Africa Wild

Sea Coral Tetragonia fruticosa (Kinkelklappers, Kinkelbossie, Kinkelbos, Waterslaaibos)
Order: Caryophyllales. Family: Aizoaceae (Mesembryanthemaceae)

© nan
Lamberts Bay

Description
A perennial shrub, up to 1m. It has white, woody stems at the base and grows on its own to 50 cm or scrambles higher if adjacent vegetation permits. Young stems higher up are characteristically reddish. The succulent leaves are elongated oval shape, edges curled over towards the reverse, prominent central spine on the reverse. It bears yellow flowers, 3-4mm diameter, grouped at the ends of the branches. Flowering Season: September - November. The fruit isfour-winged.

Distribution
South African endemic (Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape).

Habitat
On on coastal dunes, sandstone and granite slopes in the Western Cape, sandy or loamy soils in the Little Karoo and along the coastline of Namaqualand and the Eastern Cape.

Sea Lavender Limonium peregrinum (Papierblom, Strandroos)
Order: Caryophyllales. Family: Caryophyllaceae

© arks

© arks
West Coast National Park in early December

Description
Evergreen, naturally clump-forming shrubby perennial, reaching a height of 100 cm, with bright green foliage. Branches are leafy towards the tips. The leaves are long and oblanceolate (broadest near the tips and tapering towards the base), 40–80 mm long and 10–20 mm wide. They clasp the stem at the base and have a rough texture. One or more flowers in a flat-topped inflorescence can be seen arising well above the leaves on a naked flower stalk. The 5-petalled flowers are bisexual; the upper flowers being the youngest and the last to open. The striking petals are magenta with the calyx (outer envelope of the flower) dull pink and paper-like when dry.

Distribution
South African endemic to the Northern Cape and the Western Cape, from the Cape Peninsula northwards to Clanwilliam.

Habitat
Along the coastal dunes and on maritime sandy flats in low vegetation.

© arks

© arks

© arks

© arks
West Coast National Park in early December

Drakensberg Carnation Dianthus basuticus basuticus
Order: Caryophyllales. Family: Caryophyllaceae

© harrys
Golden Gates Highlands National Park

Description
Densely tufted, cushion-forming perennial to 15 cm. It has opposite, narrow leaves with a grass-like, blue-green appearance. Each leaf pair is joined at the base in a sheath around the stem. Pink or white flowers with finely toothed petals, the blade 10-12 mm long; the calyx 15-20 mm long.

Distribution
South Africa and Lesotho.

Habitat
Rocky grassland at high altitudes.

Untidy Spoonfig Erepsia sp. possibly Erepsia anceps
Order: Caryophyllales. Family: Aizoaceae (Mesembryanthemaceae)

© arks

© arks
Table Mountain National Park, Cape Point

The Erepsia genus of Western and Eastern Cape vygies are named for their hidden reproductive parts. The word origin of Erepsia is Greek, erepsis, meaning I hide myself. The vital parts of the flowers are hidden among a multitude of staminodes in the flower centres. Staminodes are sterile or abortive stamens, frequently (as in this case) resembling stamens without anthers. Sometimes, however, staminodes resemble petals, as in canna flowers.
Several of the Erepsia plants in the Western Cape, where many of them are endemic, are known as altydvygies, because the flowers remain open day and night (unlike many other mesemb species). They are thus pollinated either by day or night insects, arrangements varying from species to species. The leaves of erepsias are characteristically three-sided, sharply angled at the edges. This is similar to some other mesembs, such as some of the delospermas. Erepsia leaves always have sharp, somewhat thorny tips. The leaf surfaces are smooth covered by a waxy layer. The stems are smooth. The staminodes consisting only of filaments, conceal the stamens partly or totally, depending on the species. The ovary in the centre at the base of the flower is concave, i.e. hollow, causing the staminodes arranged around it to curve inwards and over it. There are 27 species of Erepsia.

Description
Erepsia anceps has flowers with narrow, spoon-shaped, pink or magenta petals and yellow centres. What one sees in the flower centre is a dense cluster of staminodes (infertile stamens without anthers). The branches of the plant grow in a semi-erect habit into a small shrublet to about 30 cm in height. The leaves are sparsely scattered along the stems with single flowers appearing at branch ends. Blooming occurs in summer into autumn, often after fires. As with some other species of the genus, the plant’s reseeding benefits greatly from fires.

Distribution
South African endemic in the Western Cape, found in the far south-western parts of the Cape, from the Peninsula outwards.

Habitat
Lower sandstone slopes.