A Cape Flats plant thought to have been extinct for two centuries have returned to the Mother City after it was recently was discovered in Pretoria.
According to a statement by the City of Cape Town (COCT), the Erica verticillata once grew as a narrow-range endemic, restricted to the southern edges of the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos in Cape Town.
The COCT said the plant was also found in Kirstenbosch Gardens as well as in Vienna in Austria.
The statement said that the plant is revealed to be a master of its fire-prone landscape where it has managed to live in the midst of highly combustible neighbours who like their fires hot and furious while taming these same flames to provide a cool fire environment for its fine seeds.
“Though removed from its natural habitat for two centuries, the plant is making a remarkable come back from extinction. Twenty-one seedlings, the first generation of Cape Flats Erica, are set in the wild.
“I will, with the help of the officials, watch with admiration the progress of this wonderful plant. I want to encourage members of the public to visit our nature reserves to enjoy nature and get an opportunity to meet our Erica verticillata,” Andrews said.
Also read:
UPDATE: COCT successfully install a new pump following sewerage leakage on beaches
Picture: Facebook