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The large areas of semi-desert scrub and grassland in South Africa might suggest a certain poverty of flora. Aside from the fact that a tract of pristine grassland may hold up to 60 species of grasses, nothing could be further from the truth. South Africa has the third-highest level of biodiversity in the world. There are in fact five major habitat types: fynbos, forest, Karoo, grassland and savannah. From arid deserts to lush coastal forests, majestic mountains and bushveld you will be dazzled by a kaleidoscope colours and variety.
Some 10% of the world's flowering species are found in South Africa and it is the only country in the world that has within its borders an entire plant kingdom, the Cape Floristic Kingdom - 8 600 species, 68% of them endemic. The Table Mountain National Park alone has more plant species within its 22,000 hectares than the whole British Isles or New Zealand.
SOUTH AFRICA PHOTO GALLERIES |
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| Take a tour of South Africa's some of the most beautiful, and unusual flora (South Africa. Info) |
The Cape Floral Region - comprising eight protected areas stretching from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape - is the sixth South African site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Yet for all the spectacular plants to be found, perhaps the landscape that most eloquently conjures up the spirit of South African flora is the typical savannah with its (often dry) grasses and more-or-less thickly scattered shrubs and thorn trees.
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Lingering images may vary widely from fynbos field to subtropical forest, but for many South Africans the baobab tree is the nesting place of their hearts. |
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