Page 42 - FWG 9 October 2021

Book Review

kNow them

by their

fruit:

A guide to identifying

South African trees

For all the nature lovers, we
recommend this latest release
from Jacana Media.

his is a unique, first-of-its-kind tree
book with beautiful illustrations
of the fruiting twigs of 381 South
TAfrican trees. The reason behind
illustrating tree fruits is that, like so many
tree-lovers, the author, Trevor Ankiewicz
found it difficult to identify many tree
species from their leaves as they are the
most variable of all the plant parts. Fruits,
like flowers, have much more stable shapes
and sizes and, unlike flowers, are easier to
identify macroscopically. Scratch around
the under-canopy of trees and you may
find the remains of fruit that can be useful
for identification. Thus, this book was born,
and it represents the culmination of some
40 years’ work by the author.
Trevor Ankiewicz grew up on a Highveld He worked for several years in the
The book, published in partnership with the farm in the Bronkhorstspruit district. Having Department of Agricultural and Technical
Botanical Society of South Africa, includes: completed secondary school at Belfast Services as a horticulturalist and then
• Specially coded keys showing colour and High School he furthered his studies at returned to Saasveld in 1983. He later became
size for easy identification. the Saasveld School for Foresters on the an environmental educator for the South
• The current botanical binomial, recent old outskirts of George. Upon graduating in African Forestry Company Limited (SAFCOL),
names (due to taxonomic changes) and 1966, he was transferred to the South African and was involved in the accreditation of
the ‘best’ common names. Forestry Research Institute in Pretoria. There, native forests and commercial plantations
• Notes on distribution, fruiting time and as a research forester, he was tasked with by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
habitats. collecting the fruits of ornamental trees in
• 381 beautiful illustrations of the fruiting the streets and cemeteries of the capital for During collecting trips as a pupil forester, he
twigs of South African trees. the central seed store. realised that the fruits and pods of the trees
were often an easy way of identifying them.
It was then that the idea was conceived to
produce a field guide concentrating on
WIN A COPY OF KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUIT! these diagnostic features to supplement
One lucky winner can win their own copy of this very informative book! the many excellent publications about
indigenous South African trees that are
Simply answer this question: Where did the author grow up? already available.
Please email your answer along with your full name, your cell number and
your stand number, detailing ‘FWG Book Competition’ in the Subject line, to:
competitions@eiapublishing.co.za. The winner will be notified by email. Suggested Retail Price: R350.00

Fourways Gardens • 40 • October 2021