the genus ''Apalis'' of the family Cisticolidae. It is native to the eastern and southern Afrotropics. Range and habitat It inhabits forest and scrub i ...
) *''Cisticola tinniens'' (
Levaillant's cisticola Levaillant's cisticola (''Cisticola tinniens''), also known as the tinkling cisticola, is a small passerine bird which is native to marshlands in the uplands of Africa, southwards of the equator. Description Levaillant's cisticola is a small, ...
) *''Prinia maculosa'' (
Karoo prinia The Karoo prinia or spotted prinia (''Prinia maculosa'') is a small passerine bird. It is a resident breeder in South Africa, Lesotho and far southern Namibia. It is a species found in karoo scrub, fynbos and bracken-covered slopes in semi-dese ...
) *''Cisticola juncidis'' (
zitting cisticola The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (''Cisticola juncidis'') is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Aus ...
) *''Cisticola subruficapilla'' (
grey-backed cisticola The grey-backed cisticola or red-headed cisticola (''Cisticola subruficapilla'') is a small passerine bird. This cisticola is a resident breeder in southernmost Angola, Namibia and western South Africa. The grey-backed cisticola is a very commo ...
) *''Cisticola textrix'' (
cloud cisticola The cloud cisticola or tink-tink cisticola (''Cisticola textrix'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia, and its natural habitat is subtropical or tropica ...
) ;
Coliidae The mousebirds are birds in the order Coliiformes. They are the sister group to the clade Eucavitaves, which includes the Leptosomiformes (the cuckoo roller), Trogoniformes (trogons), Bucerotiformes (hornbills and hoopoes), Piciformes (woodpec ...
: *''Colius colius'' (
white-backed mousebird The white-backed mousebird (''Colius colius'') is a large species of mousebird. It is distributed in western and central regions of southern Africa from Namibia and southern Botswana eastwards to Central Transvaal and the eastern Cape. This mous ...
) *''Colius striatus'' (
speckled mousebird The speckled mousebird (''Colius striatus'') is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. It is found throughout most of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Taxonomy The speckled mousebird was formally described in ...
) *''Urocolius indicus'' ( red-faced mousebird) ;
Columbidae Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
: *''Columba livia'' (
feral pigeon Feral pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia forma urbana''), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons,Nagy, Kelsi, and Johnson, Phillip David. ''Trash animals: how we live with natures filthy, feral, invasive, an ...
), (
rock dove The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon ( also ; ''Columba livia'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domes ...
) *''Oena capensis'' (
Namaqua dove The Namaqua dove (''Oena capensis'') is a small pigeon. It is the only species in the genus ''Oena.'' It is found over much of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as Arabia and Madagascar. Taxonomy The Namaqua dove is the only species in the monotypic ...
) *''Streptopelia capicola'' (
Cape turtle dove The ring-necked dove (''Streptopelia capicola''), also known as the Cape turtle dove or half-collared dove, is a widespread and often abundant dove species in East and southern Africa. It is a mostly sedentary bird, found in a variety of open ha ...
) *''Streptopelia semitorquata'' ( red-eyed dove) *''Streptopelia senegalensis'' (Lag Duifie), (
laughing dove The laughing dove (''Spilopelia senegalensis'') is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898. T ...
) *''Columba guinea'' (
speckled pigeon The speckled pigeon (''Columba guinea''), or (African) rock pigeon, is a pigeon that is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over much of its range, although there ...
) ;
Corvidae Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family or corvids. Cu ...
: *''Corvus albus'' (
pied crow The pied crow (''Corvus albus'') is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus. Structurally, the pied crow is better thought of as a small crow-sized raven, especially as it can hybridise with the Somali crow (dwarf raven) whe ...
) *''Corvus splendens'' ( Indian house crow) *''Corvus albicollis'' (
white-necked raven The white-necked raven (''Corvus albicollis'') is somewhat smaller (50–54 cm in length) than the common raven or its nearest relative, the thick-billed raven ''C. crassirostris''. It is native to eastern and southern Africa. Descriptio ...
) ;
Cuculidae Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...
: *''Chrysococcyx caprius'' (
Diderick cuckoo The diederik cuckoo (''Chrysococcyx caprius''), formerly dideric cuckoo or didric cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners and the anis. Taxonomy The diederik cuckoo was described b ...
) *''Chrysococcyx klaas'' ( Klaas's cuckoo) *''Clamator jacobinus'' (
Jacobin cuckoo The Jacobin cuckoo (''Clamator jacobinus''), also pied cuckoo or pied crested cuckoo, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the mons ...
) ; Dendrocygnidae: *''Dendrocygna viduata'' ( white-faced duck) *''Thalassornis leuconotus'' (
white-backed duck The white-backed duck (''Thalassornis leuconotus'') is a waterbird of the family Anatidae. It is distinct from all other ducks, but most closely related to the whistling ducks in the subfamily Dendrocygninae, though also showing some similarities ...
) *''Dendrocygna bicolor'' (
fulvous duck The fulvous whistling duck or fulvous tree duck (''Dendrocygna bicolor'') is a species of whistling duck that breeds across the world's tropical regions in much of Mexico and South America, the West Indies, the southern United States, sub-Sahar ...
) ;
Estrildidae Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a family of small seed-eating passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills. Despite the word "fi ...
: *''Estrilda astrild'' (
common waxbill The common waxbill (''Estrilda astrild''), also known as the St Helena waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and ...
) ;
Falconidae The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order Falconiformes). The family is divided into three subfamilies, Herpetotherinae, which incl ...
: *''Falco biarmicus'' (
Lanner falcon The lanner falcon (''Falco biarmicus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Falco rupicolus'' (
rock kestrel The rock kestrel (''Falco rupicolus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus''). This species occurs in Afr ...
) *''Falco peregrinus'' (
peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey ( raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey ...
) near threatened (NT) ;
Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usu ...
: *''Serinus canicollis'' (
Cape canary The Cape canary (''Serinus canicollis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in southern Africa and has been introduced to Mauritius and Réunion. Its habitat is fynbos, grassland and gardens, preferably in h ...
) *''Crithagra flaviventris'' (
yellow canary The yellow canary (''Crithagra flaviventris'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in much of the western and central regions of southern Africa and has been introduced to Ascension and St Helena islands. ...
) *''Emberiza capensis'' (
Cape bunting The Cape bunting (''Emberiza capensis'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Cape bunting in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen ...
) *''Crithagra albogularis'' (
white-throated canary The white-throated canary (''Crithagra albogularis'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. Taxonomy The white-throated canary was formerly placed in the genus ''Serinus'' but phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA ...
) *''Serinus sulphuratus'' (
brimstone canary The brimstone canary or bully canary (''Crithagra sulphurata'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in central and southern Africa. This species is found in open, lightly wooded habitats, such as hillsides with ...
) ; Gruidae: *''Anthropoides paradiseus'' (
blue crane The blue crane (''Grus paradisea''), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Description The blue crane is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, ...
) vulnerable (VU) ; Haematopodidae: *''Haematopus moquini'' (
African black oystercatcher The African oystercatcher or African black oystercatcher (''Haematopus moquini''), is a large charismatic wader resident to the mainland coasts and offshore islands of southern Africa. This near-threatened oystercatcher has a population of ...
) near threatened (NT) ;
Heliornithidae The Heliornithidae are a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet like those of grebes and coots. The family overall are known as finfoots, although one species is known as a sungrebe. The family is composed of three s ...
: *''Fulica cristata'' (
red-knobbed coot The red-knobbed coot or crested coot, (''Fulica cristata''), is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest o ...
) *''Gallinula chloropus'' (
common moorhen The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World. The common moorhen lives around well-vegetated mar ...
) *''Porphyrio madagascariensis'' ( African purple swamphen) ;
Hirundinidae The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...
: *''Hirundo albigularis'' (
white-throated swallow The white-throated swallow (''Hirundo albigularis'') is a small bird in the swallow family. It is a common species, found in southern Africa, which has benefited from the increased nesting opportunities presented by the construction of bridges a ...
) *''Hirundo cucullata'' (
greater striped swallow The greater striped swallow (''Cecropis cucullata'') is a large swallow that is native to Africa south of the equator. Taxonomy The greater striped swallow was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in h ...
) *''Hirundo dimidiata'' (
pearl-breasted swallow The pearl-breasted swallow (''Hirundo dimidiata'') is a small swallow. Description The pearl-breasted swallow is 13–14 cm long. It has glossy blue upperparts and grey-white underparts. The upper wings, underwing flight feathers and forked ...
) *''Hirundo rustica'' (
barn swallow The barn swallow (''Hirundo rustica'') is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. In fact, it appears to have the largest natural distribution of any of the world's passerines, ranging over 251 million square kilometres globally. ...
) *''Riparia paludicola'' (
brown-throated martin The brown-throated martin or brown-throated sand martin (''Riparia paludicola'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It was first formally described as ''Hirundo paludicola'' by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot in 1817 in hi ...
) *''Delichon urbicum'' (
common house-martin Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally ...
