Namibia’s Endemic Species BY Joof Lamprecht. Atlasing in Namibia builds on previous successful citizen science projects. Namibia; Namibia. Plant species richness, endemism, and genetic resources in Namibia. Google Scholar Danin A. This same soft fibre is what stores water in living trees. However, be prepared, this is a smelly adventure! Pachypodium namaquanum is known as the ‘half-mens’ (half-person) plant to Namibian locals. Angiosperms. The youngest group is the succulent desert area of the Southern Namib with the Mesembryathemeum family being the most prominent. 204 pp. Welwitschia produces only a single pair of leaves, which grow continuously throughout its lifespan. of plant species is presented for the Sperrgebiet, the southwestern corner of Namibia. BRAHMS Online • Distribution maps for poisonous plants that occur naturally in the wild. Community See All. Our previous database, which included information used in a MSB seed Collecting Guide for Namibia, was transferred to BRAHMS, because of participating in the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP), and to be able to use the BRAHMS seed module. The welwitschia may be one of Namibia’s most famous plant but this desert country has many other botanical enigmas to show for itself. Due to areas of differing rainfalls and soils, there is a variety of plants from the desert and semi desert vegetation to the subtropical species, but most of the country is covered with savannah and dotted with acacia. For centuries, people have been using every part of this tree for food, shelter, rope, clothing and oils. Cimbebasia 9: 49–67. Distribution of: -Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) -Kiaat (Pterocarpus angolensis) -Mopane (Colophospermum mopane) -Quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma) -Tsamma melon (Citrullus lanatus) -Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis) ZIP-Archive contains: The most recent checklist of Namibian indigenous and naturalised plants, published in 2013, lists almost 4,500 plant taxa in Namibia, of which 4,200 are native to the country. You can submit data from sightings, photographs, camera traps, telemetry, spoor and any other records. All Rights Reserved. Information will be added when available. In the Namib desert, the Camel Thorn tree fills one of the roles as a keystone species. Sandstone outcrops – a major refugium of mediterranean flora in the xeric part of Jordan. Leafless for most of the year, the baobab is sometimes described as the upside-down tree. Moll, E.J. University of Oxford. inval. 6,539 people follow this. Visitors to Cape Cross can view the Cape fur seals from a walkway on the beach. Welw. Red Data Book of Namibian Plants by Sonja Loots Red Data Book of Namibian Plants Sonja Loots For any enquiries about the Red Data Book of Namibian Plants contact: National Botanical Research Institute Private Bag 13184 Windhoek Namibia Tel. ⚠ Version 1 of The Plant List has been superseded. A first for Namibia: Indigenous Plant Products in Namibia book cover. Weird and Wonderful Plants of Namibia Half man – half plant. Local legend tells how God, angered by the tree’s boastful vanity, uprooted it and thrust it upside down into the ground. Another bottle-shaped succulent, Moringa Ovalifolia grows throughout Namibia. Endangered Species. Plants in Namibia, find and experience the environment and plants of Namibia. Statistics are at the end of the page. Despite this, both woodlands and desert species are found in the country. The majority of taxa are African with extensions through Arabia to Asia, but a few taxa have links to South America. : (264) 61 202 2023 Fax: (264) 61 258153 E-mail: sonja.loots@nbri.org.na Including naturalized plants, there are about 4334 vascular plant species and infraspecific taxa within the country's borders, a substantial increase from the existing major reference work. Pages 1203-1209 in Proceedings of the XIIIth Plenery Meeting of AETFAT, Malawi. Work on this database is not funded and data may not be sold or used for commercial purposes. • Detailed species descriptions of 135 poisonous plants. Corner of Tunschel and Aschenborne Street, Pionierspark (9,503.78 mi) Windhoek, Namibia . Namibia.The species is most abundant in the Cuvelai Drainage where the trees have been nurtured, protected and perhaps propagated by small-scale farmers over several hundred years.Marula fruits are Its name is derived from the Nama language, implying ‘an area where there is nothing.’ About See All. It's also the national plant of Namibia. The origin and disribution of fairy rings in Namibia. Over the years the hunting industry has changed considerably, in some cases for the better and others for the worse. Of the 930 accepted genera in Namibia, about 370 are essentially African with almost 170 confined to southern Africa. Contribute to the Snake Atlas, Mammal Atlas, Alien Plants Atlas and more. The plant grows in the Gariep Region which stretches along the Orange River border with South Africa. As they reached the Orange River, some turned back for a last look at their homeland, and their spirits were forever frozen in time in the form of these plants. The Plant List includes 3 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Namibia. fines.The hoodia plant, which grows naturally in southern Namibia and the Kalahari, is highly sought after internationally for its appetite-suppressant qualities.It is used by the pharmaceutical Try to include as many of them as you can in your visit to the Land of Sand. Dominant families are the Poaceae (422species), Fabaceae (377), Asteraceae (385) and Mesembryanthemaceae (177). The most well known is the Welwitschia, but there are many other endemic, rare and distinctive plants. Known as the tree of life, the baobab’s flowers feed off reservoirs of water in its trunk, which remain filled with a nutrient rich sap when everything else in the surroundings has shriveled with aridity. Species in Namibia Google … Kniphofia (Tritoma, Red-Hot Poker, Torch Lily and Poker Plant) is a genus comprising about 70 species of plants in the family Asphodelaceae, native to Africa. Both are now independent researchers and botanical consultants. In times of severe drought, the Quiver tree can seal off its