Essential terminology for identifying fynbos

Essential terminology for identifying fynbos

The fynbos book

You simply can't manage without this book
You simply can’t manage without this book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buying the book is a good start if you want to identify fynbos, but you actually have to use it!

 

The key

The first page of the key to Mannings Fynbos Field Guide
The first page of the key to Mannings Fynbos Field Guide
The dicot part of the key
The dicot part of the key

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I suspect most people ignore these pages and start flipping through the book hoping that the plant you are looking for will jump out at you. This can waste a lot of time and it is worth revisiting terminology that you learnt about plants at school or technikon.

The basics are monocot and dicot, ovary superior or inferior, flowers radially symmetrical………I can feel you losing interest already.

However, all these terms are not there to flummox you. The author is really trying to use the simplest terms to create a framework for you to move around the book. It is worth persisting and really understanding these terms…….there are many more to keep you busy for the rest of your life

Remembering what we learnt at tech!!!
Remembering what we learnt at tech!!! and rebooting our brains

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working together

and then the fun starts of working together to look at real plants and connecting what you see with the text in the book. This often requires a hand lens to get up close

working together to look up information in the book
working together to look up information in the book
Looking really closely to see the fine details of the inside of a flower
Looking really closely to see the fine details of the inside of a flower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Fields Education staff at Kirstenbosch interacting with an Erica
Gold Fields Education staff at Kirstenbosch interacting with an Erica

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