African Wildlife & Environment Issue 85

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

these modern tools. Such a massive database is unfortunately not yet available (although Ted Woods’ Keys To Kruger’s Trees is one example of using this modern technology [the App should be available during 2024 or 2025]). Then in most tree books the description of

1.When botanists, or expert amateurs, write tree books they assume that the readers will share not just their passion for botany but also their knowledge of tree morphology and botanical terminology. However most people would prefer simple English and pictorial

each species more-or less follows a similar format - and for most these seem to many just a ‘jumble of almost meaning-less words’. AND , what I have discovered, is that much of the information used for these descriptions is based on existing published information. Very few authors have taken the time to make all their own observations and measurements themselves! Thus, when mistakes are made in the literature, they get repeated again and again (e.g.: see my notes on Acacia karroo in AW&E #82 & #83 – concerning the difference between primary & secondary leaves, morphologically AND functionally!). 3. One of the frustrating things about most current tree books is that they are not always comprehensive for the region they cover. This means that users may be trying to identify a

illustrations – this is still a problem today! 2.Many of the keys to trees were, and still are, a total mystery to most Tree Peeps. Additionally, they followed the old botanical dichotomous structure – which meant if you made a mistake early on then you were forced to start all over again. Thus, most of these keys are so difficult as to be considered useless by the majority of TreePeeps. There have been attempts to simplify keys by using the outlines of whole trees and/or leaves as a first division into major groups. These

An example of an attempt to make the first steps in keys-to trees simpler, by first dividing all trees into 10 major groups with pictograms to assist with the word descriptions (taken from my TREES OF NATAL).

The thing about keys to trees is that once you have a name you can then research all other details on the web. On the left the first edition and second edition (right) that are not classic ‘tree books’ but simply a key to all known species.

started in the late 1960s and they certainly eased the challenges (my own TREES OF NATAL is such an attempt. Ideally, we need an excellent App and/or camera pictorial-recognition software – but for these to work in our complex environment, most especially using vegetative criteria, there needs to be a huge, comprehensive, database to underpin

species that is not in the book! 4.Another of my bugbears is that many authors, in their attempts to use common sense English, corrupt their word usage. Examples are, naming fruits incorrectly (berries are soft-fruit with many seeds and

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