) *''Hirundo fuligula'' (
rock martin The rock martin (''Ptyonoprogne fuligula'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family that is resident in central and southern Africa. It breeds mainly in the mountains, but also at lower altitudes, especially in rocky areas and around town ...
) *''Riparia cincta'' (
banded martin The banded martin or banded sand martin (''Neophedina cincta'') is a small passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae that is endemic to Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Neophedina''. Taxonomy The banded martin was d ...
) *''Hirundo spilodera'' ( South African cliff-swallow) ;
Indicatoridae Honeyguides (family Indicatoridae) are near passerine birds in the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus ''Prodotiscus''. The ...
: *''Indicator indicator'' (
greater honeyguide The greater honeyguide (''Indicator indicator'') is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. Its English and scientific names refer to its habit of guiding people to bee colonies. C ...
) ; Laniidae: *''Lanius collaris'' (
southern fiscal The southern fiscal or fiscal shrike (''Lanius collaris'') is a member of the shrike family found through most of southern Africa. It is also sometimes named jackie hangman or butcher bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns ...
), (
fiscal shrike The southern fiscal or fiscal shrike (''Lanius collaris'') is a member of the shrike family found through most of southern Africa. It is also sometimes named jackie hangman or butcher bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns ...
) ;
Laridae Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns, skimmers and kittiwakes. It includes around 100 species arranged into 22 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial birds found worldwide. Ta ...
: *''Larus cirrocephalus'' (
grey-headed gull The grey-headed gull (''Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus''), also known as the gray-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is more widespread i ...
) *''Larus dominicanus'' (
kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, pa ...
) *''Larus hartlaubii'' (
Hartlaub's gull Hartlaub's gull (''Chroicocephalus hartlaubii''), also known as the king gull, it is a small gull. It was formerly sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the silver gull (''C. novaehollandiae''), and, as is the case with many gulls, it has t ...
) *''Chlidonias hybrida'' (
whiskered tern The whiskered tern (''Chlidonias hybrida'') is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''khelidonios'', "swallow-like", from ''khelidon'', " swallow". The specific ''hybridus'' is Latin for ''hybrid''; Peter Simon ...
) *''Chlidonias leucopterus'' (
white-winged tern The white-winged tern, or white-winged black tern (''Chlidonias leucopterus'' or ''Chlidonias leucoptera''), is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is a small species generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across much of the wor ...
) *''Sterna balaenarum'' (
Damara tern The Damara tern (''Sternula balaenarum'') is a species of small tern in the family Laridae which breeds in the southern summer in southern Africa and migrates to tropical African coasts to winter. Description At in length the Damara tern is a s ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Sterna bergii'' ( swift tern) *''Sterna caspia'' (
Caspian tern The Caspian tern (''Hydroprogne caspia'') is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Sterna hirundo'' (
common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migrat ...
) *''Sterna sandvicensis'' (
Sandwich tern The Sandwich tern (''Thalasseus sandvicensis'') is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (''T. bengalensis''), Chinese crested tern (''T. bernsteini''), Cabot's tern (''T. acuflavidus''), and ele ...
) *''Sterna vittata'' (
Antarctic tern The Antarctic tern (''Sterna vittata'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. It ranges throughout the southern oceans and is found on small islands around Antarctica as well as on the shores of the mainland. Its diet consists primarily of small fis ...
) ;
Locustellidae Locustellidae is a newly recognized family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler " wastebin" family. It contains the grass warblers, grassbirds, and the '' Bradypterus'' " bush warblers". These bi ...
: *''Bradypterus baboecala'' (
little rush warbler The little rush warbler or African bush warbler (''Bradypterus baboecala'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. Range and habitat It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, DRC, ...
) ;
Lybiidae The African barbets are birds in the family Lybiidae. There are 43 species ranging from the type genus ''Lybius'' of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (''Pogoniulus'') of forest and scrubland. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with ...
: *''Tricholaema leucomelas'' ( acacia pied barbet) ;
Macrosphenidae The African warblers are a newly erected family Macrosphenidae, of songbirds. Most of the species were formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, although one species, the rockrunner, was placed in the babbler family, Timaliidae. ...
: *''Sphenoeacus afer'' (
Cape grassbird The Cape grassbird or Cape grass warbler (''Sphenoeacus afer'') is an African warbler found in southern Africa. Taxonomy Formerly placed in the family Sylviidae, it is the only member of the genus ''Sphenoeacus''. The taxonomy of the "African ...
) ;
Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by ...
: *''Merops apiaster'' (
European bee-eater The European bee-eater (''Merops apiaster'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African popula ...
) ;
Monarchidae The monarchs (family Monarchidae) comprise a family of over 100 passerine birds which includes shrikebills, paradise flycatchers, and magpie-larks. Monarchids are small insectivorous songbirds with long tails. They inhabit forest or woodland ...
: *''Laniarius ferrugineus'' (
southern boubou The southern boubou (''Laniarius ferrugineus'') ('ferrugineus' - rust-coloured) is a bushshrike. Though these passerine birds and their relations were once included with true shrikes in the Laniidae, they are not closely related to that family. ...
) *''Telophorus zeylonus'' (
bokmakierie The bokmakierie (''Telophorus zeylonus'') is a bushshrike. This family of passerine birds is closely related to the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, and was once included in that group. This species is endemic to southern Africa, mainly in S ...
) ;
Motacillidae The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family (biology), family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genus, genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the ...
: *''Anthus cinnamomeus'' (
African pipit The African pipit (''Anthus cinnamomeus'') is a fairly small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus ''Anthus'' in the family Motacillidae. It is also known as the grassveld pipit or grassland pipit. It was formerly lumped together with the ...
) *''Macronyx capensis'' (
Cape longclaw The Cape longclaw or orange-throated longclaw (''Macronyx capensis'') is a passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which comprises the longclaws, pipits and wagtails. It occurs in Southern Africa in Zimbabwe and southern and eastern ...
) *''Motacilla capensis'' (
Cape wagtail The Cape wagtail (''Motacilla capensis''), also known as Wells's wagtail, is a small insectivorous bird which is widespread in southern Africa. It frequents water's edge, lawns and gardens. It is a mostly resident, territorial species, but has be ...
) ;
Muscicapidae The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and North ...
: *''Cossypha caffra'' (
Cape robin-chat The Cape robin-chat (''Cossypha caffra'') is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It has a disjunct range from South Sudan to South Africa. The locally familiar and confiding species has colonized and benefited f ...
) *''Saxicola torquatus'' (
African stonechat The African stonechat or common stonechat (''Saxicola torquatus'') is a species of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions. Like the other chats, it was long assigned to the thrush f ...
) *''Sigelus silens'' ( fiscal flycatcher) *''Turdus olivaceus'' (
olive thrush The olive thrush (''Turdus olivaceus'') is, in its range, one of the most common members of the thrush family (Turdidae). It occurs in African highlands from southern Malawi and Mozambique in the north to the Cape of Good Hope in the south. It is ...
) *''Cercomela familiaris'' (
familiar chat The familiar chat (''Oenanthe familiaris'') is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara in rocky and mountainous habitat and around human habitation. ...
) *''Cercotrichas coryphaeus'' (
Karoo scrub-robin The Karoo scrub robin (''Cercotrichas coryphaeus'') or Karoo robin is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitats are dry shrubland and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetatio ...
) *''Oenanthe pileata'' (
capped wheatear The capped wheatear (''Oenanthe pileata'') is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. Description ...
) ;
Nectariniidae Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly ...
: *''Cinnyris chalybeus'' (
southern double-collared sunbird The southern double-collared sunbird or lesser double-collared sunbird (''Cinnyris chalybeus'') is a small passerine bird which breeds in southern Africa. It is mainly resident, but partially migratory in the north-east of its range. Habitat Th ...
) *''Nectarinia famosa'' (
malachite sunbird The malachite sunbird (''Nectarinia famosa'') is a small nectarivorous bird found from the highlands of Ethiopia southwards to South Africa. They pollinate many flowering plants, particularly those with long corolla tubes, in the Fynbos. Taxono ...
) ;
Passeridae Old World sparrows are a group of small passerine birds forming the family Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, a name also used for a particular genus of the family, ''Passer''. They are distinct from both the New World sparrows, i ...
: *''Passer melanurus'' (
Cape sparrow The Cape sparrow (''Passer melanurus''), or mossie, is a bird of the Old World sparrow, sparrow family (biology), family Passeridae found in southern Africa. A medium-sized sparrow at , it has distinctive plumage, including large pale head stri ...
) *''Passer domesticus'' (
house sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, an ...
) *''Passer diffusus'' (
southern grey-headed sparrow The southern grey-headed sparrow (''Passer diffusus'') is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the grey-headed sparrow The northern grey-headed sparrow (''Passer griseus''), also known a ...
) ;
Pelecanidae The Pelecanidae is a family of pelecaniform birds within the Pelecani that contains two genera: the extinct ''Eopelecanus'' and the extant '' Pelecanus''. The family was monotypic until the description of ''Eopelecanus'' in 2021. Pelecanids hav ...
: *''Pelecanus onocrotalus'' (
great white pelican The great white pelican (''Pelecanus onocrotalus'') also known as the eastern white pelican, rosy pelican or white pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and Africa, in swamps and shallow lakes ...
