8/3/2019 Platbos June 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/platbos-june-2008 1/2June 2008 Veld&Flora80

Btw Stfrd d Gsb

t Wstr cp, dd t gt

fdd dsp, tr r fv sub-

stt pts f dgus frst.

 T rgst d bst srvd f ts

s Ptbs (trstd frm afrks, t

ms ‘ft frst’). T mjr prt

f Ptbs s wd b Frs dMss Krg, tw x-cpts w

sd up t t t bu Ptbs. T

v ddtd tmsvs t srv-

g t frst d r ssstd wt ts

b tw w-trd stff mmbrs frm

Gsb’s Msk twsp.

Ptbs s uqu, t bus

f t mpst f t p tr

sps but s bus, t fd frst

Sut afr gt udutg

trr vrd b dp, k, sd

ss, s rr. T rst smr frstsr fud axdr (just st f 

Prt ezbt), KwZuu-nt (t

hw t Umg, hgw t t

 Tug Rvr mut, Dukuduku s t

St lu d t frsts f Mputd)

d sutr Mzmbqu.

Ptbs s st m t busbuk, d

rdg t c.J. Skd, s prbb t

sut-wstr mt f ts s frst

d srub dwr’s rg. it sms t

tt t t d rsg rr bu

dukr s urrd r.

Wkg trug Ptbs f 

t trs s dd prvg. T tr-

r s sst ft s t wks r

t rus, d t frst s rtv

p s vsbt s gd.

Strutur t tr p s w,

rg mxmum f 10 m, s t

s k t wkg trug t wr

p f ‘rm’ frsts, w ms

vs, fwrs d fruts r s t

d – mkg dtft f t

pts sr.

  T dmt tr sps r tafrmt sps Celtis africana  

(afr wt stkwd) d Olinia 

ventosa  (iduqu rd pr), d t

st frst sps Sideroxylon inerme  

(wt mkwd). i t udrstr

I nd igenous fo rest

by Eugene Moll, Chairman, Council of the Botanical Society

PlatbosA unique forest near the southern tip of Africa

Top: rikans (Acacia cyclops) with bight ed ails suunding its seeds. These ae vey attactive t

bids, which hel sead this Austalian invade lant.

ABoVE LEFT: one f the dinant tee secies is the Afican white stinkwd (Celtis africana).

ABoVE rIGHT: Fuits f the Afican white stinkwd (Celtis africana).

phts: Eugene mll. 

8/3/2019 Platbos June 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/platbos-june-2008 2/2June 2008 Veld&Flora 81

Chionanthus foveolata  (pk rwd),

Apodytes dimidiata  (wt pr) d

Euclea racemosa (du gurr) r mst

mm – d r s dtfb

bt wt tt prt d p.

M f t rg tr brs

r vrd wt ppts su s

Peperomia , frs, msss d s

(tt ftr r r fg r brgt gr,

but dr tms but t Peperomia  

r srvd d brw, wtg fr

mstur). as m f t xpsd

brs r fstd wt d m’s

brd (Usnea ).

Wd mbrs r s r

mm, d wr t ur

ds trts m f t mr

mm frst brds sk rfug t

ds vr.

Bus f pst dsturb (tr

uttg, tt grzg d brwsg,

d fr) Acacia cyclops (rkrs) svdd prts f t frst. hwvr,

mst f tm v b tr pud

(sdgs d sm spgs) r rg-

brkd, d tr wr sm r-

mus spms ft s dd stgs.

Bus rkrs tkts mst sur-

rud Ptbs d bus frugvrus

brds v t rd rs tt surrud

t sds, t w rg s ug

supps f s-strd sd-bks d

fr t mgrs, rmvg rkrs

sdgs d spgs s vr-d-

g g.

Fr wtg t vst ts gm

t s s t fd – frm Stfrd t

Gsb tk t Grtbs tur-ff 

d fw t Ptbs sgs, but pr-

bkg fr wks s sst. o t

Ptbs tr r trprttv pm-

pts rg t trs (sf-gudd

r wt gud), t mjr pt sps

d t str f t frst. yu

s spsr frst tr t b ptd

t frst dg s prt f Ptbs’ r-

frstt prjt, d u r wm

t vst t Ptbs Frst idgus Tr nursr. Fuds grtd frm t

frst wks g twrds t sts f

rg, frbrks d mt f 

t frst pts.

What does that mean?

alkaline soil Sil with a H value highe

 than 7.3.

aril A fleshy waxy aendage, usually

bightly clued, cveing atly

enclsing the seed.

canopy The uest laye in a fest,

fed by the cwns f the tees.epiphyte A nn-aasitic lant that gws

n anthe lant.

frugivorous Fuit eating.

stag Standing dead tee.

Top: In the undestey Chionanthus foveolata (ck inwd) is cn.

ABoVE LEFT: Peperomia (bsee) and the eihytes gwing in the fest at platbs.

ABoVE rIGHT: In this ld ilkwd (Sideroxylon inerme) eihytic lants ae taking advantage f its height

 t each the sunlight in the fest cany.

ABoVE: old an’s bead lichen, Usnea festns

 the fest tees.

ABoVE: A view f Stanfd f the ad t

platbs. Wh wuld have thught that fests

like platbs existed nea hee?

ABoVE: Fancis and melissa Kige have

dedicated theselves t cnseving the

suthenst fest in Afica - platbs.

F e infatin lease cntact082 411 0448 eail

latbs@cawieless.c.za visit thei

website at www.latbs.c.za.