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Contents
Abstract v
Declaration viii
Acknowledgements xi
Publications from this Thesis xii
Conference Contributions xii
List of Figures xiii
List of Tables xviii
List of Abbreviations xx
Namakwaland: A poem by my late father xxi
1 Introduction 1
1.1 PROPAGATION OF ROMULEA SPECIES FOR
HORTICULTURAL AND CONSERVATION PURPOSES 1
1.2 AIMS AND HYPOTHESES 3
1.3 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THESIS CONTENT 4
2 Literature review 6
2.1 MORPHOLOGY, DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT 6
2.1.1 Species specific morphology and distribution 12
2.2 PHYLOGENY AND TAXONOMY 22
2.3 CONSERVATION STATUS 23
2.4 THE CLIMATE OF ROMULEA SPP. HABITATS 24
2.5 SOIL SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS 35
2.5.1 Physical properties of soil 36
2.5.2 Organic matter 39
2.5.3 Soil nutrients 39
2.5.4 pH 40
2.5.5 Salinity 41
2.5.6 Cation and anion exchange capacity and surface charges 41
2.5.7 Soils of Namaqualand 41
2.5.8 Soils of Nieuwoudtville 42
2.6 PROPAGATION OF ROMULEA SPECIES 43
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