The most unique trees What crops are grown in Africa? Circle plants native to Africa

Africa - amazing mainland bribe natural charm and naturalness. Many scientists consider it the cradle of civilization. Indeed, on this big land human civilization began to develop. Slightly open unusual world, which lives on the mainland, a selection will help, which presents all the most amazing things about Africa.

Interesting facts about the local population

Africa is home to 16% of the world's population. Of these, experts identify about 3 thousand ethnic groups. The second largest continent of the planet has 54 states.

Among the 2 thousand languages ​​spoken on this mainland, Arabic is the most common.

Not everyone knows the amazing fact about Africa that the smallest people on the planet live on its lands. The Negrilli are a group of undersized peoples, better known as the Pygmies. The height of adult men of people of a special race varies between 125-150 cm. The growth limiter in pygmies starts even in the period prenatal development. Children are originally born vertically challenged and grow much slower than Europeans.

At the same time, it is quite remarkable that among the black residents of other African countries lot tall people. The tallest people in the world are the representatives of the Nilotic people. Their average height is 184 cm.

This continent has the lowest life expectancy. Men live on average 50 years, and women even less - 48 years. Among total number malaria cases in the world 90% of cases occur in the inhabitants of this continent. About 3,000 African children die from this disease every year. The number of HIV-infected people living in the south side of the Sahara is also estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

Attractive countries of the continent for tourists

Africa is considered both the poorest and richest on the planet at the same time. Here marked the most low level welfare. At the same time, there are lands on the mainland with amazing flora and fauna, the depths of which are rich in such precious metals and stones as gold, emerald, diamond, garnet, tanzanite, amethyst, ruby.

The most populous state is Nigeria. The second place in terms of number and attractiveness for tourists is occupied by Egypt. The list of peaceful and safe countries for tourists also includes: Botswana, Ghana, Namibia, Cape Verde, Zimbabwe.

It is in Africa that you can see the only surviving wonder of the world - the pyramids of Cheops. But few people know the amazing fact about Africa that the pyramids were built not only on the lands of Egypt. In Sudan, the number of "desert temples" reaches 223 pieces. True, the dimensions are much smaller.

Among the most amazing countries in Africa are:

1. Kenya. The equatorial line passes through the lands of this state. Tourists are interested in the country because it gives them the opportunity to witness the great migration of animals, including representatives of the "African Big Five": buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, leopards and lions. Fans of studying the peculiarities of the cultures of different nationalities can get acquainted with the tribes that have preserved the traditional way of life: measure, samburu, maasai.
2. Uganda. The pearl of the mainland is located in the fault zone earth's crust. It is famous for its amazing and diverse nature. Of the natural attractions, popular among locals and visitors: Cabarega waterfall, mountain river White Nile, as well as picturesque lakes Edward, Kyoga, Victoria, Alberta. On state-protected natural parks Uganda can meet representatives of the fauna of endangered species, including mountain gorillas.
3. Tanzania. This country is attractive due to its primeval jungle. Tourists come here in an effort to admire exotic animals during a safari. In Tanzania there is the legendary Kilimanjaro volcano and formed at the bottom of the crater salt Lake Ngoro-Ngoro.

But still, most of the mainland countries belong to the third world countries that are still on the path of development. Visiting them for an ordinary tourist may be associated with a risk to life.

Breathtaking corners of nature

Since Africa is crossed by the central line earth's surface and the zero meridian, it is rightfully considered the hottest and most symmetrical among all continents. The area of ​​the mainland is 29.2 million square kilometers. And four-fifths of that was swallowed up by rainforests and deserts.

One of amazing facts about Africa is the fact that the Sahara is the largest desert not only on the scale of the mainland, but of the entire planet. It accounts for 30% of the area of ​​the entire continent. The area of ​​this uninhabited expanse of land is larger than the total territory of the United States. At the same time, the Sahara continues to expand. Every year it increases in size, expanding its boundaries to 10 km. In the middle of the Sahara there are lakes with salt water. But their life-giving moisture is not able to quench their thirst.

