What is the name of African vegetation? Plants of Africa: characteristics, examples, description and photos

November 14, 2012, 10:39

Each type of tree is unique in its own way. There are about 100,000 various types trees, including a quarter of all living plant species on Earth. But among the billions of trees around the world, there are completely unique and amazing representatives. Baobabs


The majestic baobabs of Madagascar are very beautiful trees that can survive very severe drought. They grow mainly in Africa. These baobabs grow on the wonderful island of Socotra. bottle tree And this is a distant relative of the baobab, the Australian bottle tree. In Australia, in the driest areas in the north of Queensland, they grow bottle trees, capable, like baobabs, of storing water in the trunk. They really look like a bottle. Only this “bottle” has two compartments. At the bottom of the trunk, between the bark and the wood, there is a reservoir that holds a significant amount of water. Another reservoir is placed in the middle part of the trunk - however, it does not contain water, but a large number of sweetish, thick, jelly-like juice, very healthy and nutritious. These trees reach 15 meters in height and 1.8 meters in diameter. Bottle tree of Socotra Island.
also known as Desert Rose. Dragon Tree Dragon Tree in Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife, one of Canary Islands, is a unique representative of this species. It is believed to be between 650 and 1,500 years old, but experts find it difficult to make exact conclusions since it has more than one trunk. Rather, it consists of many small trunks that hold onto each other as they grow upward. The tree has a dense canopy of leaves and gets its name from the resin that is released when its bark and leaves are cut away. Residents believe that this is dried dragon blood and have been using it to treat various ailments since ancient times. Dragon trees on Socotra island. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms. The fact is that for the last 6 - 7 million years, the Socotra archipelago has been isolated from the African mainland, which could not but affect the development of its flora and fauna. Also among interesting plants Socotra - strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree
This is a plant with prickly wrinkled leaves, spiky fruits similar to ordinary cucumbers and a thick trunk swollen with milky juice. The disproportion between the height and thickness of the trunk, as well as the scant foliage cover, give it a funny appearance. Some specimens do not exceed one and a half meters in height, and have a much larger diameter. Wood flask Its scientific name is moringa and it grows in Africa. When it rains, the jar tree can absorb and retain enormous amounts of water, so it often becomes pot-bellied. The flag tree can grow up to 6 meters in height. Spiny phagara
The unusual fagara tree is a resident of moist evergreen forests east coast South Africa and Transvaal. Its trunk is literally strewn with eight-centimeter cones with sharp spikes at the end, similar to short massive cow horns. The maximum diameter of the tree reaches half a meter, and the height sometimes exceeds 20 meters. African tulip tree One of the most beautifully flowering plants in the world is the African tulip tree or Spatodea campanulate. Collected in lush inflorescences, the flowers of this tree are orange-red in color and resemble tulip flowers in shape. The tulip tree reaches a height of 7 to 25 meters and is native to dry tropical forests Africa. The open, cup-shaped flowers retain moisture from dew rain, which attracts many species of birds, and the nectar is popular with birds. Another beautiful flowering tree Delonix royal
It has many more names, such as fire tree, fire tree, red flame, peacock flower and phoenix tail. Can be found everywhere tropical climate. But his homeland is Madagascar.
Jacaranda
His homeland is Brazil.
These tall, spreading trees, reaching 15 meters, are one of the favorite decorative elements of streets, squares and public gardens in Argentina and Buenos Aires. Rainbow eucalyptus This is the only species of eucalyptus native to the northern hemisphere. Motherland rainbow eucalyptus- Philippine Islands. In addition to the fact that eucalyptus grows up to 70 meters in height, it also shines with all the colors of the rainbow: its bark can be colored yellow, green, orange and even purple. Take a look at the photo, it seems as if this pattern was painted by some abstract artist, but in fact, this coloring of the rainbow eucalyptus was created by nature itself. The unusual phenomenon is explained by areas of the bark peeling off in different time. The different colors are indicators of the age of the bark: when recently shed, the outer bark will be a bright green color. Over time, the bark darkens and changes from blue to purple and then reaches maroon and orange. The result is a kind of natural camouflage. Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines are the natural habitats of this tree. Record trees A giant sequoia named General Sherman grows in Sequoia National Park in California. Its height is 83 meters, and its weight exceeds 6 tons. General Sherman is a very beautiful tree with huge history at 2200 years old. The chapel oak of Allouville-Bellefosse in France is considered one of the most beautiful oaks in the world. This is not only a tree, but also a structure, and religious monument. The tree chapel was built in 1669 after a lightning strike. Pando aspens in Utah grow in a colony that is unique in its kind. Each tree here is genetically identical; in fact, it is an integral living organism with an intertwined root system. Pando consists of 47,000 aspen trees growing on 107 acres. This is a unique natural formation, whose age exceeds 80,000 years!
One of the oldest living organisms on the planet is the Methuselah pine, which is almost 5 thousand years old.
The record holder for crown diameter is the Indian banyan tree. According to measurements in 1929, one of the banyan trees had a crown of 300 meters. Since then the tree has grown even more.
Banyan tree, Cambodia
The El Arboldel Tule cypress in Mexico is so thick that its trunk spans 58 meters - the thickest tree in the world.
There was a version that these were three trees woven together, but analysis showed that this was still one very beautiful specimen. Man-made masterpieces The next examples will be the creations of farmer Axel Erlandson. He shapes his trees accordingly to give each of them a special shape. Erlandson never told anyone how he achieved such forms, taking his secrets to the grave, and his trees were bought by a local millionaire and transplanted into an amusement park.

