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Afrikaanse Inligting
Bobbejan en(t) tolbosse?
On
the first day's hiking of the Marloth (or Swellendam) trail in March this year I
noticed to my surprise that almost none of the Leucadendron eucalyptifolium
plants had any cones. I dutifully counted the number of male plants (no cones)
to females (with cones) and got a sex ratio of 2 females per 19 males. Convinced
that I had stumbled on an instance where the "ents" had become
separated from their ent-wives (See William Bond's reply to Roy Lubke's query in
PAN 3: 8), I looked about and concluded that either male Ld euca
liked forest margins or female Ld euca did not. Therefore, a simple test
of my theory was that the ratio of males to females should tend to be more equal
further from the forest. Low and behold! The ratio 100 m further on was 1 female
per 2 males and 200 m further on was 1 male to 1 female.
But curiously, along the path, alongside the baboon droppings, were little piles of chewed up Ld euca cones. At the considerable risk of antagonizing my companions I returned to the edge of Wamakersbos where a more careful scrutiny revealed that the sex ratio was probably 1 male to 1 female: the cones had been removed from the female plants, presumably by baboons, but possibly a rodent. I can only suggest that the culprit, for some reason, prefers the proximity of the forest and does not feed as extensively on Ld euca further away from the forest.
Tony Rebelo, Bellville
Back PAN 11