Amazing natural sights of Africa:

• Nile- the river with a length of 6850 km is considered the longest on the planet.
• Victoria- a fresh lake, the impressive size of which makes it the second largest on Earth.
• ink lake – natural phenomenon. Instead of clear water it contains naturally produced, but poisonous ink for living organisms.
• "Thundering Smoke"- the grandiose Victoria Falls, over 100 m high and almost 1000 m long, the noise from falling streams in which spreads over 40 km in the district.
• Oh Doinio Legai- A volcano spewing black natrocarbonate lava is rightfully considered the coldest in the world.

On the mainland grow very amazing trees. For example: soap, the fruits and leaves of which have soapiness, or candle, the elongated seeds of which contain a high concentration of oils. Dairy, sausage and breadfruit trees also grow here.

A large number of rare animals also live in the desert lands: elephants, bongos, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, gazelles, zebras, hippos, lions, okapi, aardvarks. Some species are not found anywhere else in the world.

The most dangerous African animals are hippos. Previously, they were widely distributed throughout the territory. Today, hippos live only in the southern part on the border with the Sahara. Therefore, they have been given the status of a rapidly declining species. Despite this, individual tribes continue to hunt forbidden animals.

Among the most amazing animals of Africa special attention deserve rodents" naked diggers”, whose skin does not age and does not feel pain from exposure to fire and cuts. Lungfish also live here, which in critical dry periods are able to burrow into the ground.

Africa is a continent that occupies one fifth of the Earth's land mass. It is home to about 100 species of various animals and 1500 varieties of birds, vegetable world continent is also quite diverse.

In different climatic zones you can find original and different plants of Africa. In drier regions, "stone" green inhabitants live, which in appearance resemble a bizarre boulder. Also, their leaves grow here and reach a height of more than three meters. The tropics are inhabited by bamboo, creepers, ferns and other trees.

Surely, the most original green inhabitant of this continent can be considered breadfruit. Many people think that the plant got its name due to the fact that bread grows on it. But this is far from true. The fact is that the fruits of the tree, in their taste, are very reminiscent of this rich product.

Another plant growing on the continent - mango tree. Its sweet, juicy fruits have become a favorite food of many peoples. And the most popular dish of the indigenous people is fried mango with potatoes.

Bamboo also grows in Africa. It is found on the mainland quite often, and often trees can reach the height of a nine-story building.

Baobab. Not all African plants are long-lived, which cannot be said about the baobab. There is a plant on the continent that is about 5,000 years old. It is 22 meters high, trunk circumference - 47 meters, crown circumference - 145 meters.

Bananas. Another delicious dish that came from Africa and is known all over the world. In Guinea, you can see fruits reaching 60 centimeters in length.

Kalanchoe Degremont. Due to its unusual structure, Kalanchoe is unlike all other plants in Africa. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that on each leaf there are many embryos with their own root system, which allows them to exist separately. And Kalanchoe juice is considered a healing agent.

palm trees. Describing plants in Africa, one cannot fail to mention palm trees. These trees have a cork structure, due to which, bending at strong wind, they are able to touch the top of the earth with their tip. But the main thing that attracts people to this plant is its delicious, fragrant fruit, called coconut.

In the eastern regions of the continent you can find crocodiles. Reptiles are huge, and some representatives can reach a height of more than 6 meters and weigh a ton.

Another animal that lives in the water - hippo.Indigenous people calls him the lord of the waters . You can meet a hippopotamus in the western, southern and eastern parts of the mainland, as well as on the banks of the Nile River. The animal feeds mainly on plants, but it also poses a considerable danger to humans.

Elephant. It is considered the heaviest and largest land mammal on earth. With the help of your long trunk, these unique animals are able to pluck grass, pluck leaves from trees and smell. Now these animals live mainly in protected areas. national parks and reserves.

A lion. Since ancient times, this predatory animal has been called. These animals hunt day and night, in packs and singly. Today there are about 23 thousand individuals, most of which lives in national parks. However, a few flocks of lions can be found in western Africa.

On our planet there is a huge number of all kinds of plants, seeing which one can only be surprised at how nature could come up with something like this. An incredible number of species and subspecies of plants, many of which amaze with their qualities - from survival and adaptability, to colors and sizes. In this ranking of the most unusual plants we will show the full scope of natural creativity.

