Groot Karoo (Great Karoo)
Karoo is a Khoisan word that means 'dry, hard, thirst land'. This semi-desert interior region is a unique arid zone, considered a wonder of the scientific world. It boasts the richest diversity of succulents (over 9,000 species) and greatest variety of land tortoises on the planet, as well as the Western Cape's largest collection of San (Bushman) rock art and the country's first Braille fossil trail which boasts a record number of mammal-like reptiles dating as far back as 250 million years. Although the Groot Karoo initially appears to have been unscarred by time, those who dig deeper will find that it has a fascinating historical and cultural heritage.
At the 19th century, Imperial British forces moved across its vast plains to engage the Boers in the Anglo-Boer War, leaving a trail of British graves to mark their northward path. In the past century it made medical history, being the birthplace of both Dr Christiaan Barnard (heart-transplant pioneer) and Dr Emil Hoffa (founder of the modern science of orthopedics). A tourist route through Kwa-Mandlenkosi Township in Beaufort West continues on to Nelspoort (where the largest collection of San rock art is found) and the quiet town of Murraysburg.
South of Beaufort West along the N1 are the small settlements of Leeu Gamka and Merweville and the picturesque and historic town of Prince Albert, with its thriving dried fruit industry. Laingsburg, further south on the N1, is the most geologically interesting area of the Groot Karoo. Traces of the devastating flood of 1981 can still be seen on some of the buildings. Still further south is Matjiesfontein, a small fragment of Queen Victoria's Empire.
Excerpt from: http://www.southafrica.com/western-cape/groot-karoo/
Nodes
Tetragonia
Insecta
Lycium
Ledebouria
Chrysocoma ciliata
Hermannia johanssenii
Eriocephalus decussatus
Veronica
Pelargonium articulatum
Pages
Taxonomy term
Drimia
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Gk. drimys = acrid, pungent; referring to the sap which is considered irritating or even toxic in many species.
Eberlanzia ferox
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Latin; from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweroh₃kʷs (“having the appearance of a wild animal”), from *ǵʰwero- (suffixed form of *ǵʰwer- (“wild animal”)) + *h₃ekʷ- (“eye; to see”). Referring to the having sharp teeth or spines
Eriocephalus spinescens
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From the Latin spina = 'spine', 'thorn', 'prick' or 'prickle' and -escens = 'becoming like'; i.e. the thorns are incompletely formed
Euphorbia stellispina
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From the Latin 'stella' meaning star and 'spina' meaing spines.
Felicia fascicularis
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From the Latin fascicularis meaning 'clustered' or ‘bundled’
Felicia hirsuta
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From the Latin hirsutus = ‘hairy’
Felicia namaquana
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From the arid Namaqualand region of north-western South Africa and Western Cape
Gladiolus
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La. gladiolus = a small sword; referring to the sword-like shape of the leaves.
Gnidia meyeri
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Named after Louis Gottlieb Meyer (1867–1958), a German born missionary. Meyer frequently collected plants, especially around Namaqualand; or after Heinrich Meyer (1861–1886), a doctor who mainly collected plants around the Hantamsberg, Calvinia and Niewoudtville, specimens of which were sent to Berlin; or after Helmut Ernst Meyer (1908–1995), a student of Herre's who also collected many plants in the Namaqualand area.
Grewia robusta
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From the Latin robustus = 'robust' or 'strong', generally referring to the habit of the plant, but sometimes referring to the ability of the species to tolerate a variety of conditions.