The article contains information about plants characteristic of this territory. Gives examples of endangered species of plants and animals. Indicates the areas of application of the gifts of nature.

Plants of Africa

The African continent ranks second in the world in terms of area and population. Thanks to the variable climate, a variety of plant species grow here.

The vegetation of Africa is quite diverse. This is influenced by the presence of various climatic zones. In the zone subequatorial belt The presence of many exotic plant species is noted. In the savanna area, the advantage is given to such thorny bushes as:

• terminalia;
• acacia;
• varieties of low growing trees.

Features of the continent's flora

The flora of the deserts of Africa is sparse. It consists of grasses and dotted areas covered with shrubs and trees in oases.

On the territory of rare oases of the Sahara, the unique Erg Chebbi date palm grows.

In the depressions you can find halophytic plants that are resistant to salt.

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Rice. 1. Halophytic plants.

Over time, the vegetation of desert areas has adapted to irregular rainfall and frequent droughts. This is indicated by diversity physiological characteristics, which can be boasted by plants that live only on these land areas.

In the mountainous regions of the desert you can find many endemic species. The Sahara Mountains are home to acacias, tamarisks, wormwood, ephedra, doum palm, oleander, thyme and palmate dates. People living in the oases have adapted to successfully grow figs, olives, many types of fruit and citrus trees, as well as a variety of vegetable crops.

Rice. 2. Oleander.

A unique desert plant, Velvichia, whose growth period exceeds more than a thousand years, grows two huge leaves. Their length is over 3 m. They grow thanks to dew and fog, since these are the only sources of life-giving moisture among the desert expanses.

IN equatorial belt continent has preserved the most significant forest areas in the world tropical zones, which may soon disappear forever.

Rice. 3. Velvichia and acacia.

Some representatives of the flora are under threat of complete extinction. An example is the baobab tree. These trees are the most ancient representatives flora continent. Some trees are over three thousand years old. Baobab tree trunks are used as natural water storage containers. The ebony tree is also in danger of becoming extinct. Its wood is quite heavy. It is highly valued among the indigenous inhabitants.

The flora of Africa has its own symbol - acacia.

The trees are adapted to hot and dry climates. They grow in most of the black continent. Often, acacia leaves are the only greenery that animals can eat. Many animals of the African savannah are among the species living in the Red Book. Endangered species include cheetahs and African lions. Due to climate change, individuals of this biological species threatened by habitat loss.

Africa is home to many varieties of aloe species. These plants are quite juicy with sweet nectar. Nectar serves as bait for a large number of birds. Aloe juice is used in medicinal production and cosmetology.

Ask this question to anyone on the street and you will get a standard answer. Which flowers? Are there deserts there? No flowers in Africa! According to ideas drawn from school curriculum and news broadcasts, in Africa there are deserts, there all year round the hot sun kills all living things. Wild or at worst semi-wild tribes live. Everyone is completely poor. There is a terrible Ebola virus, which you can catch by eating monkey brains or just standing next to such a gourmet.

Oh yes! There is also a safari there, there is National parks, Where live lion prides, families of giraffes move slowly and ferocious rhinoceroses run. There is no water, but a lot of sand. It seems that's it. I hasten to dissuade you. Everything is so and not so. Scientists claim that life originated in Africa. Once upon a time, millions of years ago, it was completely covered with giant plants and resembled the Amazon jungle. Over time, the merciless sun turned part of the continent into a lifeless desert, but failed to completely kill life.

