ATTRIBUTES
CHARACTERISTICS &
SPATIALITIES
INTRODUCTION This catalogue documents the details of the hand-picked plants, its origin, its specifications and unique characteristics , indigenous uses in Sutherland as a whole. This catalogue is represented as a lexicon and identifies characteristics that assist in the construction of architecture influenced by the selected plants. Key registrations to achieve this has been outlined in three basic archetypes: - Location - Agents - Specifications
MIDDELFONTEIN FLORA
f l
i ct
np no
gp
n 7.0
fp
7.0
A
B Aptosimum procumbens
l. leaf fp. flower petal np. nectarine protector n. nectar for pollination no. nodes
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
f. flower i. inflorescence r. root stick (tap root) ct. collar tube gp. growing point
r
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common Name: Indigenious name: Scientific name: Location:
Scrophulariaceae KAROO VIOLET Kankerbossie Aptosimum procumbens Middelfontein, Sutherland
SPATIALITIES
SEASON July to September (Voigt, 2003)
- s. Rounded compact - l. Arid - s. 7cm - l. Semi-Arid - s. Woody - s. Lance Shaped - s. Deep blue to purple - s. Trumpet shaped - l. Flood plains, ridges, crowns,- disturbed ground, mountain plains, lopes - l. Throats - s. Darker marks - a. Sunny Positions - a. July to September
SOIL TYPE Sandy or Clay (Khumbula, 2017)
- a/l. Sandy or clay
The karoo violet is one of the treasures of the arid and semi-arid parts of South Africa. A rounded compact shrub-let up to 7cm with more or less woody root stick. The numerous leaves are lance shaped and dark-green. Deep-blue to purple trumpet shaped flowers have darker marks in the throats (Merwe, 2017). Grows on floodplains, ridges, crowns, disturbed ground and mountain plains, slopes throughout the drier part of South Africa. It prefers sunny positions and can withstand prolonged periods of drought.
USES - Used for grazing by sheep and goat. - Used to treat krimpsiekte in sheep, an acute and serious condition that affects the joints, muscles and stomach, often resulting in starvation and ultimately death. 5
f t fp
l
n
s 3.0
11.0
3.0
11.0
b
A
B Pentzia spinescens
fp. flower petal n. nectar for pollination
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
f. flower l. leaf s. spine t. twig b. border
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Asteraceae SHEEPS BUSH Doringkaroo Pentzia spinescens Middelfontein, Sutherland
A shrub up to 60cm in height with white stems that become very hard and sometimes thorny in nature. The flowers are aromatic in nature with dark greenish, thin leaves (Werwe, 2017). It grows in rocky well-drained soil that is watered regularly and it grows rapidly and branch well in full sun conditions. It grows fast once roots are established and has a long life span if properly groomed and maintained (Karoo Space, 2019) SEASON April to May SOIL TYPE Sandy, Loamy
SPATIALITIES - s. 60cm - s. Thorny - s. White - s. Very hard - s. Dark -greenish - s. Thin - l. Rocky well-drained - l. Watered - s. Grows rapidly - a. Full sun conditions
- a. April to May - a. Sandy - a. Loamy
USES - Used for grazing by sheep - Used as a water-wise, ornamental shrub for gardens 7
i b sg s
2.5
17.2
2.5
17.2
s A
B Scirpoides dioecious
sg. spiral glume s. spikelets
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
i. inflorescence b. bract s. stamen
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Cyperaceae SLENDER BIESIE Biesie Scirpoides dioecus
Middelfontein, Sutherland
A reed like perennial of about 50cm in height, with very thick and robust stems. Grows in bunches. Spike-lets aggravated in bunches of light-brown in colour. It is found along high-lying riverbanks on rocks and in seasonal pans. SEASON September to December SOIL TYPE Loamy
SPATIALITIES - s. 50cm - s. Very thick - s. Robust - s. Spikelets - s. Bunches - s. Light brown - l. Seasonal pans - l. High-lying riverbanks on rock - a. September to December - a. Loamy
USES - Used as a herb for sheep
9
l f b
0.2
6.5
0.2
6.5
bp s
A
B Euryops lateriflorus Lechenaultia divaricata
f. flower l. leaf b. branch
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
bp. bushy portion s. stem
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Asteraceae SWEET RESIN BUSH Rapius vvv
Middelfontein, Sutherland
SPATIALITIES - s. Erect - s. Green-grey - s. 1.5m - s. Leathery - s. Elliptic, pointed
It is a rare plant. An erect twiggy shrub of up to 1.5m tall. The leaves are crowded at the end of the branches green-grey in colour and leathery and elliptic, pointed in some occasions. Leaf size varies from 5mm to 15 mm in width and in length from 1 cm to 3 cm. It is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Operation wildflower). They are native to rocky, dry sand stone regions and shale slopes at high elevations. In cases of fire it is not known to re-sprout, rather it begins growth from the very beginning (Werwe, 2017)
- s. 5mm to 15mm - s. 1cm to 3cm - l. Rocky, dry sand stone - l. Shale slopes - l. High elevation
SEASON July to September
- a. July to September
SOIL TYPE Sandy
- a. Sandy
USES - Used in making resins that can be melted to repair things like jerry cans. 11
0.5
0.5
r
fp s m
bb 2.3
l
7.0
f
2.3 7.0
t s
A
B
Lycium amoenum
l. leaves fp. flower petal s. stamen m. markings
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
r. receptacle bb. budding branch s. stem t. thorns f. fruits
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Solanaceae OLIVE GROVE Slangbessie Lycium Amoenum
SPATIALITIES - s. 3m - s. Long fragile stem - s. Thorny
