Fynbos, the unique Cape Floral Kingdom. Fauna and Flora in South Africa.
Mon, Jul 21st 2008, 00:00
The southwestern tip of Africa boasts another natural wonder. It is home to one of world’s 6 floral kingdoms. The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest of the world’s floral kingdoms and its plants grow almost exclusively in South Africa.
The Cape Floral Kindgom not only occupies the smallest area, but in this tiny space it boasts a floral diversity found nowhere else on earth. There are over 8,700 plant species in the Cape Floral Kindgom, 70% of which are endemic to South Africa’s western cape region.
The plants of the Cape Floral Kindgom are called fynbos, from the Dutch worlds for fine leaved plants. When the Dutch first arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, they were on the lookout for wood to build ships and buildings. The small plants found scattered around the Cape were too fine for any kind of building, though the Cape Reed was popular for thatching and basket making.
Fynbos grows in well leached infertile soils. The most curious characteristic of most fynbos species is that they rely on fire to reproduce. Most of them have hardy fire resistant seeds that only open once a fire has passed through the area. After a major bush fire, the Cape countryside shines with bright new plant growth.
The fynbos world is very diverse and there are many plant families that make it up.
Most famous is the protea family. There are over 100 species of these plants which produce artichoke looking flowers in a range of colours, red, pink, yellow, white and even green.
The Erica are heath like plants that feature dainty clusters of flowers.
The Restio family, Cape Reeds, are grass like plants with golden brown or bronze flower heads.
Fynbos also boasts a beautiful selection of daisies.
Then there are the geophytes, bulbous plants, many of whom have become household names in the gardening fraternity, like babiana, freesia, gladiolus, iris and watsonia. Also popular with gardeners is the geranium and pelargoniums and a spectacular array of orchids.
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