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Romanesco is one of the cultivars of cabbage, belonging to the same varietal group as cauliflower. According to some reports, it is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli. This type of cabbage has long been grown in the vicinity of Rome. According to some reports, it was first mentioned in historical documents in Italy in the sixteenth century. The vegetable appeared on international markets in the 90s of the XX century. Compared to cauliflower and broccoli, Romanesco is more delicate in texture and has a milder creamy nutty flavor without a bitter note.

13

Euphorbia obesum is a perennial succulent plant in the Euphorbiaceae family that resembles a stone or a green-brown soccer ball in appearance, without spines or leaves, but sometimes forms "branches" or suckers in strange-looking sets of spheres. It can grow up to 20-30 cm in height and up to 9-10 cm in diameter. Euphorbia obese is a bisexual plant, it has male flowers on one plant, and female flowers on the other. For fruit set, cross-pollination is necessary, which is usually performed.

The fruit looks like a slightly triangular three-nut, up to 7 mm in diameter, containing one seed in each nest. When ripe, it explodes and scatters small, round, speckled-gray seeds 2 mm in diameter, the pedicels fall off after seeding. in full sun or partial shade. Plants are very well hidden among the stones, their color blends with environment so good that sometimes it's hard to see them.

12

Takka is a plant of the Takkov family, growing in a wide variety of environmental conditions and numbering 10 species. They settle in open and heavily shaded areas, in savannas, in thickets of bushes and in rain forests. Young parts of plants, as a rule, are pubescent with tiny hairs that disappear as they grow older. Plant sizes are usually small, from 40 to 100 centimeters, but some species sometimes reach a height of 3 meters. Although takka is becoming more widespread as indoor plant, it should be borne in mind that it is not easy to successfully maintain tacca in rooms due to the special demands of the plant on the conditions of detention. The Tacca family is represented by one genus Tacca, numbering about 10 plant species.

- Takka pinnatifida grows in tropical Asia, Australia, and in the tropics of Africa. Leaves up to 40-60 cm wide, from 70 cm long to 3 meters long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color covered is light green.

— Tacca Chantrier grows in tropical forests South-East Asia. Evergreen tropical herbaceous plant, reaching 90-120 cm in height. The flowers are edged with maroon, almost black, wing-span-like bracts. bat or butterflies with long, threadlike antennae.

- Whole-leaved takka grows in India. The leaves are wide, glossy, up to 35 cm wide, up to 70 cm long. A flower with two bedspreads, large, reaching 20 cm wide, the color is white, purple strokes are scattered over the white tone. The flowers are black, purple or dark purple, located under the bedspreads.

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Venus flytrap is a species of carnivorous plants from the monotypic genus Dionea of ​​the Rosyankovye family. It is a small herbaceous plant with a rosette of 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem. Leaves are three to seven centimeters in size, depending on the time of year, long trap leaves usually form after flowering. Feeds on insects and spiders. Grows in damp temperate climate on the Atlantic coast of the USA. It is a species cultivated in ornamental horticulture. Can be grown as a houseplant. Grows in soils with a lack of nitrogen, such as swamps. Lack of nitrogen is the reason for the appearance of traps: insects serve as a source of nitrogen necessary for protein synthesis. The Venus flytrap belongs to a small group of plants capable of fast movements.

After the prey is trapped and the edges of the sheets close, forming a "stomach" in which the digestion process takes place. Digestion is catalyzed by enzymes that are secreted by glands in the lobes. Digestion takes approximately 10 days, after which only an empty chitinous shell remains of the prey. After that, the trap opens and is ready to capture new prey. During the life of the trap, an average of three insects fall into it.

10

The dragon tree is a plant of the genus Dracaena, which grows in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and on the islands. South-East Asia. Grown as an ornamental plant. An old Indian legend tells that a long time ago in the Arabian Sea on the island of Socotra, there lived a bloodthirsty dragon who attacked elephants and drank their blood. But one day, one old and strong elephant fell on the dragon and crushed it. Their blood mixed and wetted the ground around. At this place, trees have grown, called dracaena, which means “female dragon”. Indigenous people canary islands the tree was considered sacred, and its resin was used in medicinal purposes. The resin was found in prehistoric burial caves and was used for embalming at that time.

