The following pictures are of some female plants observed during our visit, as well as some seed and seedlings. The seeds are distributed mostly by vervet monkeys. These were seen picking seeds out of a disintegrating female cone. Although they help with dispersal they also seem to destroy a lot of seeds by cracking them with their teeth. The first picture in the second row shows some fresh seeds lying under a plant, note that most of the flesh has been eaten of the seeds. The other picture of seeds, the last one, was taken to illustrate the problems encountered by including man in the picture, most of these seeds lie in the pathway and as a result get stepped on and destroyed. A program has however been started by the local community in which seeds are collected and grown at a nearby nursery and then sold to the public as a source of income for the community. Active regeneration also is taking place in the wild as can be seen by the pictures of seedlings, in some places these seedlings come up in nearly impossible places, like the one growing in between the rocks. The soil here seems to be a very organic rich sand. The last two pictures are male cones from Pretoria Botanical Gardens. And then a little something  for those with a sense of humour - look at the suckers on that first female!!!

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Introduction

General Pictures

Damage & regrowth

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