Honey Bush (Melolobium candicans)

Family Fabaceae

 A small bush growing to about 45cm in height.

It is not endemic to South Africa.

 A very rigid bush with spines.

Found in the Eastern, Western and northern Cape as well as the Free State and North West Province.

Broad-leaved Resin Tree (Ozoroa obovata)

Family Anacardiaceae

Description
A semi-deciduous to evergreen shrub which can also grow into a small tree about 6 to 8 m in height; it is deciduous to evergreen and has a flat crown. The bark is grey, rough and thick, and the small branches have reddish brown lenticels (small, corky spots on the bark). The leaves are spirally arranged in whorls of 3 and they are oblong to obovate, 25–120 x 15–40 mm, dark green above and paler green to silver underneath.

The flowers are small and white, arranged in axillary and terminal clusters in the form of a slender pyramid of about 100 mm long which occurs from January to May. The kidney-shaped fruits are about 7 x10 mm and become black when mature, from February to September.

Distribution and habitat
The broad-leaved resin tree is distributed from tropical Africa through southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe to northern KwaZulu-Natal. The variety elliptica occurs inland in bushveld areas on rocky or loamy soils.

 Name derivation and historical aspects
The origin of the name Ozoroa is unknown; obovata refers to the egg-shaped leaves with the widest point being away from the stem.

 

Uses and cultural aspectsThe leaves are eaten by browsers (game animals that eat leaves) while the bark is chewed and eaten by elephants and the fruits are eaten by some bird species such as hornbills. The nectar produced by small spots on the green fruits is utilized by ants.

Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com

Hesperantha longituba

Family Iridaceae  

A bulbous plant which flowers in the summer.

Found in the arid regions.

 Plants are small, about 20cm in height.

Honey Flower (Melianthus comosus)

Family Melianthaceae

Uses and cultural aspects
Leaf poultices and leaf decoctions are widely used to treat septic wounds, sores, bruises, backache and rheumatic joints. It is a traditional remedy for snakebite.When placing traps for jackals and other wild animals, branches of Melianthus comosus are used to wipe the ground to remove the smell of humans.

Distribution
Melianthus comosus has a wide distribution, mainly in the dry interior of South Africa. Its extends from Namibia to the North West Province, Gauteng Province, Mpumalanga Province, Free State Province, Lesotho, Northern Cape Province, Western Cape Province and Eastern Cape Province.

 Ecology
The brightly coloured red flowered petals produce an abundance of nectar that attracts Sunbirds, Cape White Eyes, bees and butterflies.

Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com

Coral Porterweed (Stachytarpheta mutabilis)

Family Verbenaceae

 A lovely plant to have in the garden which grows to a height of over a metre.

The flowers attract butterflies, a definite plus for me.

 Found growing in the Natal area.

Cape Chestnut (Calodendrum capense)

Family Rutaceae

Birds do not find the nectar-filled flowers inviting, but butterflies do feed on them. Samango and vervet monkeys, and rameron and olive pigeons, cinnamon doves and Cape parrots eat the seeds. The larvae of several butterfly species, including the orange dog (Papilio demodocus) which also uses other citrus family trees, breed on the foliage.
 
In a forest environment, this tree can reach heights of up to 20 m, but at the forest margin or in the open it is shorter, approx. 7 m, with a more spreading canopy. At the coast this tree is often evergreen, but inland it is deciduous with rich yellow autumn colours. The flowers are large and striking, faintly sweet-scented and carried in conspicuous terminal panicles during early summer (October to December).

The timber is white or light yellow, fairly hard but bends well and is easily worked. It is used for tent bows, wagon-making, yokes, planking, shovel handles, and furniture, and is considered one of the most generally useful hard woods. The bark is used as an ingredient of skin ointments and is sold at traditional medicine markets. Seeds are crushed and boiled to obtain oil that is suitable for making soap. The Xhosa believe that the seeds have magic properties, and hunters used to tie them around their wrists when hunting to bring them skill and good luck.

Calodendrum capense got its common name because William Burchell (1782-1863) thought that the flower and fruit resembled the horse chestnut. It is, however, not closely related to the chestnuts, Castanea species, which belong in the Fagaceae, the beech & oak family. And Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), pupil of Linnaeus and the 'father of South African botany', was so excited at the sight of a tree in flower when he visited Grootvaderbosch in 1772, that he fired his gun at the branches until one broke and delivered the blooms into his hand. He was the one who named it Calodendrum.

Calodendrum capense is a member of the Rutaceae, the buchu & citrus family, a family of ±160 genera and ±1650 species that occur in warm temperate regions of the world, with 22 genera and 290 species in southern Africa. One of the diagnostic features of this family is the presence of oil glands on the leaves, visible as tiny translucent dots when held up to the light. Another common feature, caused by the oil, is the strong scent of the leaves, particularly when they are crushed.

Info: http://www.plantzafrica.com

Butterfly Leaf (Adenolobus Garipensis)

Family Fabaceae  

An unusual plant where the seed pod grows outside of the flower instead of becoming the it.

Grows to about 1-1.5m in height.

Found in the Augrabies Falls region.