Middelfontein, Sutherland
It is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family (Wikiwand, 2019). A thorny bisexual shrub up to 3m long with long fragile stem (Jsmiller, 2019). Young stems are dull green in colour while older stems are stronger and brown or greyish in colour. It thrives in drought hence the thorns at right angles to the stem all over to help conserve water loss. The densely packed leaves are succulent in nature. Flowers are usually white with purple markings (Werwe, 2017). It thrives in sandy soils of dry riverbeds, stream banks or rocky mountains. SEASON June to September SOIL TYPE Sandy, Loamy
- s. Dull green - s. Brown or greyish - s. Right angles - s. Succulent - s. Purple markings - l. Dry riverbeds, stream banks, rocky mountains - a. June to September - a. Loamy - a. Sandy
USES - The leaves and roots when mixed with water are used to treat skin rashes and promote hair growth (Wikiwand) - Used to treat male reproduction organ issues (infertility etc.) 13
ROGGEVELD FLORA
rf
f
i df
st r
l 3.5
s
3.0
3.0
A
B
Lampranthus sp.
rf. ray florets i. infloresence l. leaf df. disk florets
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
r. receptacle st. stamen s. stem f. flower
3.5
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Aizoaceae STONE PLANT Vygie Lampranthus sp. Roggeveld, Sutherland
It is of the large showy flowers genus and is a neatly rounded, erect, small shrub that grows up to about 400 x 500 mm (Voigt, 2003). The leaves are paired, free or slightly fused at the base, dark green and grow to 50 mm. The most attractive aspect of the plant is its unbelievably bright coloured flowers such as orange, pink, red. The plants are very showy and tough, and are water-efficient as the leaves tend to retain a lot of water. It also requires full sun to grow properly, once grown it is easy to maintain. SEASON August SOIL TYPE Sandy, Clay, Loamy in some cases granite outcrops
SPATIALITIES - s. 400 x 500mm - s. Dark-green - s. Rounded, erect, small - s. 50mm - s. Very showy and tough - s. Water efficient - s. Orange, Pink, Red - s. Retains water - a. Full sun - a. August - a. Sandy, Clay, Loamy - l. Granite Outcrops
USES - Cultivated extensively for the horticultural industry - Known to feed honeybees 17
bf
f l
n 2.0
2.0 5.0
5.0
in i s
A
B
Medicago sativa
f. flower l. leaf
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
bf. budding flower n. node s. stem i. inter-node in. inflorescence
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location:
Fabaceae LUCERNE Lusern Medicago sativa Roggeveld, Sutherland
It is otherwise known as Alfalfa, Purple Medic. It is a perennial plant in the legume family of Fabaceae. Lucerne requires deep, well-drained soils with average supply of sunlight. The plant grows up to 1 m in height, and has a deep root system and can grow to more than 15 m to reach groundwater. The quality of the ‘lucerne’ determines the flavour of the lamb meat produced in Sutherland as it is a major feed for sheep as most parts such as the leaves and young shoots are edible (Wikipedia, 2019). SEASON August SOIL TYPE Sandy, Clay
SPATIALITIES - a. Sunlight - s. 1m - a. Deep well-drained - s. Deep root system - s. Quality - a. Groundwater - s. 15m - a. August - a. Sandy - a. Clay
USES - Used for grazing, hay, and silage, - Used as green manure and cover crop - Used by indigenes for medicines and treatment of upset stomach 19
l f b
0.2
6.5
0.2
6.5
bp s
A
B Lechenaultia divaricata
f. flower l. leaf b. branch
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
bp. bushy portion s. stem
DESCRIPTION Family name: Asteraceae / Amaranthaccae Common name: TUMBLE WEED Indigenous name: Tolbos Scientific name: Lechenaultia divaricata Location: Roggeveld, Sutherland It usually occur in dry areas and plains where there is a lot of wind. It is classified into several families even among the Amaranthaccae, Amaryllidaceae, Asteraceae and many more. They grow very wild, rough and weedy. Usually it is white, pinkish to light purple and is full of spokes with little flowers on the tips. The tissue structure of the plant is dead and this allows the structure to degrade quickly and then separate so that the ‘toll bush’ can escape “flower” and the seeds can then spread when the wind is blowing. As the seeds escape, it germinates quickly once it drops into a moist, wet area. Growing from 6 inches to 3ft., they later develop sharp spines. SEASON April SOIL TYPE Loamy
SPATIALITIES - l. Dry - a. Wind - s. Wild, rough and weedy - s. White, pinkish, light purple - s. Spokes - s. Dead tissue - a. Moist, Wet, - s. 6inches to 3ft - s. sharp spines - a. April
- a. Loamy
USES - Used to clean up toxic waste - Used to prepare land for cultivation - Used to treat bee, ant and wasp stings 21
f r 1.3
fp s
0.4
8.0
in
1.3
0.4
A
8.0
B
Chrysocoma longifolia DC
fp. flower petal b. stigma
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
f. flower r. receptacle in. inter s. stem
s
DESCRIPTION Family name: Asteraceae Common name: CATTLE BUSH Indigenous name: Beesbos Scientific name: Chrysocoma longifolia DC Location: Roggeveld, Sutherland It is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family. It is an upright evergreen spreading shrub of up to 3m high. The yellow flower head is very small, of about 3cm in diameter produced at a branch tip. The long stems branch low down from a short, stout single stem; the plant being a re-seeder. The branches usually reach down to the ground, obscuring the stem. It has a life span of about 20years.