And when asked about flowers, you can safely answer: “There are a lot of them in Africa, and ones that don’t grow anywhere else.” The succulent family has long been firmly established on the Dark Continent. And the most beautiful of them is the Impala, or succulent lily.

Have you ever seen aloe bloom? In almost every home, this unpretentious flower used to occupy its rightful place on the windowsill. Agave successfully dealt with our abscesses and various non-serious diseases. It turns out that there are many varieties of aloe, and it blooms with very cute small buds. Of course, not luxurious, but modest flowers. And the tulip tree will offer you luxury.

Spathodea campanulate - one of the most beautiful plants in the world. Locals call it the “Fire Tree” and believe that it is a gift from heaven. The tulip tree blooms all year round. Imagine, a huge bouquet stands (grows) in the yard of your house all year long!

Gloriosa is also beautiful. This wonderful representative of the Colchicum family thrives in Africa. It tolerates heat well, although it does not refuse water, but it does not suffer particularly from lack of moisture. There are ten varieties. It can be dwarf, it grows only 25-30 centimeters in height. But the climbing gloriosa envelops its support, lulls its vigilance with its beautiful red flowers with a yellow border. The support plant does not even suspect that this luxury is poisonous. This is probably very reasonable: beauty should be able to defend itself.

Each country has its own national flower. Zimbabwe chose the Gloriosa variety, to the name of which botanists add the word “Luxurious”. With its sharp petals, it resembles tongues of flame, and from a distance it seems that the entire tree is on fire. And the word “gloriosa” is translated as “glorified”, and Zimbabweans, in the hope of the future glory of their country, use its image everywhere.

Of course, we can’t help but say about insectivorous plants. You can learn more about them by reading the article “What plants are killed to live?” dated 03/01/15 Yulia Dvornikova. I just want to note that there are many of these in Africa. The most common are African Gignora, which lives in South Africa, and Amorphophallus, which lives everywhere from West Africa to the Pacific Islands. They are beautiful and unusual in their own way, but they cannot boast of their aroma - insects, as you know, are attracted by the smell of carrion.

And another miracle-yudo can only be seen in Africa. This Lithops. The Aborigines call them “living stones.” And all because it is almost impossible to distinguish a small plant - only 5 centimeters in height - from stones. IN South Africa These living stones grow on granite ruins, in rock cracks and on limestone soils. Only two small but very fleshy leaves can be seen above the ground. They develop a new leaf or flowers in the middle. They are small, yellow or white. But the root extends several meters deep, because only there can precious water be obtained.

And another wonder is this Kniforia. It grows in South and Central Africa. Looks like large bouquet, consisting of many small bells. It grows everywhere like a weed, and when brought from its native lands, it is most often used in landscape design in order to highlight some part of the site and emphasize its peculiarity.

Of course, this article lists only a small part of the flowering plants of the Dark Continent. The proverb “It’s better to see once” is one hundred percent right. Meeting with amazing world flowers growing in the vastness of Africa are a real holiday for nature lovers

Species pelargonium - enough large group plants (about 230), divided into sections, or divisions. On this moment There are 15 such sections, and in each the plants are combined according to certain characteristics. If we compare representatives of different sections, we will find it difficult to believe that they belong to the same genus. Pelargonium species can be annual or perennial, herbaceous or woody shrubs, sometimes approaching trees in growth, evergreen or seasonally shedding their leaves. Some have tubers or are succulents, some are tree-like and some are creeping and creeping. The height of some reaches two meters, while others barely reach ten centimeters...

Not surprisingly, plant care is also different. And here knowledge about the belonging of pelargonium to a certain section will help.

Succulents of the section Otidia, which includes P. alternans, P. carnosum, P. ceratophyllum, P. laxum and others, have adapted to drought by storing nutrients and water in fleshy stems. Small, narrow, dissected leaves also help retain moisture by reducing evaporation. Natural environment they were not pampered, so even in artificial conditions they are content with poor, well-drained soils with a small addition of clay and rare, preferably wick, watering. They do not grow quickly, but readily if kept warm and given plenty of light.

A rosette of leaves emerges directly from the ground. These are slow-growing pelargoniums with a long dormant period and are difficult to propagate. At the same time, the plants are very decorative, and the flowering of many species justifies the long wait for this joyful event.

IN natural environment habitat they usually grow on sandy soils Therefore, a well-drained substrate is chosen for them, for example, peat and sand.

