Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality

The dominant grass species are broad-leaved panicum Panicum deustum and common carrot-
seed grass Tragus berteronianus. Other grass species includes Guinea grass Panicum
maximum, Lehmann’s love grass Eragrostis lehmanniana var. lehmanniana, couch grass
Cynodon dactylon, vinger grass Digitaria eriantha and common crowsfoot Dactyloctenium
aegyptium. The forbs layer is characterised by the presence of laventelbossie Lippia javanica,
Cleome angustifola, Cleome maculata, Heliotropium ciliatum, wild foxglove Ceratotheca
triloba and witbiesie Kyllinga alba.
Plant community 2: The Trichoneura grandiglumis – Combretum apiculatum Short
bushland
This plant community is found to dominate the vegetation on Marloth Park. The gently
undulating terrain is characterised by relatively shallow, sandy soils of the Glenrosa and
Hutton forms. Two variations can be found in this plant community. The first is the
Combretum apiculatum – Terminalia sericea variation, where silver cluster leaf is dominant.
This variation is associated with the shallow crestal soils. Although silver cluster leaf is
generally associated with the Cartref soil form, it can also abound on the Glenrosa soil form.
The second is the Combretum apiculatum – Eragrostis rigidior variation, associated with the
deeper Hutton soil formations. Both soil forms exhibit low degradable mineral content and
low potential for clay forming, thus allowing for rapid infiltration and drainage of rainfall.
The red bushwillow Combretum apiculatum, generally associated with shallow, rocky soil
formations, is conspicuous throughout this plant community. Other trees found in this plant
community are silver cluster leaf Terminalia sericea, sickle bush Dichrostachys cinerea,
glossy-leaved corkwood Commiphora schimperi, marula Sclerocarya birrea subsp. africana,
white raisin Grewia bicolor, sandpaper raisin Grewia flavescens var. flavescens, buffalo thorn
Ziziphus mucronata and Swazi acacia Acacia swazica. The grass layer is dominated by broad-
leaved panicum Panicum deustum. Other grass species found include finger grass Digitaria
eriantha, Guinea grass Panicum maximum, carrot-seed grass Tragus berteronianus, red grass
Themeda triandra, annual three-awn Aristida adscensionis, spreading three-awn Aristida
congesta subsp. barbicollis and lehmann’s love grass Eragrostis lehmanniana var.
lehmanniana. This plant community has a high diversity of forbs species that include
Commelina erecta, Pavonia burchellii, wild sesame Sesamum triphyllum, wild asparagus
Protosparagus suaveolens, Gisekia viscosa, Dicoma tomentosa, Cleome maculata,
Heliotropium ciliatum, creeping sorrel Ocimum canum, meidebossie Waltheria indica and
Aptosimum lineare.
© Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 30