Beeplants of South Africa: sources of nectar, pollen, honeydew and propolis for honeybees

2016·20.6 MB·English

by  M.F. Johannsmeier

Beeplants
South
of Africa
Sources of nectar, pollen, honeydew and propolis
honeybees
for
M.F. Johannsmeier

TRELITZIA
37
Beeplants of South Africa
Sources of nectar, pollen, honeydew and propolis
for honeybees
M.F. Johannsmeier
P.O. Box 39007, Faerie Glen, Pretoria 0043, South Africa
SANBI f %
BiodiversityforLife
SouthAfrican National BiodiversityInstitute
Pretoria
2016
T R E L IT Z A
I
Thisseries has replaced Memoirs ofthe BotanicalSurveyofSouthAfrica andAnnals ofthe Kirstenbosch Botanic
Gardens which SANBI inherited from its predecessor organisations.
The plant genus Strelitzia occurs naturally in the eastern parts of southern Africa. It comprises three arbores-
cent species, known as wild bananas, and two acaulescent species, known as crane flowers or bird-of-paradise
flowers. The logo ofthe South African National Biodiversity Institute is partly based on the striking inflorescence
ofStrelitzia reginae, a native ofthe Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal that has become a garden favourite world-
wide. It symbolises the commitmentofthe Institute to champion the exploration, conservation, sustainable use,
appreciation and enjoymentof South Africa's exceptionally rich biodiversity for all people.
Beeplants of South Africa
Sources of nectar, pollen, honeydew and propolis for honeybees
M.F. Johannsmeier
(Project coordinator: Carol Poole)
SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL EDITOR: Yolande Steenkamp
PROOFREADER: Alicia Grobler
DESIGN & LAYOUT: Sandra Turck
COVER DESIGN: Sandra Turck
Citingthis publication
JOHANNSMEIER, M.F. 2016. BeeplantsofSouthAfrica. Sourcesofnectar, pollen, honeydewand propolisforhoneybees.
Strelitzia 37. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
ISBN: 978-1-928224-17-4
©
Published by: South African National Biodiversity Institute.
Obtainable from: SANBI Bookshop, Private Bag X101, Silverton, 0184 South Africa.
Tel.: -E27 12 843 5000
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sanbi.org
All rights reserved. No partofthis bookmaybe reproduced in anyformwithoutwritten permission ofthecopyrightowners.
Theviewsand opinionsexpressed do not necessarily reflectthoseofSANBI. Theauthorand publisher have madetheir best
effortsto preparethis book, and make no representation orwarrantiesofany kind with regardtothecompletenessoraccu-
racyofthecontentsherein.All imagesinthisbookhavebeen reproducedwiththe knowledgeand priorconsentoftheartists
and photographersconcerned and no responsibility isaccepted bythe publisheror printerforany infringementofcopyright
or otherwise arisingfrom the contents ofthis publication. Every effort has been made to ensure thatthe credits accurately
complywith the information supplied bythe authors.
TRELITZIA
37 (2016) iii
This publication contributes to the outcomes of the Global Pollination Project and the Honeybee Forage
Project, both implemented by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). The Global Pollina-
tion Project (Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable Agriculture through an Ecosystem
Approach) was implemented in seven countries - Brazil, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan and South Af-
rica. The project was executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations, with financing
from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implementation support from the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The Honeybee Forage Projectwasa national project in South Africa funded bythe Working
for Water Programme, Environment Programmes, and the Departmentof Environmental Affairs.
environmentalafeirs
UNEP ERnEiPWUTexUnCMOIfSOUTHAfWCA EXPANDEDPUBLICWORKSPROGRAMME
CONTRIBUTINGTOANATIONATWORK

trelitzia 37 2016 V
( )
Contents
Foreword
vi
Introduction 1
Crop Plants 7
1
.
2. Eucalypts 51
3. Other Trees 71
4. Large Shrubs 147
5. Small Shrubs 223
Weeds 343
6.
7. Bulbous Plants 387
8. Annuals and Biennials 405
9. Grasses 427
Acknowledgements 437
General beeplant literature and aids to identification 439
References 442
Index to common and scientific names 446
trelitzia
VI 37 (2016)
Foreword
tisthe roleofthe SouthAfrican National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), charged by national governmentthrough
Ithe National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004, to monitor the state of our biodiversity
and the services it delivers, and provide policy advice based on good science. As such, SANBI was pleased
to become the implementing agent of the GEF/UNEP/FAO Global
Pollination Project, in which seven countries took part. The project
aimed to provide sound policy and practical advice about sustain-
ing the pollination services to our agricultural sector. As the project
progressed in South Africa, the role of the managed honeybee as a
pollinator became everclearer. While an important partofour indig-
enous biodiversityand ecosystem functioning, thetwo subspeciesof
the honeybee found in South Africa are also absolutely vital to our
agricultural industry. Without honeybees, our world would be avery
different place: fewer food choices and more expensive agricultural
production. Despite this dependence, and the shocking statistics of
colony losses in the northern hemisphere, very little scienceand pol-
icy exists about South Africa's native honeybees. SANBI therefore
decided to undertake the urgent research of what ecological infra-
structure underpinsthe managed honeybee industry in South Africa
and therefore ultimately supports a sustainable pollination service to
'Without honeybees, our agriculture.
world would be a very while the pollinator-dependent crop grower is reliant on the bee-
keeper for the pollination service his honeybees provide to the
differentplace: fewer food crops during the short flowering season, the beekeepers in turn are
choices and more expensive reliant on numerous and variable forage sources and habitats that
can sustain their honeybee colonies throughoutthe year. The Hon-
agriculturalproduction... eybee Forage Project, funded by the Department of Environmental
Affairs through SANBI's Invasive Species Programme, created lists of
but what ecological the plantspecies importantto beekeepers in various regions in South
...
Africa and studied the relative importance ofvarious indigenous and
infrastructure underpins the exotic plant species as vital forage resources at various times of the
managed honeybee industry year. The project also linked directly to Mr Martin Johannsmeier as
he completed this extensive work on the BeeplantsofSouth Africa-
in South Africa?' the firstcomprehensive reviewofplants utilised by honeybeesacross
the country.
As a result ofthe SANBI projects and MrJohannsmeier's years of re-
search, we have a broad understanding of honeybee forage needs
and resources in South Africa. This understandingcan now be used to develop management programmes forex-
isting forage resources and to develop planting programmes that might result in new forage resources becoming
available to beekeepers. This book will assist beekeepers, farmers and gardeners with more information about
plants they can consider utilising, conserving or growing, and will assist practitioners to consider the bee-value
of plant resources as partofenvironmental impact assessments or rehabilitation projects. We also hope thatthis
book is valuable to many other audiences into the future as we learn to protect and grow our honeybee forage
resources sustainably.
Dr Tanya Abrahamse
Chief Executive Officer
South African National Biodiversity Institute