), ( Wit pelikan) near threatened (NT) ;
Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the IOC adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven gen ...
: *''Phalacrocorax africanus'' (
reed cormorant The reed cormorant (''Microcarbo africanus''), also known as the long-tailed cormorant, is a bird in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. It is resident but undertakes some seas ...
) *''Phalacrocorax capensis'' (
Cape cormorant The Cape cormorant or Cape shag (''Phalacrocorax capensis'') is a bird endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. It breeds from Namibia south to southern Western Cape. In the nonbreeding season, it may be found as far north as the mouth of t ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Phalacrocorax lucidus'' (
white-breasted cormorant The white-breasted cormorant (''Phalacrocorax lucidus'') is much like the widespread great cormorant and if not a regional variant of the same species, is at least very closely related. It is distinguished from other forms of the great cormorant ...
) *''Phalacrocorax coronatus'' (
crowned cormorant The crowned cormorant (''Microcarbo coronatus'') is a small cormorant that is endemic (ecology), endemic to the waters of the cold Benguela Current of southern Africa. It is an exclusively coastal species and is not found more than 10 km (6 ...
) near threatened (NT) ;
Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds. The family is a large one and i ...
: *''Numida meleagris'' ( helmeted guineafowl) *''Pternistis capensis'' (
Cape spurfowl The Cape spurfowl or Cape francolin (''Pternistis capensis'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is endemic to southern Africa, where it is the largest francolin. It occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and local ...
) *''Scleroptila africanus'' (
grey-winged francolin The grey-winged francolin (''Scleroptila afra'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. ...
) *''Coturnix coturnix'' ( common quail) ;
Phoenicopteridae Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean ...
: *''Phoenicopterus minor'' (
lesser flamingo The lesser flamingo (''Phoeniconaias minor'') is a species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and western India. Birds are occasionally reported from further north, but these are generally considered vagrants. Characteristics The lesser ...
) near threatened (NT) *''Phoenicopterus ruber'' (
greater flamingo The greater flamingo (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe. Taxonomy The greater flamingo was desc ...
) near threatened (NT) ;
Phylloscopidae Leaf warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Phylloscopus''. Leaf warblers were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 200 ...
: *''Phylloscopus trochilus'' (
willow warbler The willow warbler (''Phylloscopus trochilus'') is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strongl ...
) ;
Ploceidae Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches and bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classifica ...
: *''Euplectes capensis'' (
yellow bishop The yellow bishop (''Euplectes capensis''), also known as Cape bishop, Cape widow or yellow-rumped widow, is a resident breeding bird species in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Leso ...
) *''Euplectes orix'' (
southern red bishop The southern red bishop or red bishop (''Euplectes orix'') is a small passerine bird belonging to the bishop and widowbird genus ''Euplectes'' in the weaver family, the Ploceidae. It is common in wetlands and grassland in Africa south of the Equa ...
) *''Ploceus capensis'' (
Cape weaver The Cape weaver (''Ploceus capensis'') is a species of bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae, found in southern Africa. Taxonomy and systematics In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Cape weaver in ...
) *''Ploceus velatus'' (
southern masked-weaver The southern masked weaver (''Ploceus velatus''), or African masked weaver, is a resident breeding bird species common throughout southern Africa. This weaver is very widespread and found in a wide range of habitats, including shrubland, savan ...
) ; Podicipedidae: *''Podiceps cristatus'' (
great crested grebe The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds noted for its elaborate mating display. Taxonomy The great crested grebe was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in ...
) *''Podiceps nigricollis'' (
black-necked grebe The black-necked grebe or eared grebe (''Podiceps nigricollis'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It was described in 1831 by Christian Ludwig Brehm. There are currently three accepted subspecies, including the nominate subspecie ...
) *''Tachybaptus ruficollis'' (
little grebe The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Lat ...
) ;
Pycnonotidae The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical A ...
: *''Pycnonotus capensis'' (
Cape bulbul The Cape bulbul (''Pycnonotus capensis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in coastal bush, open forest, gardens and fynbos in western and southern South Africa. This species nests mainly in ...
) ;
Rallidae The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small- to medium-sized, ground-living birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules. Many species are associated with wetlands, altho ...
: *''Amaurornis flavirostris'' (
black crake The black crake (''Zapornia flavirostra'') is a waterbird in the rail and crake family, Rallidae. It breeds in most of sub-Saharan Africa except in very arid areas. It undertakes some seasonal movements in those parts of its range which are subj ...
) *''Sarothrura rufa'' (
red-chested flufftail The red-chested flufftail (''Sarothrura rufa'') is a species of bird in the family Sarothruridae Sarothruridae is a family of small- to medium-sized ground-living birds found mostly in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa, with the genus ''Rallic ...
) *''Porzana pusilla'' (
Baillon's crake Baillon's crake (''Zapornia pusilla''), also known as the marsh crake, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. Distribution Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across the Palearctic. They used to breed in ...
) *''Rallus caerulescens'' (
African rail The African rail (''Rallus caerulescens'') is a small wetland bird of the Rallidae, rail family that is found in eastern and southern Africa. Taxonomy The African rail was Species description, formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist ...
) ;
Recurvirostridae The Recurvirostridae are a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets (one genus) and the stilts (two genera). Description Avocets and stilts range in length from and in weight from ; ...
: *''Himantopus himantopus'' (
black-winged stilt The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family ( Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan sp ...
) *''Recurvirostra avosetta'' (
pied avocet The pied avocet (''Recurvirostra avosetta'') is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to Central Asia then on to the Russian Far East. It is a m ...
) ;
Rostratulidae The Rostratulidae, commonly known as the painted-snipes, are a family of wading birds that consists of two genera: ''Rostratula'' and '' Nycticryphes''. Description The painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the t ...
: *''Rostratula benghalensis'' (
greater painted-snipe The greater painted-snipe (''Rostratula benghalensis'') is a species of wader in the family Rostratulidae. It is found in marshes in Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia. Description Medium-sized, plump wading bird. Long reddish-brown bill, ...
) near threatened (NT) ;
Scolopacidae Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. ...
: *''Gallinago nigripennis'' (
African snipe The African snipe (''Gallinago nigripennis'') also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader. It breeds in eastern and southern Africa in wet mountain moorland and swamps at altitudes of . When not breeding it disperses widely, includ ...
), (
Ethiopian snipe The African snipe (''Gallinago nigripennis'') also known as the Ethiopian snipe, is a small stocky wader. It breeds in eastern and southern Africa in wet mountain moorland and swamps at altitudes of . When not breeding it disperses widely, incl ...
) *''Philomachus pugnax'' ( ruff) *''Tringa nebularia'' (
common greenshank The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...
) *''Tringa stagnatilis'' (
marsh sandpiper The marsh sandpiper (''Tringa stagnatilis'') is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given ...
) *''Actitis hypoleucos'' (
common sandpiper The common sandpiper (''Actitis hypoleucos'') is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (''A. macularia''), make up the genus ''Actitis''. They are parapatric and replace each other geographical ...
) *''Arenaria interpres'' (
ruddy turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the pl ...
) *''Calidris alba'' (
sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colour ...
) *''Calidris canutus'' (
red knot The red knot or just knot (''Calidris canutus'') is a medium-sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the '' Calidris'' sandpipers, second only to the ...
) *''Calidris ferruginea'' (
curlew sandpiper The curlew sandpiper (''Calidris ferruginea'') is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australia and New Zealand. It is a ...
) *''Calidris melanotos'' (
pectoral sandpiper The pectoral sandpiper (''Calidris melanotos'') is a small, migratory wader that breeds in North America and Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. It eats small invertebrates. Its nest, a hole scraped in the ground and with a thick lin ...
) *''Calidris minuta'' (
little stint The little stint (''Calidris minuta'' or ''Erolia minuta''), is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America ...
) *''Limosa lapponica'' (
bar-tailed godwit The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, an ...
) *''Numenius arquata'' (
Eurasian curlew The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...
) *''Numenius phaeopus'' ( common whimbrel) *''Steganopus tricolor'' (
Wilson's phalarope Wilson's phalarope (''Phalaropus tricolor'') is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes ne ...
) *''Tringa glareola'' (
wood sandpiper The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green ...
) *''Tringa totanus'' (
common redshank The common redshank or simply redshank (''Tringa totanus'') is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae. Taxonomy The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of hi ...
) ;
Scopidae ''Scopus'' is a genus of wading birds containing the hamerkop ''(Scopus umbretta)'' and its extinct Pliocene relative, ''Scopus xenopus''. This genus is the sole representative of the family Scopidae. Taxonomy Hamerkops were traditionally includ ...
: *''Scopus umbretta'' (
hamerkop The hamerkop (''Scopus umbretta'') is a medium-sized wading bird. It is the only living species in the genus ''Scopus'' and the family Scopidae. The species and family was long thought to sit with the Ciconiiformes but is now placed with th ...
) ;
Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical ow ...