On its thick branches grow bunches of very sharp leaves. Thick branched trunk up to 20 meters high, diameter at the base up to 4 m, has a secondary growth in thickness. Each branch of branching ends with a dense bunch of densely arranged grayish-green, leathery, linear-xiphoid leaves 45-60 centimeters long and 2-4 centimeters wide in the middle of the plate, somewhat tapering towards the base and pointed towards the apex, with prominent veins. The flowers are large, bisexual, with a corolla-shaped dividing perianth, in bunches of 4-8 pieces. Some trees live up to 7-9 thousand years.

9

The genus Gidnora includes 5 species growing in the tropical regions of Africa, Arabia and Madagascar, it is not very common, so just walking in the desert, you will not find it. This plant is more like a mushroom until its unusual flower opens. In fact, the flower is named after the hydnor mushroom, which means mushroom in Greek. Hydnoraceae flowers are rather large, solitary, almost sessile, bisexual, petalless. And what we usually see on the surface of the soil is what we call a flower.

These features of color and structure, as well as the putrid smell of flowers, serve to attract beetles that feed on carrion. Beetles, climbing into flowers, crawl into them, especially in their lower part, where the reproductive organs are located, contributing to their pollination. Often, female beetles not only find food in flowers, but also lay eggs there.

The inhabitants of Africa - willingly use the fruits of hydnora for food, like some animals. In Madagascar, the hydnora fruit is considered one of the best local fruits. Thus, the peddlers of hydnora seeds are the most and humans. Hydnora flowers and roots in Madagascar locals used to treat heart disease.

8

Baobab is a species of trees from the genus Adansonia of the Malvaceae family, characteristic of the dry savannahs of tropical Africa. The lifespan of baobabs is controversial - they do not have growth rings, which can be used to reliably calculate age. Radiocarbon dating has shown more than 5,500 years for a tree 4.5 meters in diameter, although baobabs are more conservatively estimated to live for about 1,000 years.

In winter and during the dry period, the tree begins to consume moisture reserves, decreasing in volume, sheds foliage. Baobab blossoms from October to December. Baobab flowers are large - up to 20 cm in diameter, white with five petals and purple stamens, on hanging pedicels. They open in the late afternoon and live only one night, attracting the scent of those who pollinate them. bats. In the morning, the flowers wither, acquiring an unpleasant putrefactive odor, and fall off.

Next, oblong edible fruits develop, which resemble cucumbers or melons, covered with a thick, hairy peel. Inside the fruits are filled with sour mealy pulp with black seeds. The baobab dies in a peculiar way: it seems to crumble and gradually settle, leaving behind only a pile of fiber. However, baobabs are extremely tenacious. They quickly restore the stripped bark; continue to bloom and bear fruit. A cut down or fallen tree is able to take on new roots.

7

Victoria amazonica is a large herbaceous tropical plant family Water lilies, the largest water lily in the world and one of the most popular greenhouse plants in the world. Victoria amazonica was named after English queen Victoria. Victoria Amazonian is common in the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia, it is also found in the rivers of Guyana that flow into the Caribbean Sea.

Huge water lily leaves reach 2.5 meters and, with a uniformly distributed load, can withstand weight up to 50 kilograms. The tuberous rhizome is usually deeply recessed into the muddy bottom. Top surface green with a wax layer that repels excess water, also has small holes to remove water. Bottom part purple-red with a mesh of ribs studded with spikes to protect against herbivorous fish, air bubbles accumulate between the ribs, helping the sheet to float. In one season, each tuber can produce up to 50 leaves, which, growing, cover a large surface of the reservoir, blocking sunlight and thereby limiting the growth of other plants.

Victoria Amazonian flowers are under water and bloom only once a year for 2-3 days. Flowers bloom only at night, and with the onset of dawn they fall under water. During flowering, flowers placed above the water, in the open state, have a diameter of 20-30 centimeters. On the first day, the color of the petals is white, on the second they are pinkish, on the third they turn purple or dark crimson. In the wild, the plant can live up to 5 years.

6

Sequoia is a monotypic genus woody plants, Cypress family. Growing on the Pacific Coast North America. Individual specimens of sequoia reach a height of more than 110 meters - these are the tallest trees on Earth. The maximum age is more than three and a half thousand years. This tree is better known as the "mahogany", while plants of the related species sequoiadendron are known as "giant sequoias".

