African Wildlife & Environment Issue 76 FINAL

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

SouthAfrican Guide on an International Dendrological Society BIG 5 Tree Tour of southern Africa at the time. Trevor was employed to guide the party from the Cape, through theGardenRoute, andeventually to thenorthern Lowveld of Limpopo. Trevor got the job because Ernst van Jaarsveld knew him and recommended him for the Tour. Trevor took this opportunity to bring a synopsis of hisbook toget critical input fromour expert International Guests. They loved it, and all commented that they did not know of any other book globally that used only the fruits as the prime focus for identification. What intrigued me was not just the concept, but the fact that over many decades Trevor had carefully collected and illustrated some 381 species, sketching a fruiting twig of each and adding to the plates old, fallen fruits (that can often be found beneath the canopy). A selection of his work is illustrated here. When I asked about how he chose the trees to illustrate, Trevor replied: “When I first planned this book my concept of a tree was a long-lived woody plant , which developed a sturdy trunk and an impressive crown . Unlike some authors of tree guides, I did not regard aloes as trees in the true sense of the word. Our beautiful cycads and tree ferns, to my mind, are also not included here as PLATE 118 Nat ional tree Number 22 Phoenix rec l inata Wi ld date-palm • Wi ldedadelpalm Palm of ten along seasonal r ivers and in f lat open, sandy count r y. Leaves feather- l ike

PLATE 142 Nat ional Tree Number 654 Cordia oval is [=C. monoica]

Sat in-bark saucer-bush • Growweblaarpier ingbessie The smooth bark and the rough sandpaper- l ike leaves are good clues to this species

real trees. In my travels I have yet to come across the colourful Cape honeysuckle Tecomaria capensis and that delightful Pride-of-de-Kaap bauhinia Bauhinia galpinii as a shady, truly recognizable tree! “However, as the book developed this distinction between a tree and what I regarded as a shrub became more and more blurred. Over time I came to realize that habitat and climate greatly influenced the stature and growth of these plants. A classic example is the ubiquitous Sweet thorn Acacia karoo , which occurs as a stunted bush in the dry river courses of the Great Karoo, yet develops into an impressive tree with a sturdy black bole and rounded crown in theMpumalanga Bushveld.” Asked why he chose fruits, he responded by telling me that: “Like so many tree-lovers, I found it difficult to identify many tree species from their leaves – since leaves are the most like variable of all the plant parts. Fruits, like flowers, have much more stable shapes and sizes, and unlike flowers are mostly more persistent. Thus, if you scratch around under the canopy you may also find remnants of fruits and/or seeds that can be a useful tool for identification.”

25 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 76 (2020)