: *''Bubo africanus'' ( spotted eagle-owl) *''Asio capensis'' (
marsh owl The marsh owl (''Asio capensis'') is a medium to large species of owl in the family Strigidae. Description Medium-sized, dark brown with a pumpkin-shaped head with small 'ear' tufts. The facial disc is pale buff, with a distinct dark brown ri ...
) ; Sturnidae: *''Onychognathus morio'' (
red-winged starling The red-winged starling (''Onychognathus morio'') is a bird of the starling family Sturnidae native to eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa. An omnivorous, generalist species, it prefers cliffs and mountainous areas for nest ...
) *''Sturnus vulgaris'' (
common starling The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumag ...
), (
European starling The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...
) *''Spreo bicolor'' (
pied starling The pied starling or African pied starling (''Lamprotornis bicolor'') is a bird endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. It is common in most of its range, but largely absent from the arid northwest and the eastern lowlands of South Afric ...
) ;
Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers and a number of babblers formerly placed within the Old World babbler family. They are found in Eurasia and Africa. Taxonomy and systematics The scientific name Sylvi ...
: *''Sylvia subcoerulea'' (
chestnut-vented warbler The chestnut-vented warbler, chestnut-vented tit-babbler or rufous-vented warbler (''Curruca subcoerulea'') is an Old World warbler. The chestnut-vented warbler breeds in southern Africa in Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, South Afri ...
) ;
Threskiornithidae The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 species of large wading birds. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and hav ...
: *''Bostrychia hagedash'' (
hadeda ibis The hadeda ibis (''Bostrychia hagedash'') is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Altho ...
) *''Platalea alba'' (
African spoonbill The African spoonbill (''Platalea alba'') is a long-legged wading birdglossy ibis The glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek ''plegados'' and Latin, ''falcis'', both meaning "sickle" ...
) *''Threskiornis aethiopicus'' (
African sacred ibis The African sacred ibis (''Threskiornis aethiopicus'') is a species of ibis, a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to much of Africa, as well as small parts of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. It is especially known for its role in ...
) ;
Tytonidae Barn-owls (family Tytonidae) are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls or typical owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with ...
: *''Tyto alba'' (
barn owl The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himala ...
) ;
Upupidae Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "crown" of feathers. Three living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many years all of the extant species were lumped as a singl ...
: *''Upupa africana'' (
African hoopoe The African hoopoe (''Upupa africana'') is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. Previously considered as a subspecies (''Upupa epops africana'') of the Eurasian hoopoe, it is a resident species of southern Africa. Taxonomy The Afric ...
) ;
Viduidae __NOTOC__ The indigobirds and whydahs, together with the cuckoo-finch, make up the family Viduidae; they are small passerine birds native to Africa. These are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage ...
: *''Vidua macroura'' (
pin-tailed whydah The pin-tailed whydah (''Vidua macroura'') is a small songbird with a conspicuous pennant-like tail in breeding males. It is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Taxonomy The pin-tailed whydah was first desc ...
) ;
Zosteropidae The white-eyes are a family, Zosteropidae, of small passerine birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the ...
: *''Zosterops virens'' (
Cape white-eye The Cape white-eye (''Zosterops virens'') is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is native to southern Africa. It is commonly found in suburbia, parks and gardens, besides a variety of mesic to well-watered habitats. Taxonomy Ther ...
)


Plants


Indigenous

;
Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1800 species. They are commonly known as ice plants or carpet weeds. They are often called vygies in South Africa and New ...
: *'' Tetragonia fruticosa'' *''
Galenia africana ''Galenia'' is a synonym of ''Aizoon ''Aizoon'' or ''Aizoön'' is a genus of flowering plants in the iceplant family, Aizoaceae. Distribution Apart from A. canariense (which is native to Macaronesia, North Africa, Southern Africa, Horn of A ...
'' *''
Tetragonia decumbens ''Tetragonia decumbens'' (dune spinach or sea spinach) is a coastal shrub, native to southern Africa. Description It grows as a trailing undershrub with thick, pale, furry stems, and thick, oval, saddle-shaped leaves 10-60 millimetres long an ...
'' (sea spinach) *''
Tetragonia spicata ''Tetragonia spicata'' is a Southern African perennial shrub or scrambler. Description The species is highly variable but can be recognised by its leaves which are flat (not folded or revolute) and on clear stalks (petiolate). The flowers are ...
'' *''
Acrosanthes humifusa ''Acrosanthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family ''Aizoaceae''. It is native to Southern Africa. Description Plants in this genus are generally prostrate to sprawling branching perennials with opposite succulent leaves. Infloresc ...
'' *''
Aizoon sarmentosum ''Aizoon'' or ''Aizoön'' is a genus of flowering plants in the iceplant family, Aizoaceae. Distribution Apart from A. canariense (which is native to Macaronesia, North Africa, Southern Africa, Horn of Africa and West Asia) all species are nati ...
'' ;
Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making i ...
*''
Alternanthera sessilis ''Alternanthera sessilis'' is a flowering plant known by several common names, including sissoo spinach, Brazilian spinach, sessile joyweed and dwarf copperleaf. It is cultivated as a vegetable worldwide. Distribution The plant occurs throughout ...
'' *''
Atriplex cinerea ''Atriplex cinerea'', commonly known as grey saltbush, coast saltbush, barilla or '' truganini'', is a plant species in the family Amaranthaceae. It occurs in sheltered coastal areas and around salt lakes in the Australian states of Western Au ...
'' *''
Atriplex semibaccata Atriplex semibaccata, commonly known as Australian saltbush, berry saltbush, or creeping saltbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb native to Western Australia, South ...
'' *''
Salicornia meyeriana ''Salicornia'' is a genus of succulent, halophytic (salt tolerant) flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. ''Salicornia'' species are native to North America, Europe, Central Asia ...
'' *''
Salicornia perennis ''Salicornia perennis'', synonym ''Sarcocornia perennis'', otherwise known as perennial glasswort, is a species of halophytic perennial plant within the family Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the a ...
'' (syn. ''Sarcocornia perennis'') *'' Sarcocornia capensis'' *'' Sarcocornia natalensis'' *'' Sarcocornia pillansii'' *'' Chenopodium murale'' *'' Exomis microphylla'' ;
Amaryllidaceae The Amaryllidaceae are a family of herbaceous, mainly perennial and bulbous (rarely rhizomatous) flowering plants in the monocot order Asparagales. The family takes its name from the genus '' Amaryllis'' and is commonly known as the amaryl ...
*'' Ammocharis longifolia'' *'' Brunsvigia orientalis'' ( candelabra flower) *''
Haemanthus coccineus ''Haemanthus coccineus'', the blood flower, blood lily or paintbrush lily, is a species of flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae, native to Southern Africa. Growing to tall and wide, it is a bulbous perennial with short brown s ...
'' *'' Haemanthus pubescens pubescens'' *''
Haemanthus sanguineus ''Haemanthus sanguineus'' is a South African bulbous geophyte in the genus ''Haemanthus'' that occurs in the fynbos vegetation of the Western Cape. This endemism, endemic fynbos geophyte is dormant during the summer and cannot be seen. In the au ...
'' ;
Anacardiaceae The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...
*''
Rhus glauca ''Searsia glauca'' (or the blue kuni-rhus) is a small, compact tree or bush that is commonly found along the coastline of southern Africa. Although commonest near the coast, it is also found inland among fynbos vegetation. Description The lea ...
'' *''
Rhus crenata ''Searsia crenata'', previously known as ''Rhus crenata'', ("dune crow-berry"), is a species of '' Searsia'' that is native to South Africa, where it grows in frost-free and light frost areas, especially on beach sand dunes. Description It is ...
'' , (
turkeyberry ''Solanum torvum'', the turkey berry, devil's fig, pea eggplant, platebrush or susumber, is a bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant used horticulturally as a rootstock for eggplant. Grafted plants are very vigorous and tolerate diseases af ...
) *''
Rhus laevigata ''Searsia laevigata'', the dune currant rhus, is a small, bushy, evergreen tree that occurs in rocky fynbos slopes and coastal shrub in South Africa. Description It looks very similar to its close relative ''Searsia glauca'' but has larger lea ...
'' *''
Rhus lancea ''Searsia lancea'' commonly known as karee (archaicly karree), is an evergreen, frost hardy, drought resistant tree, which can reach up to 8 metres in height with a 5-metre spread. In North America, where it is naturalized, it is known as Africa ...
'' *''
Rhus lucida ''Searsia lucida'', previously known as ''Rhus lucida'', and commonly known as the varnished kuni-rhus (English) or blinktaaibos (Afrikaans). Description The tree seldom reaches a height of more than 2 metres and can spread as a shrub over seve ...
'' *'' Rhus tomentosa'' *''
Schinus molle ''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish s ...
'' *'' Chlorophytum undulatum'' ;
Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plant ...
: *''
Dasispermum suffruticosum ''Dasispermum'' are a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to coastal area of southern South Africa. Short-lived perennial or annuals, they are low-lying, often sprawling herbs with succulent or semi-succulent leaves, adapted ...
