Highly renowned local conservationist and one of the founding members of Friends of Kloofendal, Karin Spottiswoode, held the launch of her book Invasive Alien and Problem Plants on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg, at the Kloofendal Nature Reserve Ecological Centre on October 26.
The event was well attended by the who’s who in local conservation circles.
Karin, who has been involved in the eradication of alien invasive plants at the reserve for more than 20 years, utilised her extensive knowledge on the subject matter to create this work aimed as a guide for field guides and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoos staff in correctly identifying and effectively eradicating alien invasive plants (AIPs).
“There have been many works covering AIPs in the past,” says Karin, adding, “However, this is the only work that collates species specifically found on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg.”
The book offers a comprehensive guide to AIPs, complete with descriptions of each plant, the common and Latin names, pictures and information on the most effective eradication methods.
The plants are divided into eight colour-coded categories namely, grasses, trees, herbs, shrubs, flat-growing herbs, creepers, succulents, and water weeds and are arranged in alphabetical order according to their Latin genus names.
Descriptions also include country of origin and information on whether plants are poisonous or may cause allergic reactions.
