the vegetation types and veld condition - Maremani Nature Reserve

Dwarf grass (Oropetium capense) 3%
Flaccid finger grass (Digitaria velutina) 3%
Blue-seed grass (Tricholaena monachne), Sand Quick (Schmidtia pappophoroides) and Guinea grass
(Panicum maximum), occur locally. Other grass species with a frequency of less than 3% are listed in
Table 6.
Forb species cover 11% of the area and include Indigofera bainesii, Blepharis subvolubilis, Barleria
prionitis, Abutilon austro-africanum, Tephrosia villosa and Ocimum americanum.
9. Colophospermum mopane - Catophractes alexandri - Vernonia cinarescens low and dense
bushveld
(Mopane - Trumpet thorn - Vernonia low and dense bushveld)
This community covers approximately 7000 ha (Figure 2) and can be found on the gabbro plains of
Boschrand, Steenbokrandjes, Vryheid and Bokveld in the north-west, as well as on the basalt, calc-
silcrete and gneiss of Woodhall, Skirbeek, Frampton and Njeleles Drift in the east of Maremani. It occurs
on shallow and gravelly red to brown sandy loam calcareous soils and although rocks are absent in
places, up to 30% of the area can be covered by rocks. The slopes vary from 0 to 2Ε. Calcrete is common
in the soil horizon. Bush densification is clearly visible in this vegetation type as a result of an abundance
of watering points and overgrazing in the past and the presence of abandoned old fields.
The presence of Stink shepherd’s tree (Boscia foetida), Trumpet thorn (Catophractes alexandri) and
Mopane pomegranate (Rhigozum zambesiacum) shows the relationship between communities 9, 10 and
11 (species group 17, Table 6).
The diagnostic species are Trumpet thorn (Catophractes alexandri), Gymnosporia pubescens and
Vernonia cinarescens (species group 13, Table 6).
High trees (>6 m) have an average canopy cover of 1% and are characterised by Mopane
(Colophospermum mopane), Tall common corkwood (Commiphora glandulosa), Slender three-hook thorn
(Acacia senegal var. leiorhachis) and Shepherd’s tree (Boscia albitrunca).
Trees (>3 m - 6 m) cover on average 19% of the area and the dominant species are Mopane
(Colophospermum mopane), Lowveld cluster-leaf (Terminalia prunioides), Common star chestnut
(Sterculia rogersii), White-stem corkwood (Commiphora tenuipetiolata) and Velvet corkwood
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