'' *'' Sonderina hispida'' *'' Sonderina tenuis'' *'' Capnophyllum africanum'' *'' Stoibrax capense'' *''
Torilis arvensis ''Torilis arvensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common names spreading hedge parsley, tall sock-destroyer and common hedge parsley. It is native to parts of Europe and it is known elsewhere, such as North ...
'' *''
Lichtensteinia obscura Lichtensteinia may refer to: * ''Lichtensteinia'' (plant), a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae * ''Lichtensteinia'', a genus of plants in the family Loranthaceae, synonym of ''Tapinanthus'' * ''Lichtensteinia'', a genus of true bugs in the fam ...
'' ;
Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...
: *''
Cynanchum africanum ''Cynanchum'' is a genus of about 300 species including some swallowworts, belonging to the family Apocynaceae. The taxon name comes from Greek ''kynos'' (meaning "dog") and ''anchein'' ("to choke"), hence the common name for several species is d ...
'' *''
Carissa macrocarpa ''Carissa macrocarpa'' is a shrub native to tropical and southern Africa. It is commonly known as the Natal plum and, in South Africa, the large num-num. In Zulu, as well as in the Bantu tribes of Uganda, it is called ''Amathungulu'' or ''umT ...
'' *''
Microloma sagittatum ''Microloma sagittatum'', the bokhoring, is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae, that is native to the south-western Cape, South Africa. Description Like other ''Microloma'' species, this is a thin climbing plant. However this species ...
'' *'' Gomphocarpus physocarpus'' *''
Eustegia filiformis ''Eustegia'' is a genus of vines in the family Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane fam ...
'' ;
Aponogetonaceae The Aponogetonaceae (the Cape-pondweed family or aponogeton family) are a family of flowering plants in the order Alismatales. In recent decades the family has had universal recognition by taxonomists. The APG system (1998) and APG II system (20 ...
*'' Aponogeton angustifolius'' *''
Aponogeton distachyos Aponogeton distachyos or ''Aponogeton distachyum'', also known as waterblommetjie (''lit. trans.'' water-floret), Cape-pondweed, water hawthorn, vleikos and Cape pond weed is an aquatic flowering plant. Origin Native to South Africa's Western C ...
'' ;
Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). ...
*''
Zantedeschia aethiopica ''Zantedeschia aethiopica'', commonly known as calla lily and arum lily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to southern Africa in Lesotho, South Africa, and Eswatini. Description ''Zantedeschia aethiopica'' is a rhizo ...
'' ;
Asparagaceae Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate ...
*''
Asparagus capensis ''Asparagus capensis'', also called katdoring (from the Afrikaans language, Afrikaans for 'cat-thorn') is a dense, thorny, shrub of the ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. Description This spe ...
'' *''
Asparagus lignosus ''Asparagus lignosus'' ("Katdoring") is a thorny, spindly creeper of the '' Asparagus'' genus, that is indigenous to the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Description A rigid, upright shrub reaching 80 cm in height. The branches are ...
'' *'' Asparagus rubicundus'' *''
Asparagus asparagoides ''Asparagus asparagoides'', commonly known as bridal creeper, bridal-veil creeper, ''gnarboola'', smilax or smilax asparagus, is a herbaceous climbing plant of the family Asparagaceae native to eastern and southern Africa. Sometimes grown as an ...
'' ;
Asphodelaceae Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes abo ...
: *'' Aloe sp.1'' *'' Trachyandra filiformis'' *''
Trachyandra ciliata ''Trachyandra'' is a genus of plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 first described as a genus in 1843. It is native to eas ...
'' *''
Trachyandra divaricata ''Trachyandra'' is a genus of plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 first described as a genus in 1843. It is native to eas ...
'' *''
Bulbine lagopus ''Bulbine'' is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae and subfamily Asphodeloideae, named for the bulb-shaped tuber of many species. It was formerly placed in the Liliaceae. It is found chiefly in Southern Africa, with a few species exte ...
'' *''
Trachyandra brachypoda ''Trachyandra'' is a genus of plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 first described as a genus in 1843. It is native to eas ...
'' *''
Trachyandra muricata ''Trachyandra'' is a genus of plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 first described as a genus in 1843. It is native to ...
'' *''
Trachyandra revoluta ''Trachyandra'' is a genus of plant in the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae,Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)"Asphodeloideae" ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', retrieved 2016-06-10 first described as a genus in 1843. It is native to ...
'' ;
Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...
: *'' Athanasia crithmifolia'' *''
Chrysanthemoides incana ''Chrysanthemoides'' is one of eight genera of the Calenduleae, with a centre of diversity in South Africa. The genus contains only two species, but is known for the invasive "Bitou Bush" ''Chrysanthemoides monilifera''. Studies of this genus hav ...
'' *''
Dimorphotheca pluvialis ''Dimorphotheca pluvialis,'' common names white African daisy, Cape marigold, weather prophet, Cape rain-daisy, ox-eye daisy, Cape daisy or rain daisy, is a plant species native to South Africa and Namibia. It is sparingly naturalized in scattere ...
'' *''
Senecio burchellii ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family ( Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Mo ...
'' *''
Amellus asteroides ''Amellus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1759. ''Amellus'' is native to southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( ...
'' *''
Amellus tenuifolius ''Amellus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1759. ''Amellus'' is native to southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( ...
'' *''
Arctotheca calendula ''Arctotheca calendula'' is a plant in the sunflower family commonly known as capeweed, plain treasureflower, cape dandelion, or cape marigold because it originates from the Cape Province in South Africa. It is also found in neighboring KwaZulu ...
'' *''
Arctotheca populifolia ''Arctotheca populifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names beach daisy,
'' *''
Arctotis hirsuta ''Arctotis hirsuta'' (Namaqua marigold, gousblom) is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to South Africa. It occurs in the provinces of the Northern Cape and Western Cape. Most typically found on sandy slopes and flats along the coast in ...
'' *'' Arctotis stoechadifolia'' *''
Athanasia dentata ''Athanasia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family. ; Species ''Athanasia'' is native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in South ...
'' *'' Athanasia trifurcata'' *'' Berkheya rigida'' *''
Chrysanthemoides monilifera ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' ''(Chrysanthemoides monilifera)'' is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree of the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to South Africa, such as the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld habitat. Most subspecies have wo ...
'' ( bitoubos) *''
Cineraria geifolia ''Cineraria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, native primarily to southern Africa with a few species farther north. The genus includes herbaceous plants and small subshrubs. In the past, the genus was commonly viewed in ...
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Cotula coronopifolia The small marsh flower ''Cotula coronopifolia'' bears the common names brass buttons, golden buttons, and buttonweed. The flower heads are bright yellow discoid heads that look like thick buttons. Individual plants spread stems along the ground a ...
'' *'' Cotula eckloniana'' *'' Cotula filifolia'' *'' Cotula turbinata'' *''
Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis ''Elytropappus rhinocerotis'' (commonly known as renosterbos or "rhinoceros bush") is a species of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae, endemic to South Africa. It is a very obvious component of the unique Renosterveld Vegetation Typ ...
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Didelta carnosa ''Didelta'' is a genus of shrubs of up to 1 or 2 meter high, with two known species in the Asteraceae, daisy family. Like in almost all Asteraceae, the individual flowers are Merosity, 5-merous, small and clustered in typical heads, and are surr ...
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Eriocephalus africanus ''Eriocephalus africanus'' is a bushy shrublet indigenous to South Africa. It has a wide distribution in the Western and Eastern Cape, and in Namaqualand. The plant has several common names in various languages. It is known as the Kapokbos ...
'' *'' Eriocephalus racemosus'' *''
Felicia tenella ''Felicia tenella'' is an annual, sometimes biennial, herbaceous plant that may be slightly woody at its base, of tall, that is assigned to the family Asteraceae. The species is very variable in size and hairiness. Its branches may be erect or ...
'' *'' Helichrysum niveum'' *'' Helichrysum patulum'' *''
Helichrysum revolutum The genus ''Helichrysum'' consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family ( Asteraceae). The type species is ''Helichrysum orientale''. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The ...
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Leysera gnaphalodes ''Leysera'' is a genus of African flowering plants in the tribe Gnaphalieae within the family Asteraceae.Metalasia muricata ''Metalasia muricata'', commonly known as white bristle bush or blombos, is a hardy virgate or twiggy shrub with honey-scented flowers usually 2–4 m tall, woody with a rounded crown, and an important component of the coastal and mountain fynbos ...
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Nidorella foetida ''Nidorella'' is a genus of African flowering plants in the tribe Astereae within the family Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within ...
'' *'' Oncosiphon suffruticosum'' *'' Osteospermum junceum'' *''
Othonna coronopifolia ''Othonna'' is a genus of approximately 90 species of succulent or subsucculent perennial herbs or shrubs, with its center of diversity in the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa but some species' ranges include southern Namibia, ...
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Plecostachys serpyllifolia ''Plecostachys'' is a genus of South African flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. ; SpeciesSenecio elegans ''Senecio elegans'' is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names redpurple ragwort, purple groundsel, wild cineraria and purple ragwort. Description It is an annual herb producing a single, erect, branching ste ...
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Senecio halimifolius ''Senecio'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae) that includes ragworts and groundsels. Variously circumscribed taxonomically, the genus ''Senecio'' is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. Description Morp ...
