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Know, grow, protect and enjoy South Africa’s indigenous plants.

30/10/2026

The Smelly chinaflower (𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴), also known as the Anise chinaflower or Anysboegoe, is a fragrant fynbos shrub admired for its sweet scent and attractive pink and white flowers.

This plant is an upright, somewhat branched shrublet that can grow up to 1 metre tall. Its leaves are narrow, oblong, and dull green with tiny oil glands that contribute to the plant's distinctive fragrance. Flowering mainly from September to November, the flowers are borne in clusters of 4 to 18 blooms, forming attractive umbels. Each flower has white petals on the inside and pinkish colouring on the outside, highlighted by conspicuous veins.

𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 has a very restricted natural distribution and is found only on the Langeberg mountain range in the Western Cape. It grows on sandstone slopes within fynbos vegetation, where it is well adapted to nutrient-poor soils and the Mediterranean climate of the region. Its limited range makes it a unique component of the Cape's remarkable floral diversity.

Like other members of the genus, 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 is pollinated by insects and is protandrous, meaning the male parts mature before the female parts. This clever adaptation helps prevent self-pollination and encourages genetic diversity through cross-pollination.

𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 is ideally suited to fynbos gardens, rockeries, and indigenous planting schemes. It performs best in full sun and slightly acidic, well-drained soils enriched with compost. For the most natural effect, plants should be grouped in threes or fives, which also helps conserve soil moisture. Once established, it requires only moderate watering and benefits from annual mulching to reduce water loss and suppress weeds. Light pruning after flowering encourages a compact growth habit and helps prevent the plant from becoming woody.

Images: iNaturalist - southern Africa @ ren_hoekstra
Source: South African National Biodiversity Institute

29/10/2026

Delicately adapted to life in seasonal wetlands, the Floating sorrel (𝘖𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴) is a rare and highly specialised South African plant that faces increasing pressure from habitat degradation across its limited range.

This species is a member of the Oxalidaceae family and is associated with freshwater ecosystems. It grows in seasonal pools and clay pans that are flooded during the winter rainfall season and dry out later in the year. The species is endemic to South Africa and occurs in the Western and Northern Cape provinces. It is found across a range of vegetation types.

𝘖𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 is classified as Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii)) on the South African Red List of Plants. Its populations are severely fragmented and continue to decline. The main threats include habitat degradation caused by livestock grazing and trampling in seasonal pools, as well as occasional agricultural ploughing of these wetlands. Protecting seasonal freshwater habitats and reducing disturbance within these ecosystems are important conservation actions needed to safeguard the future of this unique South African endemic.

One of the most remarkable features of 𝘖𝘹𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 is its adaptation to temporary wetlands. Unlike many terrestrial oxalis species, it survives in shallow seasonal pools and clay pans that experience regular cycles of inundation and drying. This dependence on ephemeral freshwater habitats makes the species particularly sensitive to environmental disturbance. In addition, fewer than 20 isolated subpopulations are known, highlighting the species' rarity and the importance of conserving the seasonal wetland systems on which it depends.

Images: iNaturalist - southern Africa
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/185579/8440139

29/10/2026

SAVE THE DATE!!!
SA's Summer Rainfall Region and Important Plant Conservation Work

Join BOTSOC for an inspiring webinar, highlighting the vital role of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) programme in conserving South Africa’s unique and threatened plant diversity in the Summer Rainfall Region.

📅 Thursday, 29 October 2026, 17:00
💻 Online Webinar

🎙️ Featured Speakers
Suvarna Parbhoo-Mohan - Programme Manager CREW
Prince Molokomme - Limpopo CREW
Alison Young - KZN Midlands & Coastal
Tracy Taylor - Pondoland CREW
Delia Oosthuizen - PSG member

🌱 The CREW team works closely with citizen scientists, botanists and local communities to identify and monitor threatened plant species, collect valuable field data, and support practical conservation efforts to protect South Africa’s rare and endangered flora.