extremities to prevent moisture loss through the leaves. The totally bizarre welwitschia is endemic to the Namib desert within Namibia and Angola and is thus considered a near-endemic of Namibia. It is a smooth stemmed tree which proliferates on rocky hillsides all over the countryside, except in Etosha National Park, where the stems are gnarled and misshapen, unlike any other of their kind. The plant absorbs groundwater through a long taproot, and also … Endemic species of perennial herb, geophyte and tree life‐formsare predicted to be negatively impacted in Namibia, whereas annual herb and succulent endemic species remain relatively stable by 2050 and 2080. The plant is commonly known simply as welwitschia in … Another bottle-shaped succulent, Moringa Ovalifolia grows throughout Namibia. There are over 500 species of aloe, with aloe vera being one of the most common. On the gravel plains east of the Skeleton Coast grows the bizarre Welwitschia mirabilis, a slow-growing, ground-hugging conifer that lives for more than 1000 years. Now, for the first time, a book has been launched which takes an in-depth look at some of these indigenous natural plant species, their useful properties, their cultural uses and their commercial value, amongst other things. Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant that thrives in hot, arid climates. The database is developed and published online using BRAHMS. Even the Namibian national rugby union team is named after it. Contact Namib Trees on Messenger. Craven has a special interest in floristic groups, endemics and genus Petalidium; Kolberg in taxonomy, seed conservation and habitat restoration. The Namib is a desert landscape that stuns with its awesome scenery and fascinates with its unique geographical features. Namib Trees is a retail and wholesale plant nursery specialising in Namibian indigenous trees,shrubs... See More. Conclusion: These findings highlighted the biodiversity importance of this area at the … Further drought-adaptations are a layer of light powder which covers the branches, helping to reflect the sun’s rays and keep the plant cool. Savannah cover 64% of Namibia, dry woodlands and forests 20%, while desert vegetation is distributed over 16%. These huge trees are an icon of the African continent and have been standing tall over the savannah for 200 million years. Indigenous Plant Products of Namibia : !nara (A. horridus) By Gillian Maggs-Kölling, Rosalia Iileka, Ruusa Gottlieb and Esther Uushona . There are about 164 families of higher plants and of these, 32 are represented by only one species. Among over 600 species of vascular plants found nowhere else are the Namib Coral-tree Erythrina decora (Tree Atlas of Namibia), Schwantesia constanceae , the Lüderitz Living Stone , the Rock Corkwood (Bihrmann's Caudiciforms), the Namibian Grape , the Brandberg Acacia , the Brandberg Plumbago , and Aloe erinacea . In addition to good photographs and concise descriptions of 111 plants, it gives an ecologist’s overview on topics such as the origin of plant diversity in Namibia, how plants survive in Namibia, Namibia’s endemic plant species, invasive aliens – curse or blessing – and thoughts on the effects of climate change and so on. Some important plant species. 1994. Most of the land in Namibia is used for farming that is based on natural grazing for stock, with game farming increasing in importance, but a sizable portion has had restricted access due to mining and conservation. There are an incredible 708 endemic plant species in Namibia. Visit this Fairy-Tale Forest to see the only place on earth where these trees grow together en masse. Namibia. It is a remarkably long-lived plant, with specimens exceeding 1000 and perhaps even 2000 years in age, which is why it is commonly referred to as a "living fossil". 19 check-ins. Biodiversity and Conservation 7: 435-446. Sometimes the new habitat has agreed with introduced specie, and they have flourished. Among these species, almost 800 are endemic, meaning they occur in Namibia and nowhere else in the world. The flora and vegetation of the Brandberg Mountain. Euphorbia leistneri R.H. Archer, a new species from the northern Kaokoveld, Namibia, is described. namibtrees.com.na. The San Bushmen of Namibia use the tubular branches of the Quiver tree to craft arrows, hence the name. Interpretations of the origins of the flora of Namibia are complex as nine floristic groups have been identified, each with their own characteristic taxa, affinities and history. 600 species endemic to Namibia occur in over 60 families and in about 230 genera. The stability of other bird and plant species, such as the lichen fields, the welwitschia plant, the Damara tern, the Cape vulture, and numerous lesser-known species, has been undoubtedly compromised by human activities (including tourism and recreation) in formerly remote areas. These behemoths are so large that animals and people can shelter in their hollowed out trunks, and there is even a pub carved out of one in the Northern reaches of South Africa. Use Browse for full text, map and image searches. Welwitschia, also known as tree tumbo is endemic to the arid coastal regions of Namibiaand Angola. Herta Kolberg and Patricia Craven have worked extensively on the systematics of Namibian plants. This database focuses on the plants of Namibia, but also includes Fungi and lichens and some taxa from neighbouring countries that we have dealt with in more detail. This link is still evident from extant disjunct species. Half man – half plant. In contrast the most diverse families are those known to be among the largest families worldwide including the Poaceae, Asteraceae and Leguminosae. Due to the lack of trees overall in this desert, the presence of these plants is beneficial to multiple organisms. The principal reasons for the wealth of species in Namibia are the numerous and various tracks that contribute taxa, and other factors include environmental diversity, different rainfall regimes, and recurrent climate fluctuations since early times. Pictures of aloe vera growing in deserts show these fleshy-leafed plants growing in bone-dry, sandy soil surrounded by rocks. 1995. f. nom. plant species of Namibia that will be made generally available.