'' *'' Senecio littoreus'' *'' Senecio rosmarinifolius'' *''
Seriphium plumosum ''Stoebe'' is a genus of African plants in the tribe Gnaphalieae within the family Asteraceae. ; Species ; formerly included A few dozen species now regarded as members of other genera: ''Dicerothamnus Dolichothrix Disparago Gongyloglossa ...
'' *'' Steirodiscus tagetes'' *''
Xanthium strumarium ''Xanthium strumarium'' (rough cocklebur, clotbur, common cocklebur, large cocklebur, woolgarie bur) is a species of annual plants of the family Asteraceae. Some sources claim it originates in southern Europe and Asia, but has been extensively na ...
'' *'' Helichrysum cymosum'' *''
Hypochaeris radicata ''Hypochaeris radicata'' (sometimes spelled ''Hypochoeris radicata'') – also known as catsear, flatweed, cat's-ear, hairy cat's ear, or false dandelion – is a perennial, low-lying edible herb often found in lawns. The plant is native to Eu ...
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Lactuca serriola ''Lactuca serriola'', also called prickly lettuce, milk thistle (not to be confused with ''Silybum marianum'', also called milk thistle), compass plant, and scarole, is an annual or biennial plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asterac ...
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Sonchus oleraceus ''Sonchus oleraceus'' is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae of the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. It has many common names including common sowthistle, sow thistle, smooth sow thistle, annual sow thistle ...
'' *'' Cotula vulgaris'' *''
Dimorphotheca sinuata ''Dimorphotheca sinuata'', the glandular Cape marigold, Namaqualand daisy, or orange Namaqualand daisy; syn. ''Dimorphotheca aurantiaca'' hort.) is a species of plants native to southern Africa. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental and ...
'' *'' Helichrysum helianthemifolium'' *'' Othonna filicaulis'' *'' Petalacte coronata'' *'' Senecio arenarius'' *'' Senecio hastatus'' *'' Senecio pubigerus'' *''
Stoebe capitata ''Stoebe'' is a genus of African plants in the tribe Gnaphalieae within the family Asteraceae. ; Species ; formerly included A few dozen species now regarded as members of other genera: ''Dicerothamnus Dolichothrix Disparago Gongyloglossa ...
'' *'' Trichogyne repens'' ;
Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The l ...
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Heliophila africana ''Heliophila africana'', the African sunspurge or little blue mouth, is a species of plant from South Africa. Description This annual herb grows up to tall. It is most commonly and may be sparely branched.e-Flora of South Africa. v1.36. 2022 ...
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Raphanus raphanistrum ''Raphanus raphanistrum'', also known as wild radish, white charlock or jointed charlock, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. One of its subspecies, ''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'', includes a diverse variety of cultiv ...
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wild mustard Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...
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Campanulaceae The family Campanulaceae (also bellflower family), of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky sap. Among them are several familiar garden plants be ...
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Wahlenbergia capensis ''Wahlenbergia capensis'', commonly known as the Cape bluebell, is a plant in the family ''Campanulaceae'' and is native to the Cape Province but has been introduced to Australia. It is an annual herb with up to four greenish blue, bell-shaped f ...
'' *'' Wahlenbergia androsacea'' ;
Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactace ...
: *'' Silene pilosellifolia'' *''
Spergularia media ''Spergularia media'' (syn. ''S. maritima'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names media sandspurry and greater sea-spurrey. It is native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean, where it grows in many t ...
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Celastraceae The Celastraceae (staff-vine or bittersweet) are a family of 97 genera and 1,350 species of herbs, vines, shrubs and small trees, belonging to the order Celastrales. The great majority of the genera are tropical, with only ''Celastrus'' (the s ...
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Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus ''Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus'', commonly called candlewood, cherrywood or kershout, is a medium-sized evergreen tree, indigenous to South Africa. Distribution The candlewood is indigenous to the southern part of South Africa. Here it naturall ...
'' *'' Putterlickia pyracantha'' *''
Gymnosporia heterophylla ''Gymnosporia heterophylla'', the common spike-thorn, is a small, hardy, deciduous African tree up to 5m tall, occurring in rocky places with a wide distribution from Ethiopia, the Sudan and the Congo, south to the Cape Province and west to Ang ...
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Ceratophyllaceae Ceratophyllaceae is a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants including one living genus commonly found in ponds, marshes, and quiet streams in tropical and in temperate regions. It is the only extant family in the order Ceratophyllales. Species ...
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Ceratophyllum demersum ''Ceratophyllum demersum'', commonly known as hornwort, rigid hornwort, coontail, or coon's tail, is a species of ''Ceratophyllum''. It is a submerged, free-floating aquatic plant, with a cosmopolitan distribution, native to all continents excep ...
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Colchicaceae Colchicaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes 15 genera with a total of about 285 known species according to Christenhusz and Byng in 2016. Description The family is characterized by the presence of colchicine. Taxonomy The APG III ...
: *'' Androcymbium eucomoides'' *''
Ornithoglossum viride ''Ornithoglossum'' is a genus of plants native to southern Africa, some of which are widely cultivated as ornamentals. Nine species are currently recognized, as of April 2014:Salisbury, Richard Anthony. 1806. Paradisus Londonensis : or Coloured ...
'' *'' Androcymbium capense'' ;
Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae (), commonly called the bindweeds or morning glories, is a family of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species. These species are primarily herbaceous vines, but also include trees, shrubs and herbs. The tubers of several spec ...
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Cuscuta nitida ''Cuscuta'' (), commonly known as dodder or amarbel, is a genus of over 201 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the ...
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Falkia repens ''Falkia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, native to southern Africa, eastern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. They are creeping perennial herbs. Species Currently accepted species include: *''Falkia canescens'' ...
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Ipomoea purpurea ''Ipomoea purpurea'', the common morning-glory, tall morning-glory, or purple morning glory, is a species in the genus ''Ipomoea'', native to Mexico and Central America. Description Like all morning glories, the plant entwines itself around stru ...
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Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Cr ...
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Cotyledon orbiculata ''Cotyledon orbiculata'', commonly known as pig's ear or round-leafed navel-wort, is a South African succulent plant belonging to the genus ''Cotyledon''. Description ''Cotyledon orbiculata'' is an extremely variable species, one that grows to a ...
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Tylecodon grandiflorus ''Tylecodon'' is a genus of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae, native to southern Africa. Until the late 1970s all these plants were included in the genus ''Cotyledon'', but in 1978 Helmut Toelken of the Botanical Research Institute, P ...
'' *'' Crassula cymosa'' *''
Crassula dichotoma ''Crassula dichotoma'' is a species of succulent plant in the genus '' Crassula''. It is endemic to the Fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eas ...
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Crassula glomerata ''Crassula glomerata'' is a herb in the family Crassulaceae. The succulent annual herb has an erect habit and typically grows to a height of . It blooms between August and November producing white-red flowers. It has become naturalised in Weste ...
'' *'' Crassula vaillantii'' *'' Crassula fallax'' *'' Crassula flava'' ;
Cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *'' Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *'' La ...
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Kedrostis nana ''Kedrostis'' is a genus of ± 35 species climbing or trailing herbs in the family Cucurbitaceae. Its native range is tropical Africa and Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considere ...
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Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus '' Carex'' ...
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Bolboschoenus maritimus ''Bolboschoenus maritimus'' is a species of flowering plant from family Cyperaceae. Common names for this species include sea clubrush, cosmopolitan bulrush, alkali bulrush, saltmarsh bulrush, and bayonet grass. It is found in seaside wetland ha ...
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Schoenoplectus scirpoides ''Schoenoplectus'' (club-rush ld World species bulrush or tule ew World species is a genus of plants in the sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. Note that the name bulrush is also applied to species in the unrelated genus ''Typha'' as well ...
'' *'' Carex sp.1'' *''
Cyperus textilis ''Cyperus textilis'' (flat sedge, basket grass, umbrella sedge, mat sedge) is a sedge in the family Cyperaceae. It is endemic to southern parts of South Africa where it grows near rivers and other water reservoirs. ''Cyperus textilis'' is used t ...
'' *'' Ficinia indica'' *'' Ficinia nigrescens'' *''
Ficinia nodosa ''Ficinia nodosa'', the knotted club-rush or knobby club-rush, is a rhizomatous perennial in the family Cyperaceae, native to South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Widespread in the Southern Hemisphere, ''Ficinia nodosa'' grows to betwee ...
'' *'' Hellmuthia membranacea'' ;
Ebenaceae The Ebenaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to order Ericales. The family includes ebony and persimmon among about 768 species of trees and shrubs. It is distributed across the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. It ...
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Euclea racemosa ''Euclea racemosa'' (the sea guarrie or dune guarrie) is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree that is indigenous to the Indian Ocean coast of Africa from Egypt to South Africa, as well as in Comoros, Oman and Yemen. ''Euclea racemosa'' has l ...
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Euclea undulata ''Euclea'', from the Greek ''eukleia'' meaning "glory and fame", denotes a group of flowering plants in the Ebenaceae or ebony family. They were described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1774. The genus includes evergreen trees and shrubs, native to ...