Their diameter at the level of the human chest is about 10 meters. Most a big tree in the world "General Sherman". Its height is 83.8 meters. In 2002, the volume of wood was 1487 m³. It is believed that he is 2300-2700 years old. Most tall tree in the world - "Hyperion", its height is 115 meters.

5

Nepenthes is the only genus of plants of the monotypic Nepentaceae family, which includes about 120 species. Most species grow in tropical Asia, especially on the island of Kalimantan. Named after the herb of oblivion from ancient Greek mythology- nepenfa. Types of the genus for the most part shrub or semi-shrub vines growing in wet habitats. Their long thin herbaceous or slightly lignified stems climb the trunks and large branches of neighboring trees to tens of meters in height, carrying their narrow terminal racemose or paniculate inflorescences to sunlight.

At different types Nepenthes pitchers vary in size, shape and color. Their length varies from 2.5 to 30 centimeters, and in some species it can reach up to 50 cm. More often, jugs are painted in bright colours: red, matt white with spotted pattern or light green with spots. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, actinomorphic and petalless, with four imbricate sepals. The fruit is in the form of a leathery box, divided by internal partitions into separate chambers, in each of which seeds with a fleshy endosperm and a straight cylindrical small embryo are attached to the column.

It is curious that large nepenthes, in addition to eating insects, also use the droppings of tupaya animals, which climb onto the plant like on a toilet bowl to feast on sweet nectar. In this way, the plant forms a symbiotic relationship with the animal, using its droppings as fertilizer.

4

This fungus, belonging to Agaricus mushrooms, looks like chewed chewing gum, oozing blood and smelling of strawberries. However, you should not eat it, because it is one of the most poisonous mushrooms on the ground, and even just licking it can be guaranteed to get serious poisoning. The mushroom gained fame in 1812, and then it was recognized as inedible. Surface fruit bodies white, velvety, slightly pitted, becoming beige or brown with age. On the surface of young specimens, drops of a poisonous blood-red liquid protrude through the pores. The word “tooth” in the title is not just that. The fungus has sharp formations along the edges that appear with age.

Except their external qualities, this mushroom has good antibacterial properties and contains chemical substances that thin the blood. It is possible that soon this mushroom will become a replacement for penicillin. main feature of this fungus is that it can feed on both soil juices and insects, which are lured by the red liquid of the fungus. The diameter of the cap of a bloody tooth is 5-10 centimeters, the length of the stem is 2-3 centimeters. The bloody tooth grows in coniferous forests Australia, Europe and North America.

3

The top three among the most unusual plants in the world is closed by a large tropical plant of the genus Amorphophallus of the aroid family, discovered in 1878 in Sumatra. One of the most known species genus, has one of the largest inflorescences in the world. The aerial part of this plant is a short and thick stem, at the base there is a single large sheet, above are smaller ones. Leaf length up to 3 meters, and up to 1 meter in diameter. Petiole length 2-5 meters, thickness 10 cm. Matte green, with white transverse stripes. The underground part of the plant is a giant tuber weighing up to 50 kilograms.

The fragrance of a flower resembles a mixture of scents rotten eggs and rotten fish, and in appearance the flower resembles a decomposing piece of meat. It is this scent that attracts wild nature to pollinating insects. Flowering continues for two weeks. Interestingly, the cob is heated up to 40 ° C. The tuber during this time is greatly depleted due to the overexpenditure of nutrients. Therefore, he needs another rest period of up to 4 weeks in order to accumulate strength for leaf development. If there are few nutrients, then the tuber “sleeps” after flowering until next spring. The life expectancy of this plant is 40 years, but during this time it blooms only three or four times.

2

Velvichia is amazing - a relic tree - is one species, one genus, one family, one order of the Velvichievs. Velvichia grows in southern Angola and Namibia. The plant is rarely found further than a hundred kilometers from the coast, this roughly corresponds to the limit reached by fogs, which are the main source of moisture for Welwitschia. Her appearance you can’t call it grass, bush, or tree. Scientific world learned about Velvichia in the 19th century.

