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Species Cards

Porthetes sp. nov.
(ex Encephalartos horridus)

Porthetes beetles are pollinators of Encephalartos cycads. Both the cycads and weevils have a high extinction risk.

Cycad pollination weevil

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Pelargonium echinatum

Prickly-stemmed pelargonium is among the most beautiful winterflowering pelargoniums. Traditionally, South African tribes have used Pelargonium species to treat ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, wounds, fever, colds, sore throats, and urinary issues, to name a few.

Prickly-stemmed
pelargonium

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Labeo seeberi

The Clanwilliam sandfish is endemic to South Africa and is one of South Africa's most threatened migratory freshwater fish. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN list of species.

Clanwilliam sandfish

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Schotia afra

The Karoo boer-bean serves as both as a shade and ornamental tree. Its leaves are browsed by livestock, and its seeds are edible, consumed green, mature, or roasted and ground into a meal.

Karoo boer-bean

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Harpephyllum affrum

The tree’s fruit is edible and enjoyed by birds, animals, and humans. It is used for jams, jellies, and rosé wine. The bark is a traditional medicine for acne, eczema, and "bad blood," often used in skin washes.

Wild plum

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Mola mola

The Ocean sunfish is described as one of the heaviest bony fish in the world, with a sister species recorded as the heaviest bony fish. It forms part of the large iconic sunfish group seen by many water users.

Ocean sunfish

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Anoplolepis custodiens

Anoplolepis custodiens plays a major role in seed dispersal in the fynbos regions of South Africa.

Common Pugnacious Ant

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Melianthus comosus

The brightly coloured red flowers produce an abundance of black nectar that attracts sunbirds, Cape white eyes, bees and butterflies.

Kruidjie-roer-my-nie

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Senecio coronatus

Some populations of this species in the Barberton region of South Africa have evolved the ability to hyperaccumulate nickel, making this species ideal for a comparative genomics approach to understand the evolution of this extreme phenotype.

Woolly grassland senecio

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Cyclopia maculata

Cyclopia maculata is endemic to South Africa and has historically been used by the Khoi-San for its medicinal properties. Today, it is popular as a herbal infusion and consumed locally as a beverage.

Honeybush

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Microhodotermes viator

The Southern harvester termite is ecologically important in South African arid and semiarid ecosystems, particularly the Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo biomes.

Southern harvester termite

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Gazania rigens

The species is of global importance in horticulture and is a common, ecologically important coastal dune and rock pioneer species on the southern and eastern South African shoreline.

Botterblom

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