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Ericaceae The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c.4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it th ...
: *'' Erica subdivaricata'' ;
Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as '' Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, ...
: *'' Euphorbia burmannii'' *''
Euphorbia caput-medusae ''Euphorbia caput-medusae'' ("Medusa's Head") is a plant of the genus ''Euphorbia'' that occurs in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Description This succulent resembles the head of Medusa, with many serpent-like stems arising from a short, ce ...
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Euphorbia mauritanica ''Euphorbia mauritanica'', commonly known as yellow milk bush or golden spurge, is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae native to Africa. Distribution ''Euphorbia mauritanica'' is found in most of Southern Africa. It occurs extensiv ...
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Euphorbia peplus ''Euphorbia peplus'' (petty spurge, radium weed, cancer weed, or milkweed), is a species of ''Euphorbia'', native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, where it typically grows in cultivated arable land, gardens and other disturbe ...
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Euphorbia helioscopia ''Euphorbia helioscopia'', the sun spurge or madwoman's milk, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is a herbaceous annual plant, native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most of Asia.'' ...
'' *'' Euphorbia sp.1'' ; Fabaceae: *''
Aspalathus hispida ''Aspalathus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to ''Ulex europaeus'', the thorny " English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed ...
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Dipogon lignosus ''Dipogon lignosus'', the okie bean, Cape sweet-pea, dolichos pea or mile-a-minute vine, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is the only species classified in the monotypic genus ''Dipogon'' which belongs to the s ...
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Indigofera complicata ''Indigofera'' is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropics, tropical and subtropics, subtropical regions of the world. Description Species of ' ...
'' *'' Lessertia rigida'' *'' Lessertia sp.1'' *''
Psoralea repens ''Psoralea'' is a genus in the legume family (Fabaceae) with over 60 closely related species native to southern Africa. In South Africa they are commonly referred to as fountainbush (English); fonteinbos, bloukeur, or penwortel (Afrikaans); and u ...
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Rhynchosia ferulifolia ''Rhynchosia'', also known as snoutbean, is a genus of plants in the family Fabaceae. There are several different complexes within the genus, including the ''Senna'' complex.Turner,B.L., http://www.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/pdfs/Turner-Lundellia14. ...
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Senna didymobotrya ''Senna didymobotrya'' is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names African senna, popcorn senna, candelabra tree, and peanut butter cassia. It is native to Africa, where it can be found across the continent in s ...
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Medicago polymorpha ''Medicago polymorpha'' is a plant species of the genus ''Medicago''. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but is found throughout the world. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium ''Sinorhizobium medicae'', which is capable of n ...
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Otholobium hirtum ''Otholobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family with over 50 named species, but several also remain undescribed sofar. Species may be herbaceous perennials, subshrubs, shrubs or small trees. The alternately set leaves are accompa ...
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Spartium junceum ''Spartium junceum'', known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom, it is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and the sole species in the genus ''Spartium''. It is closely related to the other brooms (in the genera '' Cy ...
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Sutherlandia frutescens ''Sutherlandia frutescens'' (cancer bush, balloon pea, sutherlandia, phetola ("it changes") in seTswana, and insiswa ("the one that drives away the darkness") in isiZulu; syn. ''Colutea frutescens'' L., ''Lessertia frutescens'' (L.) Goldblatt & J ...
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Aspalathus acanthophylla ''Aspalathus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to '' Ulex europaeus'', the thorny " English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed ...
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Aspalathus cymbiformis ''Aspalathus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The yellow flowers and spiny habit of some species have suggested a resemblance to ''Ulex europaeus'', the thorny " English gorse" Accordingly, "Cape Gorse" has been proposed ...
'' *'' Aspalathus ternata'' *''
Otholobium virgatum ''Otholobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family with over 50 named species, but several also remain undescribed sofar. Species may be herbaceous perennials, subshrubs, shrubs or small trees. The alternately set leaves are accompa ...
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Frankeniaceae ''Frankenia'' (sea heath) is the only genus in the Frankeniaceae family of flowering plants. Other genera have been recognized within the family, such as ''Anthobryum'', ''Hypericopsis'' and ''Niederleinia'', but molecular phylogenetic studies h ...
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Frankenia pulverulenta ''Frankenia pulverulenta'', the European seaheath, is a species of annual herb in the family Frankenia ''Frankenia'' (sea heath) is the only genus in the Frankeniaceae family of flowering plants. Other genera have been recognized within the f ...
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Fumariaceae Fumarioideae is a subfamily of the family Papaveraceae (the poppy family). It was formerly treated as a separate family, the Fumariaceae (the fumitory, fumewort or bleeding-heart family). It consists of about 575 species of herbaceous plants in ...
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Cysticapnos vesicaria ''Cysticapnos'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Papaveraceae. Its native range is Southern Africa. Species: *''Cysticapnos cracca'' *''Cysticapnos pruinosa ''Cysticapnos'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to ...
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Fumaria muralis ''Fumaria muralis'', known as common ramping-fumitory or wall fumitory, is a flowering herbaceous plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) native to western Europe and northwestern Africa. Description ''Fumaria muralis'' is a delicate annual pl ...
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Gentianaceae Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species. Etymology The family takes its name from the genus '' Gentiana'', named after the Illyrian king Gentius. Distribution Distribution is cosmopolitan. Characteri ...
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Orphium frutescens ''Orphium'' is a plant genus in the Gentian family (Gentianaceae), endemic to South Africa. The name derives from the legendary Greek musician Orpheus.Chittenden, Fred J. Ed., Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening, Oxford 1951 The ...
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Sebaea aurea ''Sebaea'' is a genus of annual plants in the family Gentianaceae. Species occur in Africa, Madagascar, India, China, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The genus was paraphyletic and has been split in four genera: ''Exochaenium'', ''Klackenber ...
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Sebaea albens ''Sebaea'' is a genus of annual plants in the family Gentianaceae. Species occur in Africa, Madagascar, India, China, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The genus was paraphyletic and has been split in four genera: ''Exochaenium'', ''Klackenber ...
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Geraniaceae Geraniaceae is a family of flowering plants placed in the order Geraniales. The family name is derived from the genus ''Geranium''. The family includes both the genus ''Geranium'' (the cranesbills, or true geraniums) and the garden plants called ...
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Pelargonium gibbosum ''Pelargonium'' () is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 280 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly called geraniums, pelargoniums, or storksbills. ''Geranium'' is also the botanical name and common name of a se ...
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Erodium moschatum ''Erodium moschatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the Geraniaceae, geranium family known by the common names musk stork's-bill and whitestem filaree. This is a weedy annual or biennial herb which is native to much of Eurasia and North Afri ...
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Geranium incanum ''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mos ...
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Pelargonium capitatum ''Pelargonium capitatum'' is one of several species (including '' Pelargonium graveolens'') known as rose geranium or rose-scented pelargonium in English. The popular names refer to the scent of the essential oils extracted from glandular tissue ...
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Pelargonium cucullatum ''Pelargonium cucullatum'' is a hairy, upright, branching, perennial shrub, of high, that has been assigned to the cranesbill family. It sprouts new stems from the underground rootstock and becomes woody at its base. It has alternately set, so ...
'' *'' Pelargonium senecioides'' *''
Geranium molle Geranium molle, the dove's-foot crane's-bill or dovesfoot geranium, is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Geraniaceae. Description ''Geranium molle'' is a small plant reaching on average in height.Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagri ...
'' *'' Pelargonium hirtum'' *'' Pelargonium myrrhifolium'' *'' Pelargonium triste'' ;
Haemodoraceae Haemodoraceae is a family of perennial herbaceous flowering plants with 14 genera and 102 known species. It is sometimes known as the "bloodwort family". Primarily a Southern Hemisphere family, they are found in South Africa, Australia and New ...
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Wachendorfia paniculata ''Wachendorfia paniculata'' is a species of plant of high, that emerges during the winter from an underground rootstock. It has entire, sword-shaped, mostly hairy, line- to lance-shaped, straight or sickle-shaped leaves, set in a fan at ground l ...
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Hyacinthaceae Scilloideae (named after the genus '' Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family ''Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus ''Hyacinthus''. Scilloideae o ...
: *'' Albuca maxima'' *'' Ornithogalum flaccida'' (
albuca flaccida ''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of t ...
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Lachenalia pallida ''Lachenalia'' is a genus of bulbous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, which are usually found in Namibia and South Africa. Most of them have a dormancy period, but new roots will always grow every year. '' ...
'' *'' Ornithogalum hispidum'' *''
Ornithogalum thyrsoides ''Ornithogalum thyrsoides'' is a bulbous plant species that is endemic to the Cape Province in South Africa. It is also known by the common names of chinkerinchee or chincherinchee, star-of-Bethlehem or wonder-flower. It produces long-lasting fl ...
'' *''
Albuca fragrans ''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of t ...
