Biodiversity Gems

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos has characteristic fynbos families such as proteas, ericas, restios (reeds), buchus, daisies and geophytes (bulbs). It is mainly short-to-medium height shrubs interspersed with restios. It occurs on acid sand. Less than 1.2% of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos remains in the Cape lowlands.

Western Leopard Toad

Western Leopard toad: A large challenge within an urban environment is to effectively protect threatened species. The Western Leopard Toad in particular has a limited distribution range, basically all of which within the City of Cape Town falls within built-up areas. Their continued survival depends on the understanding and cooperation of the residents of these areas.

The Western Leopard Toad can reach an impressive size of about 140 mm in body length. Like all toads, it has a rough skin and two large parotoid glands on either side of the head and neck region behind the eyes. It has a beautiful pattern of chocolate to reddish-brown patches with a bright yellow or black edging, on a pink or grey background (although duller individuals are also found). There is usually a yellow stripe running the length of the back between the patches. The underside is granular and cream-coloured, with males having a darkish throat.

Community Nest Spiders

Adult spiders of most species are solitary and devote the greater part of their lives to catching prey, which can include prospective mates. Should the opportunity arise, they tend to eat mates, brothers, sisters, parents and young, leaving a single, fat, well-fed individual! Not all spiders are anti-social, though. Community nest spiders, in the genus Stegodyphus, such as Stegodyphus dumicola, are our only truly social spiders in South Africa. They live in communities, co-operating in prey capture and brood care. When a large insect lands in the web, it invites a heaving scrum of spiders, which eventually overpowers most insects. The nest – consisting of strong, hard, cardboard-like silk – starts off small but is enlarged as the colony grows. It has numerous holes and passageways. Large colonies can cover an entire tree in silk.

African Darter

African darter (Anhinga rufa)

This bird is a bit odd, because even though it spends much of its time in the water hunting for fish, it doesn’t have oil glands to keep it dry and buyoant. This means two things: one, it can’t swim properly on top of the water (that’s why you might just see its neck poking out), and two, it can dive to catch fish extremely quickly. That’s good, because to catch the fish, the African darter uses the thrust of its bill to stab straight through them.

Cape White-eye

Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens)

This species is about 12 cm long with rounded wings, strong legs, and a conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eyes. The upperparts are green, and the throat and vent are bright yellow.

Spotted Dikkop

Cape Dikkop (Burhinus capensis)

The Cape Dikkop (Burhinus capensis) hides during the daylight in the garden and is nocturnal with a loud melancholy and ghostly whistling call, especially at full moon. It eats small crustacea, molluscs and certain grass seeds. It has a brown body and long yellow stilted legs.

Rock Dassie

Rock Dassie (Procavia capensis)

The rock hyrax or rock badger, also called the Cape hyrax and commonly referred to as the dassie, is one of the four living species of the order Hyracoidea. It is a medium-sized (~4 kg) terrestrial mammal, superficially resembling a guinea pig with short ears and tail. The closest living relatives to hyraxes are the modern-day elephants and sirenians.

Scrub Hare

Scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis):

The scrub hare is one of two subspecies of hares that is located in southern Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. Although it is listed as a least critical species, the population has been declining and is expected to decline by 20% until the year 2104. The species is endemic to southern Africa and has not been seen in any other geographic locations around the world.

Broad-leaved Stork's Bill

Broad-leaved Stork's Bill (Pelargonium triste):

Pelargonium triste is a geophytic species that has a large, subterranean tuber with tuberous roots. The tubers have a rather cracked, woody bark. The prostrate leaves are divided and softly feathered with hairs resembling the leaves of a carrot plant. Leaves are produced directly from ground level with minimal stem growth. The sturdy inflorescence is carried well above the leaves. The leaves on the flowering stems are usually much smaller than those on the main stem. The inconspicuous pale yellow flowers are star-shaped with dark maroon to black markings and are scented at night. Plants flower from August to February.

Kukumakranka

Around Christmas time, small white or light pink Kukumakranka flowers grow straight out of the ground with no leaves in sight. The flowers are pollinated and wither away, leaving no trace. In winter after the first rains have softened the soil, long thin spiral leaves and a fruit looking like a very small banana grow out of the ground.

Fountain Bush

Fountain bush (Psoralea pinnata)

Psoralea pinnata is an erect shrub or small tree, which grows up to 4 m high, with blue, lilac and white, pea-shaped flowers which bloom from October to December. The “P” in Psoralea is silent and the name is pronounced as if it began with the “s”. The common names fountain bush or ‘fonteinbos’ refer to the fact that it grows along streams and in wet places. There are 130 species worldwide with 50 species occurring in southern Africa.

The Green Satyr Orchid

The Green Satyr Orchid (Satyrium odorum)

The waxy satyr orchid is one of Africa’s largest orchids, growing to nearly a metre in height. It bears two to four thick, fleshy, green leaves that grow near the base of the plant, the lowest leaves almost spreading on the ground. Atop the tall stem is an inflorescence, bearing a dense cluster of up to 200 tubular, waxy flowers, which vary in colour from pale pink to rose, and occasionally white.

Painted Lady

Painted Lady (Iridaceae Gladiolus carneus)

This flowering plant grows to a height of 25-35 cm. Its flowering bulbs are red, white and pink. The plant has flowers all the way up the stem with long pointed foliage. The Painted Lady is smaller flowered and hardier than their summer blooming cousins and they also don’t need staking and bloom in the spring. This plant species is variable, depending on the site.

Berry Heath

Berry Heath (Erica baccans)

Erica baccans (or the Berry Heath) is a species of erica that was naturally restricted to the city of Cape Town, South Africa. It is endemic to Table Mountain, usually found on the lower parts of Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos. It produces masses of tiny, pink, berry-shaped flowers and grows up to 2 metres in height. It is becoming increasingly popular as an ornamental plant in Cape Town gardens.

Restio Multiflorus

Restio multiflorus is a reed-like plant, which grows to a height of 1 m in its natural environment, but grows to a height of about 1.5 m if planted in a reasonably fertile soil with the normal amount of water given in a garden. The plants have strong, upright stems and grow in a more or less tufted form. Like many other Restionaceae, the young plants produce finely branched juvenile stems which increase the photosynthesis process and enable the plants to grow faster. R. multiflorusplants have a large amount of these juvenile stems, which are bright green in colour.

When the flowering stems start to grow in the second year they seem to rise like a fountain from this low base of fluffy stems, which produces a striking and very attractive plant. When mature after three years, the plants can reach a diameter of about 1 m at ground level. Plants of both sexes are strong growing and can easily reach an age of about seven years. The main growth period is at the end of the Cape winter (August to November).

List of special plants and animals within the catchment

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

Western Leopard Toad

Western Leopard Toad

Community Nest Spiders

Community Nest Spiders

African Darter

African darter (Anhinga rufa)

Cape White-eye

Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens)

Spotted Dikkop

Cape Dikkop (Burhinus capensis)

Rock Dassie

Rock Dassie (Procavia capensis)

Scrub Hare

Scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis):

Broad-leaved Stork's Bill

Broad-leaved Stork's Bill (Pelargonium triste):

Kukumakranka

Kukumakranka

Fountain Bush

Fountain bush (Psoralea pinnata)

The Green Satyr Orchid

The Green Satyr Orchid (Satyrium odorum)

Painted Lady

Painted Lady (Iridaceae Gladiolus carneus)

Berry Heath

Berry Heath (Erica baccans)

Restio Multiflorus

Restio Multiflorus

To find more about indigenous plant species click here

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