Agulhas Flora 

Here's snippets from it:

To get a copy  (R80) , please contact Emmerentia de Kock at agulhas.heritage @gmail.com 

Om 'n kopie (teen R80) te kry, kontak asb vir Emmerentia de Kock by agulhas.heritage@gmail.com 

Fynbos is ‘n Hollandse woord wat "dun blaartjies" beteken. Plante met klein en fyn blaartjies. Fynbos kom net in die Wes-Kaap voor; word genoem die Kaapse Fynboskoninkryk (Cape Floral Kingdom) Meer as 7700 verskillende plante word as fynbos geklassifiseer. 

Die witmelkhout (Sideroxylon inerme) kom van die Kaapse Skiereiland al langs die ooskus tot in tropiese Afrika voor.   Hierdie bome is bestand teen strawwe kuswinde en kan, afhangende van heersende toestande, groei tot groot, sambreelvormige bome, tipies van die Strandveld omgewing.   Dit kan ook die vorm van struikagtige bosse in kuswoude aanneem.

Die melkhoutboom is feitlik ‘n ekosisteem op sy eie en bied skuiling en kos vir ‘n verskeidenheid diere, van insekte tot voëls en boomslange.   Die blomme van melkhoutbome het ‘n kenmerkende reuk wat insekte lok.   Die ryp eetbare pers-swart vrugte is ‘n gesogte kossoort vir voëls en bobbejane.   Die naam is afkomstig van die melkagtige sap in die bas en vrugte.   In tradisionele volksmedisyne word ‘n aftreksel van die bas as teenmiddel vir nagmerries gebruik.

In die verlede het ‘n gebrek aan groot bome in kusgebiede gelei tot grootskaalse aanvraag na melkhout.  Die hout is hard en duursaam en is vir die bou van bote, brûe en meulens gebruik.   Tans hou uitheemse indringerplante soos rooikrans en port Jackson egter van die grootste bedreigings vir melkhoutbome in.   Indringerplante brand maklik en die geweldige hitte van so ‘n brand kan nabygeleë melkhoutbome verskroei of doodbrand.   Digte bosse van indringerplante verhinder ook die ontkieming van melkhoutsade en die groei van saailinge.

Vier melkhoutbome in Suid-Afrika is tot nasionale gedenkwaardighede verklaar.   Een van die bekendstes is die Poskantoorboom te Mosselbaai.   Die grootste is op die plaas Rhenosterfontein naby Bredasdorp.   Die kroon het ‘n omvang van 20 m.   Die stamomtrek is meer as 3 m, en dit is al amper ‘n 1000 jaar oud.

Melkhoutbome word kragtens die Boswet, 1984 (Wet 122 van 1984) beskerm.   ‘n Permit word van CapeNature benodig voordat die bome gesnoei of verwyder mag word.

(Inligtingstuk, CapeNature)

About Milkwoods 

The White Milkwood Sideroxylon inerme is growing from the Cape Peninsula all along the east coast to tropical Africa.  The tree can withstand strong coastal winds, and depending on the prevailing conditions, it grows to a big umbrella-shaped tree, typical of the Strandveld area. It also forms dense thickets in coastal woodlands. The Milkwood is an ecosystem in its own right and provides shelter and food to a diverse animal life, from insects to birds and tree snakes.  The flowers have a distinctive smell which draws insects.  Birds and baboons love the ripe edible purple-black berries.  The name is derived from the milky sap of the bark and fruit. 

Three Milkwoods are of historical interest and were proclaimed as national monuments or heritage sites.  The best-known one is the famous “Post Office tree” in Mossel Bay.  The biggest Milkwood is on Rhenosterfontein farm near Bredasdorp with a crown of 20m in diameter, a trunk of 3m in diameter and more than 1000 years old.  Another interesting Milkwood is the Treaty tree in Woodstock, Cape Town, where in 1806 the Dutch commander of local defences formally handed over the Cape to the British following the Battle of Blaauwberg.

Traditional uses 

Traditionally an infusion of the bark was used to dispel nightmares.  In the absence of big trees in the coastal area, Milkwood was used extensively.  The wood is heavy, hard, strong and durable and was used for building bridges, boats and mills. 

Protected by law

Milkwoods are protected by the Forestry Act, 1984 (Act 22).  A permit is needed to prune, cut or dispose of a Milkwood.  

Manitoka (Myoporum tenuifolium subsp. Montanum) ook soms genoem die M. acuminatum) is  verklaar as ‘n Kategorie 3 indringerplant. 

Die Manitoka is ‘n immergroen struik met wit klein blomme wat ontwikkel tot vlesige pers vruggies, giftig vir mense en ander soogdiere, maar veilig vir voëls. Voëls is dus die groot verspreider van hierdie indringer. Dit is afkomstig vanaf Australië en as sierplant, skadu en windskerm ingevoer. Onder die Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, (Act No 43 of 1983) (CARA) is die Manitoka as ‘n Kategorie 3 indringerplant verklaar. Daarvolgens mag die Manitokka glad nie meer gekweek, gekoop of verkoop word nie. Die enigste beheermaatreël is om dit af te kap en te verwyder.

Lees verder meer oor Kategorie 3 plante onder die CARA wet: Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, (Act No 43 of 1983) (CARA) 

The only currently active legislation on weeds and invasive plants in South Africa forms part of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983 (Act No 43 of 1983) (CARA). Regulations 15 and 16 under this Act, which concern problem plants, were amended during March 2001.  These changes were necessitated by the accelerating deterioration of the country's natural resources due to invasion by alien plants, as well as a heightened public awareness with regards to environmental matters.

The CARA regulations refer to 198 invasive alien plants, which are divided into three categories:

Declared weeds (Category 1 plants), and  Plant invaders (Category 2 and Category 3 plants) and indicators of bush encroachment.

Plant invaders of Category 3

These plants are undesirable because they have the proven potential of becoming invasive, but most of them are nevertheless popular ornamentals or shade trees that will take a long time to replace. In terms of Regulation 15 of CARA, Category 3 plants will not be allowed to occur anywhere except in biological control reserves, unless they were already in existence when these regulations went into effect. The conditions on which these already existing plants may be retained are that they do not grow within 30 m from the 1:50 year flood line of watercourses or wetlands, that all reasonable steps are taken to keep the plant from spreading, and that the Executive Officer has the power to impose additional conditions or even prohibit the growing of Category 3 plants in any area where he has reason to believe

that these plants will pose a threat to the agricultural resources. Propagative material of these plants, such as seeds or cuttings, may no longer be planted, propagated, imported, bought, sold or traded in any way. It will, however, be legal to trade in the wood of Category 3 plants, or in other products that do not have the potential to grow or multiply. The Executive Officer will have the power to grant exemption from some of the above requirements.