BOTSOC NEWS MAY/ JUNE 2004

Hi all plant lovers

The countryside has taken on wintry shades of olive green trees and yellow grass. Nurseries have covered susceptible plants under white sheeting and one of these days we will have the first frost.

MONTHLY TALK:
Sonja Schubert’s Powerpoint presentation on "Poisonous Plants in Namibia", illustrated by many photographs and pictures, drew a large and attentive audience. Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding regarding the time the talk would begin. I apologise for having given the wrong information in this regard and especially thank Sonja for repeating the first part of the talk for the benefit of the late-comers.

FORTHCOMING MONTHLY TALK:

The talk is free of charge. Refreshments will be served and a small donation to cover costs will be most appreciated.

GARDEN WALKS
The garden walk on 8 May was very knowledgeably guided by Coleen Mannheimer and by Hildegard Becker assisted by Silvelyn Feddersen. It was attended by about 30 participants who were divided into two groups thus making it possible for everyone to understand their guide’s explanations. With the very tips of the aloes still flowering, the wild pear (Dombeya rotundifolia) in flower and in fruit (which looks much like the flowers but is a lovely yellow brown), the garden was still quite colourful.

At the end of the walk many participants gathered in the shade of several swarthaak trees beside one of the watercourses in the garden. Diana, Ellen and Luise had put up some folding tables and chairs and delicious fresh muffins provided by Diana were served with coffee and tea. The area has been leveled and Silke had hoped that her budget would allow her to buy a couple of concrete tables and semicircular benches. Unfortunately, no funds for any kind of furniture were approved. Currently, of course, the number of daily visitors to the garden does not warrant a full-time café. Nevertheless, once tables and benches have been set out, this spot would be the ideal destination for a quick picnic with your friends or for a birthday party with your kids, provided of course that you can get away from your work during the opening times of the garden: Mon – Fri: 8h00 – 17h00.

TRACK DOWN SOME INDIGENOUS TREES IN WINDHOEK.
Around Stephanuskirche, Corner Uhland Str / Höpfner Str.
Starting in the northern corner along Uhland Str and moving clockwise around the church:

• Combretum erythrophyllum - Vaderlandswilg/River bushwillow, which in Namibia occurs wild only along the Orange River but is often planted in gardens and on public spaces, e.g. the parking lot of Hidas Centre.
• Rhus lancea or karree which is very common along many dry river courses
• Celtis africana, Witstinkhout indigenous to S A, but often planted e.g. along Independence Ave
• *Ginko biloba, an exotic tree with a distinctive leaf shape
• *Nicotiana glauca, a native of South America, but common along riverbeds and on disturbed soil and regarded as a noxious plant in Namibia.
• Rhus pendulina – the Wit Karree which occurs wild only along the Orange River but is often planted in gardens – be careful though, its root system seems quite aggressive
• Boscia albitrunca, the shepherds’ tree or witgat boom
• Ehretia rigida, the puzzle bush, which now becomes even more puzzling since this genus has been divided into several new species.
• Dodonaea angustifolia an extremely hardy South African native often seen as hedges especially in Namibian towns like Katutura or Orwetoweni
• Acacia luederitzii
• Acacia hebeclada
• Acacia erioloba
• Acacia mellifera subsp. detinens
• *Schinus molle – the pepper tree hailing from Peru
• *Callistemon viminalis - Bottle brush from Australia
• *Jacaranda mimosifolia – a South American native
• *Ceratonia siliqua – the carob tree from the Mediterranes and Arabia
• *Artiplex nummularia - Old Man’s Saltbush: from Australia
• Ziziphus mucronata the blinkblaar wag ‘ bietjie or buffalo thorn. This particular tree next to the entrance to the Waldorf Kindergarden is remarkable since it has hardly any thorns.
• Bolusanthus speciosus – Vanwykshout – Tree wisteria from SA
• *Brachychyton diversifolia - Kurrajong from Australia, with its distinctive black pods reminiscent of the pods of Sterculia africana, the African star chestnut
• and Portulacaria afra – Spekboom / porkbush also from SA
  

THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IS OPEN TO VISITORS MONDAY – FRIDAY
Take your visitors for a walk in a natural setting and in safety in the Botanical Garden. It is particularly beautiful now that the aloes are flowering! All mature tree species as well as a number of shrubs and flowering plants are labeled.

Entrance is free but please sign the visitors‘ book at the reception, where you can also ask for a list of the botanical names of all the plants occurring in the garden. For a number of plants the most well known common names are also given.

OUTINGS

The trip to the Erongo Mountains on May 20 - 24 was a great success. Trema orientalis, also known as pigeon wood, is alive and well. A detailed report will be presented in the June edition of the news letter.

We are contemplating an outing to Farm Urikos along the Tsauchab River on the weekend of 26 – 29 August 2004 where reportedly there is an amazing forest of Ficus sycomorus. Please mark this date in your diary and let us know in good time if you wish to participate.

SUBSCRIPTION FEES
Please be reminded to update your subscriptions as soon as possible. Membership is N$50 for individuals, N$80 for families and N$10 for students and covers the period from the AGM (September) 2003 - the AGM (September) 2004. Bertchen and Jeanne handle the membership fees of Botsoc and are the persons to contact.

Enjoy the outdoors in the cool winter weather. You might even find the various spike thorn or “pendoring” species (Gymnosporia spp) covered in flowers, while many plants still have fruits and a few leaves by which to identify them.

With kind regards
Luise Hoffmann

And

THE CORE OF ACTIVE PLANT PEOPLE (CAPP)