Plants from the Hoarea section are very susceptible to excess water, especially during the dormant period, which we have in the summer. Dry pelargonium tubers begin to be watered in September-October, very carefully, in order to bring the plants out of dormancy. As the leaves grow, watering is increased. As soon as the leaves turn brown and begin to die, flowers will appear directly from the top of the tuber. This is a signal to gradually reduce watering. During the short growing season, plants need bright light, small quantities It is permissible to use liquid fertilizers.

They are propagated by seeds or by separating daughter nodules after flowering. They bloom in winter, but for this they need a temperature of +16-17 degrees.

One of the easiest pelargonium species to cultivate is P. citronellum. Its leaves have a bright, refreshing lemon aroma. It grows best in full sun in regular store-bought soil or a mixture of peat, turf, leaf soil and sand. Water moderately. In partial shade, the foliage becomes more decorative, but the flowering is less abundant. Needs shaping.

Another favorite of mine, P. odoratissimum, is also easy to keep. It smells strong, its aroma is dominated by apple and hints of spices, mint, lemon, and rose can be heard.

I grew my P. odoratissimum from seed. In the photo she is a little over a year old. During flowering, the bush appears untidy due to its long flowering tendrils. But in summer, this feature allows you to keep the plant in a hanging basket on fresh air. The plant is evergreen, perennial, does not require cool maintenance.

The leaves of the species P. grossularioides (section Peristera) have a subtle fruity odor with notes of coconut and peaches. In addition, this pelargonium has an ampel shape, which makes it popular in home collections.

Species pelargoniums are rarely bothered by pests and diseases. Blackleg remains almost the only disease that mainly affects rooting cuttings. It can be prevented by light soil (with a large proportion of vermiculite), low soil moisture, air temperature of about +20 degrees, and bright lighting.

All species of pelargonium in wildlife reproduce by seeds. But even in a small collection, it is difficult to protect plants from cross-pollination by insects and guarantee the purity of the species. Therefore, as a rule, either cuttings or underground nodules are taken from species pelargoniums. Cuttings are rooted in the same way as cuttings of pelargoniums of other groups. It is important that they are not lignified. The separated nodules are planted so that the place of their attachment to the mother roots is directed upward. They germinate for at least a month.

Plants in southern Africa are the most widely studied. The flora of the central and northern parts of the continent is less known.

The desert biome is the driest of Africa's biomes and is considered one of the driest places on Earth. The largest desert region is the Sahara, in northern Africa. It is located from the west coast of Africa to Arabian Peninsula and is part of the world's largest desert system, which extends into southern Central Asia.

The smaller desert region of southern Africa includes the Namib Desert, located along the western half of southern Africa, especially near the coast, and the Kalahari Desert, which lies mostly inland and east of the Namib Desert.

Where there is more moisture, pastures predominate, and with increasing rainfall, the meadows gradually turn into tropical savannas. The difference between grassland and savanna is subjective, but is determined in part by tree growth, with large quantity trees characterizes the savanna. Grassland Biome / tropical savannah forms a wide stripe on larger territory central Africa and dominates the eastern and southern parts mainland.

Rainforests occupy a much smaller portion of Africa than the other two biomes. They are most common in parts of central Africa where there is no dominant grassland/tropical savanna biome, and are found close to the coast of central West Africa. Scattered areas of tropical forest also occur along the main river systems West Africa, from the equator almost to the southern part of the continent.

Tropical deserts of Africa

The Sahara and Namib deserts are dominated by sand dunes or rock formations, but most deserts have a noticeable amount of plant cover.

The Sahara is characterized by widespread plant species that occur in similar habitats. The deserts of southern Africa have more distinctive flora, and many species are endemic to specific local areas.

Mesembryanthemum

To survive in harsh desert climate plants use several adaptations. Mesembryanthemum is a genus of flowering plants, widespread in all African deserts. These plants usually have thick, succulent leaves.

These succulents store water in their leaves or stems. Most plants open their stomata (small holes in the leaves) during the day to receive carbon dioxide from the surrounding air.

This will lead to big losses water in desert environment, which is why succulents open their stomata at night. Through a biochemical process, they store carbon dioxide until the next day, when it is released inside the plant, so can occur without opening the stomata.

Barnyard grass

To prevent water loss, many succulents have no leaves at all. Barnyard grass ( Anabasis articulata), found in the Sahara Desert, is a naked succulent with articulated stems.

spurge spurge

Euphorbia-thorn ( Euphorbia echinus) another Saharan plant, has succulent, comb-like stems with thorns. This evergreen shrub reaches 1 m in height. Its stems are branched and covered with short white spines.

