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Acid Rain!
On the slopes Above
Keerweder, between the Helderberg and Stellenbosch, we found more than half the Protea
burchellii recently dead or with brown leaves. None of the other proteas seen showed
any major blemishes. What was the cause of this phenomenon? Lyn McCallum, Bergvliet
We cannot be certain of the cause in this case, but circumstantial evidence suggests that it may have to do with the December sulphur fire at AECI in Somerset West. E.G.H. Oliver has reported that Protea burchellii had been severely affected by the fallout on the slopes above Stellenbosch, and has promised us a short article on the species most affected. At Firgrove, in the direct path of the fires, all proteas in the local nurseries were killed, or were so badly blemished as to be unsaleable. In Bellville 25 km away, the day after the fire, we were amazed to see that Protea susannae leaves looked as if they had been hollowed out: but only old growth on the west side had been affected - new growth (with hairy leaves) and the east side of the bush were unharmed. Leucospermum praecox and Ls mundii were also similarly affected, but only the uppermost parts of the bushes, with new growth unaffected. Serruria decipiens was killed overnight. Protea scolomocephala had about half of its new growth browned, the old leaves been unaffected. Leucadendron meridianum, coniferum, levisanus, galpinii, Protea compacta, lanceolata and Se linearis were unaffected. Other species may have been affected, but if so the damage was not severe and was not as dramatic - the overnight change and uniqueness (in 8 years) leaves little doubt as to the sulphur fire being the cause. If anyone has good data from other localities on which species were and were not affected by this fire, please contact us. Tony Rebelo
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