'' *''Drimia filifolia'' *''Lachenalia contaminata'' *''Lachenalia reflexa'' ;Hypoxidaceae: *''Spiloxene aquatica'' *''Spiloxene capensis'' ;Iridaceae: *''Babiana ambigua'' *''Babiana ringens'' *''Babiana tubulosa'' *''Chasmanthe aethiopica'' (suurkanol) *''Ferraria crispa'' *''Ferraria crispa'' *''Ferraria divaricata'' *''Gladiolus cunonius'' *''Gladiolus griseus'' *''Gladiolus undulatus'' *''Lapeirousia anceps'' *''Melasphaerula ramosa'' *''Micranthus junceus'' *''Moraea flaccida'' *''Moraea fugax'' *''Moraea miniata'' *''Moraea setifolia'' *''Romulea flava'' *''Romulea obscura'' *''Romulea tabularis'' *''Sparaxis bulbifera'' *''Gladiolus carinatus'' (blou Afrikaner) *''Aristea africana'' *''Geissorhiza aspera'' *''Geissorhiza tenella'' *''Ixia paniculata'' *''Moraea gawleri'' *''Romulea hirsuta'' *''Romulea schlechteri'' *''Watsonia meriana'' ;Juncaceae: *''Juncus kraussii'' *''Juncus kraussii'' ;Juncaginaceae: *''Triglochin bulbosa'' ;Lamiaceae: *''Salvia lanceolata'' *''Salvia africana-lutea'' ;Lauraceae: *''Cassytha ciliolata'' ;Lemnaceae: *''Lemna gibba'' *''Lemna minor'' ;Lobeliaceae: *''Lobelia'' sp.1 *''Monopsis lutea'' *''Monopsis simplex'' ;Malvaceae: *''Hermannia multiflora'' *''Hermannia pinnata'' *''Hermannia procumbens'' *''Malva parviflora'' *''Hermannia linifolia'' *''Hermannia procumbens procumbens'' ;Melianthaceae: *''Melianthus major'' ;Menispermaceae: *''Cissampelos capensis'' ;Mesembryanthemaceae *''Carpobrotus edulis'' *''Ruschia macowanii'' *''Ruschia serrulata'' *''Ruschia tumidula'' *''Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' *''Conicosia pugioniformis'' *''Drosanthemum floribundum'' *''Lampranthus aureus'' *''Lampranthus multiradiatus'' *''Lampranthus sociorum'' *''Mesembryanthemum crystallinum'' *''Disphyma crassifolium'' *''Carpanthea pomeridiana'' *''Lampranthus amoenus'' *''Lampranthus calcaratus'' *''Lampranthus explanatus'' *''Lampranthus glaucus'' *''Lampranthus reptans'' *''Lampranthus stenus'' *''Phyllobolus canaliculatus'' *''Ruschia geminiflora'' ;Molluginaceae: *''Pharnaceum lineare'' ;Myoporaceae: *''Myoporum tetrandrum'' ;Myricaceae: *''Morella cordifolia'' *''Morella quercifolia'' ;Neuradaceae: *''Grielum grandiflorum'' ;Oleaceae: *''Olea capensis'' *''Olea europaea africana'' ;Onagraceae: *''Ludwigia adscendens diffusa'' ;Orchidaceae: *''Corycium crispum'' *''Corycium orobanchoides'' *''Satyrium odorum'' *''Satyrium bicorne'' *''Acrolophia bolusii'' *''Disa bracteata'' *''Holothrix villosa'' *''Pterygodium catholicum'' *''Satyrium coriifolium'' ;Orobanchaceae: *''Harveya squamosa'' ;Oxalidaceae: *''Oxalis compressa'' *''Oxalis hirta'' *''Oxalis luteola'' *''Oxalis obtusa'' *''Oxalis pes-caprae'' *''Oxalis purpurea'' *''Oxalis pusilla'' ;Plantaginaceae: *''Plantago coronopus'' *''Plantago crassifolia'' *''Plantago lanceolata'' *''Plantago crassifolia'' ;Plumbaginaceae: *''Limonium equisetinum'' *''Limonium scabrum'' ;Poaceae: *''Ehrharta villosa'' *''Ammophila arenaria'' *''Cladoraphis cyperoides'' *''Cynodon dactylon'' (couch grass; kweekgras; kweek) *''Cynosurus echinatus'' *''Ehrharta calycina'' *''Ehrharta longiflora'' *''Lolium multiflorum'' (Italian ryegrass; annual ryegrass) *''Lolium rigidum'' *''Pennisetum macrourum'' *''Phragmites australis'' *''Sporobolus virginicus'' *''Stenotaphrum secundatum'' (buffalo grass) *''Thinopyrum distichum'' *''Bromus diandrus'' (ripgut brome; predikantsluis) *''Paspalum distichum'' ;Polygalaceae: *''Nylandtia spinosa'' (skilpadbessie bos), (tortoise berry bush) *''Polygala myrtifolia'' *''Muraltia satureioides'' ;Polygonaceae *''Persicaria decipiens'' *''Persicaria lapathifolia'' *''Rumex crispus'' *''Rumex lativalvis'' *''Rumex sagittatus'' ;Potamogetonaceae: *''Potamogeton pectinatus'' ;Proteaceae: *''Leucadendron levisanus'' (Cape flats conebush) ;Ranunculaceae: *''Ranunculus rionii'' ;Restionaceae: *''Thamnochortus sp.1'' *''Willdenowia incurvata'' *''Elegia tectorum'' *''Ischyrolepis eleocharis'' *''Thamnochortus spicigerus'' *''Calopsis rigorata'' *''Elegia verreauxii'' *''Thamnochortus erectus'' ;Rhamnaceae: *''Phylica ericoides'' *''Phylica cephalantha'' *''Phylica parviflora'' ;Rosaceae: *''Cliffortia falcata'' *''Cliffortia stricta'' *''Cliffortia ericifolia'' *''Cliffortia hirta'' ;Rubiaceae: *''Anthospermum spathulatum'' *''Galium tomentosum'' ;Ruppiaceae: *''Ruppia maritima'' ;Rutaceae: *''Diosma aspalathoides'' ;Sapotaceae: *''Sideroxylon inerme'' ;Scrophulariaceae: *''Diascia capensis'' *''Hebenstretia cordata'' *''Hebenstretia repens'' *''Hemimeris racemosa'' *''Lyperia lychnidea'' *''Lyperia tristis'' *''Manulea tomentosa'' *''Nemesia versicolor'' *''Phyllopodium cephalophorum'' *''Hemimeris sabulosa'' *''Nemesia affinis'' *''Zaluzianskya villosa'' *''Dischisma capitatum'' *''Hebenstretia dentata'' *''Manulea rubra'' *''Nemesia ligulata'' ;Solanaceae: *''Solanum guineense'' *''Datura ferox'' *''Lycium afrum'' *''Lycium ferocissimum'' *''Lycium horridum'' *''Solanum americanum'' *''Solanum linnaeanum'' ;Sterculiaceae: *''Hermannia procumbens'' ;Tecophilaeaceae: *''Cyanella hyacinthoides'' ;Thymelaeaceae *''Passerina corymbosa'' *''Passerina ericoides'' *''Passerina rigida'' *''Gnidia spicata'' *''Lachnaea grandiflora'' *''Struthiola striata'' ;Typhaceae: *''Typha capensis'' (bulrush), (papkuil) ;Viscaceae: *''Viscum capense'' ;Zygophyllaceae: *''Zygophyllum flexuosum'' *''Zygophyllum morgsana'' *''Zygophyllum sessilifolium''


Introduced

;Agavaceae: *''Agave sisalana'' (sisal) ;
Anacardiaceae The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...
: *''Schinus terebinthifolius'' (Brazilian pepper) ;
Araceae The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). ...
: *''Pistia stratiotes'' (water lettuce) ;
Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...
: *''Senecio pterophorus'' ;Azollaceae: *''Azolla filiculoides'' (red water fern) ;Boraginaceae: *''Echium plantagineum'' ;Cactaceae: *''Opuntia ficus-indica'' ;Commelinaceae: *''Commelina benghalensis'' (Blouselblommetjie), (Benghal dayflower) ; Fabaceae: *''Acacia cyclops'' (Rooikrans) *''Acacia saligna'' (Port Jackson) *''Paraserianthes lophantha'' *''Sesbania punicea'' *''Vicia benghalensis'' *''Vicia sativa'' ;Haloragaceae: *''Myriophyllum aquaticum'' ;Lythraceae: *''Lythrum salicaria'' ;Malvaceae: *''Lavatera arborea'' ;Moraceae: *''Ficus natalensis'' ;Myoporaceae: *''Myoporum, Myoporum tenuifolium'' (manatoka) ;Myrtaceae: *''Eucalyptus grandis'' *''Eucalyptus lehmannii'' *''Eucalyptus gomphocephala'' ;Poaceae: *''Arundo donax'' *''Avena fatua'' (common wild oat) *''Avena sativa'' *''Avena sp.1'' *''Cortaderia selloana'' (pampas grass) *''Lolium perenne'' *''Paspalum vaginatum'' *''Pennisetum clandestinum'' (Kikuyu grass) *''Pennisetum setaceum'' ;Pontederiaceae: *''Eichhornia crassipes'' (water hyacinth)


References

{{Reflist Nature reserves in Cape Town Protected areas of the Western Cape