A list of plants found in the District of Uitenhage, between the months of July, 1829, and February, 1830, together with a description of some new species

Abstract

This paper presents a preliminary catalogue of the flora observed by Mr C. F. Ecklon in the Uitenhage District (Eastern Cape Colony) between July 1829 and February 1830. The author, aiming to publish a comprehensive Flora of South Africa, adopted a plan to survey the plants of each district over a year.

Ecklon identifies the Winterhoek Mountains as the potential boundary separating the distinctive Cape Flora (characterised by genera like Protea and Erica) from the Caffrarian Flora, which exhibits numerous tropical forms (Schotia, Acacia, Hibiscus, Gardenia, etc.). He notes that about one-fifth of the species found in Uitenhage are also found in the Cape district, while the remaining four-fifths are distinct to this area.

The total number of species catalogued during this limited survey is approximately 1640. The collection was made across nine distinct stations (A-I), including the Adow, the hills near Uitenhage, the Zwartkops River fields and banks, Algoa Bay seashore, and the Winterhoek Mountains, with each station possessing a unique soil and vegetation profile.

The author follows K. Sprengel’s systematic classification, noting the remarkable richness and variety of the local flora, as almost every one of the hundred families used to classify global plant life is represented by at least one genus in the district. The paper includes descriptions of several new species, such as Dioscorea sylvatica, Drimia Uitenhagensis, Drimia nitida, Drimia ensifolia, Cyanella rosea, Olea humilis, and Chironia perfoliata, and provides notes on the uses of certain plants by local inhabitants (e.g., Zamia stems, Aloe africana resin, Emex leaves).