Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
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The dominant grass species are broad-leaved panicum Panicum deustum and common carrot-<br />
seed grass Tragus berteronianus. Other grass species includes Guinea grass Panicum<br />
maximum, Lehmann’s love grass Eragrostis lehmanniana var. lehmanniana, couch grass<br />
Cynodon dactylon, vinger grass Digitaria eriantha and common crowsfoot Dactyloctenium<br />
aegyptium. The forbs layer is characterised by the presence of laventelbossie Lippia javanica,<br />
Cleome angustifola, Cleome maculata, Heliotropium ciliatum, wild foxglove Ceratotheca<br />
triloba and witbiesie Kyllinga alba.<br />
<strong>Plan</strong>t community 2: The Trichoneura grandiglumis – Combretum apiculatum Short<br />
bushland<br />
This plant community is found to dominate the vegetation on <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong>. The gently<br />
undulating terrain is characterised by relatively shallow, sandy soils of the Glenrosa and<br />
Hutton forms. Two variations can be found in this plant community. The first is the<br />
Combretum apiculatum – Terminalia sericea variation, where silver cluster leaf is dominant.<br />
This variation is associated with the shallow crestal soils. Although silver cluster leaf is<br />
generally associated with the Cartref soil form, it can also abound on the Glenrosa soil form.<br />
The second is the Combretum apiculatum – Eragrostis rigidior variation, associated with the<br />
deeper Hutton soil formations. Both soil forms exhibit low degradable mineral content and<br />
low potential for clay forming, thus allowing for rapid infiltration and drainage of rainfall.<br />
The red bushwillow Combretum apiculatum, generally associated with shallow, rocky soil<br />
formations, is conspicuous throughout this plant community. Other trees found in this plant<br />
community are silver cluster leaf Terminalia sericea, sickle bush Dichrostachys cinerea,<br />
glossy-leaved corkwood Commiphora schimperi, marula Sclerocarya birrea subsp. africana,<br />
white raisin Grewia bicolor, sandpaper raisin Grewia flavescens var. flavescens, buffalo thorn<br />
Ziziphus mucronata and Swazi acacia Acacia swazica. The grass layer is dominated by broad-<br />
leaved panicum Panicum deustum. Other grass species found include finger grass Digitaria<br />
eriantha, Guinea grass Panicum maximum, carrot-seed grass Tragus berteronianus, red grass<br />
Themeda triandra, annual three-awn Aristida adscensionis, spreading three-awn Aristida<br />
congesta subsp. barbicollis and lehmann’s love grass Eragrostis lehmanniana var.<br />
lehmanniana. This plant community has a high diversity of forbs species that include<br />
Commelina erecta, Pavonia burchellii, wild sesame Sesamum triphyllum, wild asparagus<br />
Protosparagus suaveolens, Gisekia viscosa, Dicoma tomentosa, Cleome maculata,<br />
Heliotropium ciliatum, creeping sorrel Ocimum canum, meidebossie Waltheria indica and<br />
Aptosimum lineare.<br />
© Ecological Associates/ <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> 30