Water dependent desert plants

Water-dependent plants are limited to areas near a permanent water source such as a river, lake, or stream.

Date palm

Date palm trees usually reach a height of 21-23 meters. The leaves are 4-6 meters long, with spines on the petiole. The fruit of this tree is the date.

Where water is available, tamarinds and acacia trees are common. A variety of different sedges and rushes are found wherever there are abundant constants, the best known of which is the reed.

Desert Ephemera

Annual plants whose seeds germinate when moisture becomes available and quickly mature, leave their seeds and die are called ephemeral. These plants make up a significant part of the African desert flora.

Most ephemeral plants are herbs. Ephemera are entirely dependent on seasonal or sporadic rainfall. Within a few days of significant rainfall, the desert turns bright green, and after a few more days flowers appear, often in abundance.

cushion plant

Some ephemerals germinate with astonishing speed, such as cushion plants, which germinate and produce actively photosynthetic seed leaves within 10 hours of being wetted.

Savannah

Are situated in . They are covered with herbaceous vegetation, but trees and shrubs grow chaotically. The most common type of savanna in Africa is savanna-woodland, consisting of tall, moisture-loving grasses and tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous trees that are unevenly distributed.

Savannah grasses

Grasses make up most of the plant cover under and between trees. In some types of savanna, grass can be taller than 1.8 m. Despite much debate, two factors seem to perpetuate the dominance of grasses: seasonal wetness with long intervening dry periods and periodic fires.

Given the excess moisture and lack of fire, savannas seem inevitably to become forests. Human activities, such as grazing or cutting down trees, contribute to the dominance of grasses.

Various varieties of grasses exist in the savanna, but it is difficult to distinguish them except during flowering periods. Many grow best immediately after a fire, when exposed to sun and potential pollinators.

Savannah trees and shrubs

African savanna trees often have relatively wide branches that end at approximately the same height, giving the trees peculiar look. Many of them belong to the legume family, namely Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia.

There are a particularly large number of acacia species, ranging from shrubs to trees, many of which have thorns. Some also have a symbiotic relationship with ants, which protects them from herbivores.

Baobab

Baobab is famous for its large sizes, unusual appearance and is found in many savannah regions. The tree has an extremely thick trunk with smooth, gray bark. The baobab tree can live for two thousand years.

Tropical evergreen rainforests

The main characteristics of African tropical rainforests are their extremely lush growth, high species diversity and complex structure. The diversity is often so great that one tree species cannot be identified as dominant within an area.

Relatively large trees such as ironwood, iroko and sapele predominate. Forest trees grow so close that their crowns overlap each other, forming a canopy that limits the amount of light falling underneath them. Several large trees, called emergent trees, emerge above the thick canopy.

A layer of smaller trees grows beneath the main canopy. A few small shrubs and grasses grow near ground level, but most herbaceous plants and other perennials are epiphytes, growing on other plants.

Almost every accessible place, trunks and branches of trees have epiphytes that create a unique. All this dense plant growth is maintained monsoon climate, in which more than 1500 mm of precipitation falls annually, most of it occurs in the summer.

Lianas

Vines are large, woody vines that cling to trees, and many of them hang to the ground. They were made famous in the Tarzan films. The fruits are eaten by birds or monkeys and the seeds are deposited in their feces on branches high in the canopy. The seeds germinate and the stem heads down towards the ground. Once the stem reaches the ground, it forms a root system; additional stems then develop and grow upward along the tree trunk.

Strangler ficus

After many years, the strangler ficus can entwine the tree so thoroughly that it does not allow water and nutrients get to your "victim". Eventually, the host tree dies and rots, leaving a hollow trunk.

Epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that grow or are permanently attached to other plants - phorophytes.

Mosses or Bryophytes

The most common epiphytes are bryophytes - lower plants associated with mosses and lichens, a symbiotic combination of algae (or cyanobacteria) and fungus.

Ferns

The most numerous higher plants are ferns and orchids. As these plants colonize tree branches, they gradually trap dust and decaying materials, eventually creating a thin layer of soil that other plants can use.

Grasses are almost completely absent from the African forest floor. tropical forest; those that grow there have much wider leaves than usual. Some forest floor grasses are capable of growing in deep shade under canopy, sometimes so adapted to low light that they can be damaged when exposed to direct sunlight.

Some of the popular indoor plants descended from them, so they don't need intense sunlight, to survive. Nevertheless greatest number plants grow under breaks in the canopy, where more light penetrates.

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