From afar, it seems that Velvichia has many long leaves, but in fact there are only two of them, and they grow throughout its entire length. plant life, adding 8-15 centimeters per year. AT scientific papers a giant was described with a leaf length of more than 6 meters and a width of about 2. And its life expectancy is so long that it is hard to believe. Although Velvichia is considered a tree, it does not have annual rings, as on tree trunks. Scientists have determined the age of the largest Velvichii by radiocarbon dating - it turned out that some specimens are about 2000 years old!

Instead of a social plant life, Velvichia prefers a lonely existence, that is, it does not grow in a group. The flowers of Velvichia look like small cones, with only one seed in each female cone, and each seed is equipped with wide wings. As for pollination, the opinions of botanists differ here. Some believe that pollination is carried out by insects, while others are more inclined to the action of the wind. Velvichia is protected by the Namibian Conservation Act. The collection of its seeds is prohibited without special permission. The entire territory where Velvichia grows has been turned into a National Park.

1

Africa is one of the most big continents(second in size only to Eurasia). Almost two equal halves it is divided by the equator line, respectively, from the tropics in the North through the equator to the tropics in the South, this mainland stretches (only the very outskirts of Africa are a little bit clinging to the subtropics). The climate can be perfectly imagined even without verbose opuses - heat with a big luff day/night. The nature of Africa should be considered conditionally dividing it into North and South.

On a vast area of ​​30.3 million square kilometers, a billion people live, it would seem expanse of 30 squares, but people live extremely unevenly on the mainland. This is due to the heavy climatic conditions, availability of water (lack of quality drinking water reaches almost the size of apogee). More than two-thirds of the population are poor. In the North - the Mediterranean Sea, East and Northeast - the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, West - Atlantic Ocean. Africa is unusual, harsh and amazing.

Flora of Africa

North Africa

Africa, located above the equator, is almost entirely on the Sahara Plate. Relief - a system of plateaus and plateaus with erosion ulcers, which in time immemorial originated in this part of the continent. Before talking about the plants of North Africa, you need to clearly understand that in summer in this part of the continent it can be up to 60 degrees Celsius with a “+” mark, “cold” winter - from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.

Plants have evolved to grow in such conditions. Two sub-regions can be distinguished - the desert-tropical Sahara and the savannas of Sudan. About 1.2 thousand plant species have adapted to live in such extreme conditions - it is objectively clear that these are xerophytes and ephemera, with rare exceptions, representatives of other species can be found.

South Africa

But South Africa is very special and more welcoming. More and more new species of plants take root in this part of the mainland, and now there are more than 24,000 species of them, for example, flowering ones. All of Europe together will not be able to compete with such a variety, it is almost 10% of the world's plants of this type.

The most favorable for them is a strip 200 kilometers wide on the coast of the South-West of South Africa (vector - from the West (Clanwilliam) to the East (Port Elizabeth). The Cape kingdom of flora is spread over an area of ​​5.5 thousand square kilometers, which has a unique species composition plants.

There is no such concentration of so many plant species in a tiny area anywhere in the world. The flora of the rainforests of the tropics stood nearby. For example, near Cape Town (Table Mountain) there are 1.5 thousand plant species in 60 square kilometers.

Animal world of Africa

North Africa

Both for plants and animals, North Africa is extremely harsh, demanding on the measure of adaptability, the ability to survive and adapt to the most difficult conditions. Very few animals have chosen this region as their home. And those that have been chosen are under constant threat of extinction. Disappear: mammals - 40 species (9 species are already on the verge), birds - 10 species, reptiles - 7 species, fish - 1 species.

But although there are few species of animals in the North, there are many individuals of these few who were able to adapt. They are very mobile and travel miles in search of food and drink.

Typical animals of the Sahara, for example, are antelopes (oryx, addax), gazelles (lady, dorcas), mountain goat. The value of skins and edibility are the most terrible enemies of animals, they, more than other factors, served as the engine of their gradual movement towards extinction.

There are both migratory and local birds. Especially often you can meet the desert raven.

Snakes, turtles, lizards represent the reptile world of North Africa. You can also meet a crocodile in some water natural reservoirs.

South Africa

And again - the South is not the North for you, no matter how trite it sounds. Species diversity fauna South Africa strikes every person. Home to more than 500 species of birds, about 100 species of reptiles, many amphibians and insects.

