ECOGUIDE - NAMAQUALAND

Famous for its brilliant displays of spring annuals, the area known as Namaqualand is a narrow stretch of country along the south-west coast, extending for 200 km in a band little more than 80 km wide from the mouth of the Olifants River in the south to the mouth of the Orange River in the north. This semiarid and arid strip is home to a unique collection of plants that is without equal elsewhere in the world. 

Packed into an area of around 50 000 km2 are about 3 000 different species of wildflowers, half of which do not occur outside of the area. Around one third of all the plants in the region are succulents, a number that encompasses one tenth of all the succulents in the world! Namaqualand also has a wonderfully rich bulb flora. With almost 500 different species, it has five to ten times the number of bulbs typically found in other winter-rainfall deserts. Namaqualand has been well described as a succulent desert, enriched by a large and beautiful bulb flora. 

This guide covers more than 200 of those wildflowers that are most likely to attract the visitor’s attention. Each species is illustrated and described, with information on its common and scientific names, habitat, distribution map, flowering times and local uses. Introductory sections provide background on the birds, insects, spiders, reptiles and mammals that also make their home here. A travel adviser at the back of the book provides information on National Parks, nature reserves and other prime flower viewing destinations in the area, with contact details and recommended routes, to enable visitors to make the most of their visit to the area.

• An easy-to-use guide aimed at local and international visitors to Namaqualand – one of South Africa’s premium tourist destinations.
• More than 200 flowers, shrubs and trees are illustrated and described, with information on the plant’s common and scientific names, habitat, distribution map, flowering times and local uses.
• Similar species are placed together to aid comparison and the concise text highlights their differences. An ingenious quick guide helps the reader to identify plants at a glance.
• A handy travel adviser and map highlight recommended destinations and routes and is an invaluable aid to planning a trip to the area.