Author: Richard Cowling Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa ISBN: 1928213316 Category : Travel Languages : en Pages : 829
Book Description
Namaqualand – a desert of succulents. From dwarf species barely a few millimetres tall to trees several metres high, the range of succulent plants in this seemingly desolate region is unrivalled in both its extent and its variety of forms. Tiny plants that resemble flowering stones dot a plain of quartz; a minute 'garden' fills a rock crevice; an exuberant burst of vygies colours a patch of veld. About a third of the 3000 or so plant species in Namaqualand are succulents, and they include the largest concentration of miniature succulent species in the world. But there is much more. Namaqualand's bulb flora is the richest of any arid region on earth: amaryllids, irids, lilies and many more, all presenting an astonishing diversity of colour and form. Add to these the spectacular vistas of spring-flowering annuals for which Namaqualand is most famous, and the result is a truly remarkable flora, unrivalled elsewhere on earth. Yet for many years it has been overshadowed by the Cape Floral Kingdom to the south. In this exploration of a harsh wonderland, Richard Cowling and Shirley Pierce embark on redressing the balance, and in doing so discover climatic and other factors that have contributed to Namaqualand's rich flora. They reveal intriguing details of how plants survive a range of adverse conditions and, following the cycle of seasons, they highlight extraordinary facets of the plants' reproduction, including intricate relationships with insect pollinators. Complementing the text, Colin Paterson-Jones's magnificent photographs capture the vibrant colours of Namaqualand's flora, in both panorama and detail conveying the essence of this awe-inspiring land.
Author: Annelise le Roux Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa ISBN: 1775843173 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 1823
Book Description
Namaqualand is justifiably famous for the floral wonderland it becomes in spring, when seas of bright flowers carpet the land. Astonishingly, the carpet comprises some 3,800 species, of which 28% are endemic. This book introduces nearly 600 species, highlighting those most commonly found, most conspicuous, spectacular or interesting, as well as endemics. An introduction touches on the species selection for the book, the climatic and topographical subregions within Namaqualand, plant names and uses, and conservation issues. The concise species descriptions also give seed and fruit details, uses, local growing conditions and flowering times, along with beautiful full-colour photographs. This is a must-have guide for visitors to Namaqualand, or for anyone interested in the wild flowers of southern Africa.
Author: Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Commission to enquire into mineral resources of Namaqualand Publisher: ISBN: Category : Mines and mineral resources Languages : en Pages : 32
Author: Richard M. Cowling Publisher: ISBN: Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 164
Book Description
A lavishly illustrated book on the unique botany of Namaqualand, including the Southern Namib between Luderitzbucht and the Orange River.
Author: John C. Manning Publisher: Briza Publications ISBN: Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 136
Book Description
Namaqualand is home to some 3000 species of wildflowers, half of which do not occur anywhere else. This guide covers more than 200 of these wildflowers, giving details of each plant's common and scientific names, habitat, distribution map, flowering times and local uses.
Author: Richard Cowling
Author: Annelise le Roux
Author: Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Commission to enquire into mineral resources of Namaqualand
Author: Benjamin Ridsdale
Author: Henry Tindall
Author: Samuel Broadbent
Author: Thomas Cheeseman
Author: Annelise Le Roux
Author: Richard M. Cowling
Author: John C. Manning