Page 14 - The Villager September 2021

Book Review

Know tHem bY tHeir Fruit:

A guide to identifying South African trees

To commemorate Arbour
Week, we recommend
this latest release from
Jacana Media.

his is a unique, first-of-its-
kind tree book with beautiful
Tillustrations of the fruiting twigs
of 381 South African 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.
The book, published in partnership
with the Botanical Society of South
Africa, includes:
• Specially coded keys showing colour
and size for easy identification.
• The current botanical binomial, recent There, as a research forester, he was in George. He later became involved
old names (due to taxonomic changes) tasked with collecting the fruits of as an environmental educator for
and the ‘best’ common names. ornamental trees in the streets and the South African Forestry Company
• Notes on distribution, fruiting time and cemeteries of the capital for the central Limited (SAFCOL) with regards to
habitats. seed store. the accreditation by the Forestry
• 381 Beautiful illustrations of the He worked for several years in Stewardship Council (FSC) of native
fruiting twigs of South African trees. the Department of Agricultural and forests and commercial plantations.
Technical Services as a horticulturalist During collecting trips as a pupil
Trevor Ankiewicz grew up on a at their Horticultural and Botanical forester, he realised the fruits and pods
Highveld farm in the Bronkhorstspruit Research Institute in Pretoria. He then were often an easy way of identifying
district. Having completed secondary returned to Saasveld in 1983 and the trees. It was then that the idea was
school at Belfast High School he continued working as an extension conceived to produce a field guide
furthered his studies at the Saasveld forester until completing his career in concentrating on these diagnostic
School for Foresters on the outskirts of the civil service as a public relations features to supplement the many
George. Upon graduating in 1966, he officer for the Department of Nature excellent publications already available
was transferred to the South African and Environmental Conservation in on indigenous South African trees.
Forestry Research Institute in Pretoria. the Southern Cape Regional Office Suggested Retail Price: R350.00

12 • Issue 9 2021 • The Villager