Many residents of other continents go there specifically to see the "big five" with their own eyes. This is a lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant. They are a universally recognized calling card of South Africa.

An amazing variety of fauna is abundantly represented by rare, exotic animals. Nowhere in the world there are so many amazing individuals. But there are also problems. The problem is the man himself. It exterminates, destroys, interferes with the amazing representatives of nature. Poaching, illegal shooting, mismanagement are the enemies of the animals of South Africa.

There is something to think about. After all, whether we will show our children and grandchildren amazing images of individuals that existed with us, but gone down in history, or maybe we will show them to them with our own eyes, depends only on us.

Species pelargoniums - enough large group plants (about 230), divided into sections, or sections. On the this moment there are 15 such sections, and in each section the plants are combined according to certain characteristics. If we compare representatives of different sections, we can hardly believe that they belong to the same genus. Species pelargoniums can be annual and perennial, herbaceous and woody shrubs, sometimes approaching trees in growth, evergreen or seasonally shedding foliage. Some have tubers or are succulents, there are tree-like and creeping, creeping ones. The height of some reaches two meters, while others barely reach ten centimeters ...

Not surprisingly, plant care is also different. And here knowledge about belonging of pelargonium to a certain section will help.

Succulents of the Otidia section, which includes P. alternans, P. carnosum, P. ceratophyllum, P. laxum and others, have adapted to drought by storing nutrients and water in fleshy stems. Small, narrow, dissected leaves also help retain moisture by reducing evaporation. natural environment they were not spoiled, therefore, even under artificial conditions, they are content with poor, well-drained soils with a small addition of clay and rare, better wick watering. They do not grow quickly, but willingly, if they are kept warm and receive a lot of light.

A rosette of leaves emerges directly from the ground. These are slow-growing geraniums with a long dormant period, they are difficult to propagate. At the same time, the plants are very decorative, and the flowering of many species justifies the long wait for this joyful event.

AT natural environment habitats, they usually grow on sandy soils, so they choose a well-drained substrate, for example, from peat and sand.

Plants from the Hoarea section are very susceptible to excess water, especially during the hibernation period that we have in the summer. Dry pelargonium tubers begin to be watered in September-October, very carefully to bring the plants out of dormancy. As the leaves grow, watering is increased. As soon as the leaves turn brown and begin to die, flowers will appear right from the top of the tuber. This is a signal to gradually reduce watering. In the short growing season, plants need bright light, in small quantities, the use of liquid fertilizers is acceptable.

They are propagated by seeds or by the separation of daughter nodules after flowering. They bloom in winter, but for this they need a temperature of + 16-17 degrees.

One of the easy-to-cultivate species of pelargonium is P. citronellum. Its leaves have a bright, refreshing lemon scent. It grows best in full sun in regular commercial soil or a mixture of peat, sod, leafy soil and sand. Water moderately. In partial shade, the foliage becomes more decorative, but flowering is less plentiful. Needs shaping.

Another favorite of mine, P. odoratissimum, is also easy to keep. It smells strongly, its smell is dominated by an apple and shades of spices, mint, lemon, rose are heard.

I raised my P. odoratissimum from seed. In the picture she is a little more than a year. During flowering, the bush seems untidy due to the long flowering whiskers. But in summer, this feature allows you to keep the plant in a hanging basket on fresh air. The plant is evergreen, perennial, does not require cool maintenance.

In the species P. grossularioides (section Peristera), the leaves have a subtle fruity scent with hints of coconut and peaches. In addition, this pelargonium has an ampelous shape, which makes it popular in home collections.

Species pelargoniums are rarely bothered by pests and diseases. Almost the only disease that affects mainly rooted cuttings remains the black leg. It can be prevented by light soil (with a large proportion of vermiculite), low soil moisture, air temperature of about +20 degrees, and bright lighting.

All species of pelargonium in the wild are propagated by seeds. But even in a small collection, it is difficult to protect plants from insect pollination and guarantee the purity of the species. Therefore, as a rule, either cuttings or underground nodules are taken from species pelargoniums. The cuttings are rooted in the same way as the cuttings of pelargoniums of other groups. It is important that they are not lignified. Separated nodules are planted so that the place of their attachment to the maternal roots is directed upwards. They germinate for at least a month.