📢 Save the date – Thursday, 29 October 2026

REGISTER NOW: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J6MXZ_ioTrucs9MJWHcksQ

28/10/2026

Come visit BOT SOC SA team members, Josh and Saabirah, at the fourth annual Garden Route Botanical Garden Indigenous Plant Fair! 🌳

We'll be at our stall on Friday and Saturday, from 9AM to 4PM, to chat all things BOT SOC! It’s the perfect opportunity to sign up or renew your BOT SOC membership, while enjoying the beautiful array of indigenous plants. You can also sign up to make a monthly donation of R200 or more and receive a free pair of 'Bot Socs'. 🧦

By donating to BOT SOC, you’ll be supporting over 113 years of plant conservation efforts across South Africa. 🌱

You can also enter our book raffle and stand a chance to win 1 of 2 copies of the Outeniqua, Tsitsikamma & Eastern Little Karoo, South African Wild Flower Guide 2. 📚

27/10/2026

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢, commonly known as the Wild date palm or Reclining date palm, is an indigenous African palm in the family Arecaceae. It is recognized for its graceful, slender, often leaning stems and is strongly associated with water, typically growing along riverbanks and in swamps. It is a protected tree in South Africa.

This graceful palm can reach heights of up to 12 metres, although it is more commonly found growing between 3 and 6 metres tall. It can develop as a single-stemmed tree or form dense clumps with multiple stems. The bright green, arching fronds create a crown at the top of each stem, while older leaves often remain attached, hanging beneath the crown in a distinctive "petticoat" formation. During late winter and spring (August to October), the palm produces attractive yellow flower sprays, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. These are followed by clusters of small, orange-brown oval fruits from February to April, which resemble miniature dates.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢 is naturally distributed across much of Africa, ranging from the Eastern Cape of South Africa northwards to Egypt. It is most commonly found in riverine forests, along riverbanks, and in swamps, although it can also occur in grassland areas where groundwater is readily available. The species is closely associated with water, and its roots are often submerged, making it highly tolerant of waterlogged soils. While the Wild date palm thrives in warm conditions, it can also withstand light frost, although colder temperatures may cause it to develop a shorter, denser, and bushier form rather than its typical tall and elegant habit.

Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern (LC). The name phoenix comes from the Greek word for date palm, while reclinata means “bending down,” a reference to the palm’s gracefully arching fronds. The Wild date palm is closely related to the Commercial date palm (𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘹 𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢), which is widely cultivated for its fruit. In its natural habitat, the fruits provide an important food source for a variety of wildlife, including birds, monkeys, baboons, bushpig, nyala, and bushbuck, all of which help disperse the seeds. The plant also plays a role in supporting insect life, as its leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the palm-tree nightfighter butterfly.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢 is an attractive and versatile palm that is well suited as a specimen tree in large gardens or as part of a wildlife-friendly landscape. Because it can form multiple stems and spread into dense clumps, it should be given ample space to grow. The Wild date palm performs best in full sun but can also tolerate light shade. It thrives in areas with a reliable water supply and is well adapted to waterlogged soils, while also tolerating light frost. Propagation is usually by seed, which can begin to germinate within a month when kept consistently moist. Young plants grow slowly and benefit from the application of slow-release fertilizer, as well as protection from frost during their first few years of growth.

📷 iNaturalist - southern Africa
Source: South African National Biodiversity Institute

26/10/2026

Connecting people and conservation in South Africa’s arid biomes ☀

The 2026 annual Arid Zone Ecology Forum (AZEF) brought together researchers, conservationists, land managers, communities and students in Kamieskroon from 12-15 October to share knowledge and strengthen conservation across southern Africa’s arid biomes.

A pre-conference field excursion to the Leliefontein Communal Area explored traditional grazing practices and the value of bringing indigenous knowledge systems and scientific research together.

BOT SOC’s Caitlin Smith attended the Forum and presented a poster highlighting the important role volunteers play in plant conservation.

Across the three days of the Forum, discussions explored how to support and promote resilient rangelands, biodiversity monitoring and community-centred approaches to conserving our often-overlooked arid landscapes.

As climate change places increasing pressure on South Africa’s arid biomes, strengthening the resilience of these landscapes is increasingly important. As a conservation collective, we must continue working together, combining research, community action and volunteer efforts to safeguard our arid biomes to remain healthy, functioning and resilient for generations to come.

Address

Botanical Society Of South Africa Head Office Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Wellington
7001

Opening Hours

Monday	08:30 - 16:00
Tuesday	08:30 - 16:00
Wednesday	08:30 - 16:00
Thursday	08:30 - 16:00
Friday	08:30 - 16:00

Telephone

+27217972090

Website

https://www.botanicalsociety.org.za/

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