SPATIALITIES - s. 3m - s. Yellow - s. Upright evergreen - s. Small - s. 3cm in diameter - s. Short, stout single - l. Ground
SEASON November
- a. November
SOIL TYPE Sandy
- a. Sandy
USES - Used as a repellent for bees - Used as a laxative to treat eczema, hypertension and much more
23
a g
rs cs
7.6
t
7.6
3.4
sj
A
B
Tephrocactus articulatus
t. tubercle cs. central spine rs. radial spine
A - Top view of the flower in its natural habitat and position B - Side view of the flower uprooted from its natural habitat
a. areola g. glochid sj. stem joint
DESCRIPTION Family name: Common name: Indigenous name: Scientific name: Location: 3.4
Cactaceae SPRUCE CONE CACTUS Tephrocactus articulatus Roggeveld, Sutherland
It is an invasive plant. It is a very unique cactus, usually up to 12 inches (30 cm), with fragile erect stems composed of cylindrical segments that resemble pine cones. These cactus come in a wide variety of species. It produces fruits and bloomers in white to pinkish colour, up to 4 cm in diameter, cup-shaped flowers in spring or early summer. The fruits are barrel shaped, dry-fleshed, and very thin walled. It requires a lot of water to grow. SEASON September to January SOIL TYPE Sandy
SPATIALITIES - s. Fragile erect - s. Cylindrical - s. 12 inches - s. Pine cones
- s. White to Pinkish - s. 4cm diameter cup-shaped - s. Very-thin walled - s. Barrel shaped - a. Water - a. September to January - a. Sandy
USES - Used as a gardening flower. - Used as a defence infestation. 25
CONCLUSION The Karoo is a semi-desert region affected with high levels of drought almost all year round. The state of near drought forces the plants to adapt and acclimatize to a drought-prone environment and as such can withstand variations in temperature, wind and water availability by building mechanisms that are self-reliant which supplies them with the required limits per season to support livelihood. Hence, one can conclude or ask that is there a possibility of creating tough or resilient architectures that can adapt to the users or agents individual differences; probably even after displacement, to ensure optimum survival in the absence of commonalities or necessities?
REFERENCES Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J. 2000. Cape plants. A conspectus servancy.com/flora-and-fauna/ of the Cape flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town and Missouri Botanical Garden. Protea Atlas Project - Afrikaans Common Names for Proteas. Available at: https://www.proteaatlas.org.za/com_afr. htm Smith, G.F., Van Jaarsveld, E., Hammer, S., Chesselet, P., Hartman, H., Burgoyne, P., Van Wyk, B-E. & Kurzweil, H. 1998. Mesembs of the world. Briza Publications, Pretoria. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), 2012 - Red List of South African Plants. Available at: https:// Helga Van Der Merwe, 2017 - Wild flowers of the Roggeveldwww.sanbi.org Tanqua. ISBN 9780620489294.# The Vryburger, 2015 - Tolbos / Tumbleweed. Available at: http://www.dievryburger.co.za/2015/05/tolbos-tumblehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfalfa weed/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumbleweed Werner Voigt, 2003 - Aptosimum procumbens (Lehm.) Ivan Latti for Operation Wild flower. Available at: https:// Steud., Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden for SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) - Available at: http:// www.operationwildflower.org.za/index.php/albums/genpza.sanbi.org/aptosimum-procumbens era-a-f/euryops/euryops-lateriflorus-thabo-2-3369 WOS, 2016 - Spruce Cone Cholla. Available at: https:// worldofsucculents.com/tephrocactus-articulatus-diademahttps://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/ tus-spruce-cone- cholla/ stories/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-tumbleweeds http://karoospace.co.za/karoo-meat-of-origin/
Karoo Ridge Conservancy, 2018 - https://karooridgecon
27