Merciera leptoloba is a member of the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. As the common family name suggests, most members of this family have bell-shaped flowers, i.e. with a broad tube. (Indeed, the scientific name is also based on the Latin for bell: campana.) But as in many families, there is a…
Snow is practically unheard of in the Klein River Mountains but in spring time, patches of the hillside are turned snow white. The plant is a member of the daisy family called Syncarpha vestita. It is one of the Everlasting Flowers or Sewejaartjies, and this species is also commonly known…
On a still night at Phillipskop during spring, the air is filled with a beautiful but elusive scent. A cat’s tail would not be the first place one would go when hunting down such a scent, but in the fynbos that is one of the primary sources of night-time fragrance.…
The small blue spikes of Micranthus plantagineus are unlike any other flower at Phillipskop. They appear from the end of November and continue to flower throughout December. The species name means that they are like a plantain, i.e. a member of the genus Plantago. Plants of that genus also have…
One of the most confusing generic names to any gardener is Geranium. Anyone familiar with temporary planting schemes will know the popular Bedding Geraniums. This is the rather misleading common name for hybrids of the genus Pelargonium (mainly derived from Pelargonium zonale). To distinguish them true Geranium are often called…
