Flowering profusely in the bare Karoo soil is the Karoo Violet (Aptosimum indivisum), which is known in Afrikaans as ‘brandbossie’ because the burned root mixed with olive oil is used as a salve for wounds. This was photographed in the Wolwekraal Nature Reserve near Prince Albert, which was proclaimed by CapeNature in June 2011. The reserve is administered by Dr Sue Milton-Dean and Dr Richard Dean. It was part of the farm Wolwekraal, so named in the 1800s on account of the probable presence of the Brown Hyaena or Aardwolf. The vegetation there is Prince Albert Succulent Karoo which is more similar to the Little Karoo because of the proximity to the Swartberg.
Photographed by Angela Desmidt with a Sony Digital FE210.
