The fynbos is remarkable not just for its diversity but for the number of rare plants. Many plants in fynbos are restricted to small areas. One of these is Cyrtanthus leucanthus, a member of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. It is only found in fynbos near the coast between Betty’s Bay…
There are few true trees at Phillipskop but in the valley on our eastern boundary, one tree is common, the Rock Candlewood, Maytenus oleoides. Most trees are unable to survive the regular fires that sweep through fynbos every 10 to 20 years. Forest patches in the Cape are confined to…
The common name vygie is used for members of the Aizoaceae with showy daisy-like flowers. The name, prounounced “fay-gh-ee”, comes from the Afrikaans for “little fig”. The seedpods do look rather fig-like, especially those belonging to the genus Carpobrotus, which are fleshy and have numerous small seeds inside. Most vygies…
It is difficult to capture on camera the essence of some plants. The flowers can be separated from the leaves, which might be hidden by surrounding foliage or the flowers may be so diffuse on a plant that one can only focus on a single flower at a time. One…
A waterlily needs no introduction. It must be one of the first plants that children become familiar with. Whether through reading fairy tales about princesses and frogs or Beatrix Potter’s Jeremy Fisher, a lily pad is standard ingredient of ponds in children’s books. Furthermore, waterlilies are a feature of ponds,…
The genus Crassula contains a diverse range of succulent plants. They are sometimes known in South Africa as stonecrops but that common name is usually used for the related genus Sedum. Here at Phillipskop we have a Crassula that supposedly looks like an Erica; at least that is what its…
