Submitted by sproutingforth on Thu, 2010-08-12 09:53
Arum lily season is here! You'll know this because at any number of lights around the city, some well-meaning chap will thrust a bunch at your window. And the temptation to buy these gorgeous flowers is enormous.
I've been aware that one shouldn't buy as they're being picked in the wild, destroying the natural balance of what remains of the natural wetlands, wild places and roadsides along which they grow (they're regarded as one of the wild flowers of the flower route and indicated in reports on the flowers).
But what I didn't know is that the endangered arum lily micro frog breeds in the water and dew held in the cup of these lilies.
Submitted by sproutingforth on Wed, 2010-08-18 10:50.
The City’s Environmental Resource Management Department would like to thank you for your write-up on the arum lilies and the arum lily frog.
Environmental stories like this are extremely important, and go a long way towards highlighting the spectacular biodiversity in Cape Town, and its many threats.
I’m guessing that this was based on the articles in the Bolander (11 August) or the Saturday Argus (7 August)? Unfortunately these articles contained some factual errors, and we have sent to following information to the papers:
We realise that some of the information was taken from one of the City’s pamphlets which, in hindsight, may have been ambiguous in its wording. We apologise for this – we are currently updating this pamphlet.
*The micro frog (Microbatrachella capensis) and the arum lily frog (Hyperolius horstockii) are two different species of frog. While the micro frog is indeed smaller than a fingernail, the arum lily frog is somewhat larger, attaining about 40 mm in length.
*The micro frog does not use arum lilies at all and, while the arum lily frog will use the flowers of the arum lilies for shelter, they are not dependant on them.
*Arum lily frogs breed in wetlands and not in the flowers of the arums. No frog species breed in the flowers of arum lilies.
*Arum lily frogs are very pale and they hide their bright orange feet and legs under their bodies when they are in the flowers. They are thereby camouflaged against the white arum flower. They do not use the pollen of the flowers to camouflage themselves.
*While arum lily frogs are only found in the Western Cape (and a small area of the Eastern Cape), they are not classified as threatened in the 2004 Red Data book. However, it is true that the species has become increasingly rare as their habitat has been lost to urban development.
*While the illegal picking of arum lilies will not lead to the extinction of arum lily frogs, the sale of illegally harvested flora at our traffic lights is a cause for concern. If left unchecked, various other illegally harvested plants could be sold at traffic lights. This could include proteas, ericas and various bulb species in the future.
*The City does not wish to deter the public from purchasing flowers from hawkers – as long as they are legal retailers.
Submitted by Dianne van der walt (not verified) on Tue, 2010-08-31 12:01.
did you know that this lily is edible. yip, everything above ground can be eaten....we should educate this to the masses of starving peeps and maybe, there will be less intrusion on the wetlands as the educated may start to grow them in their own back yards...[food for thought]
from the City of Cape Town
The City’s Environmental Resource Management Department would like to thank you for your write-up on the arum lilies and the arum lily frog.
Environmental stories like this are extremely important, and go a long way towards highlighting the spectacular biodiversity in Cape Town, and its many threats.
I’m guessing that this was based on the articles in the Bolander (11 August) or the Saturday Argus (7 August)? Unfortunately these articles contained some factual errors, and we have sent to following information to the papers:
We realise that some of the information was taken from one of the City’s pamphlets which, in hindsight, may have been ambiguous in its wording. We apologise for this – we are currently updating this pamphlet.
*The micro frog (Microbatrachella capensis) and the arum lily frog (Hyperolius horstockii) are two different species of frog. While the micro frog is indeed smaller than a fingernail, the arum lily frog is somewhat larger, attaining about 40 mm in length.
*The micro frog does not use arum lilies at all and, while the arum lily frog will use the flowers of the arum lilies for shelter, they are not dependant on them.
*Arum lily frogs breed in wetlands and not in the flowers of the arums. No frog species breed in the flowers of arum lilies.
*Arum lily frogs are very pale and they hide their bright orange feet and legs under their bodies when they are in the flowers. They are thereby camouflaged against the white arum flower. They do not use the pollen of the flowers to camouflage themselves.
*While arum lily frogs are only found in the Western Cape (and a small area of the Eastern Cape), they are not classified as threatened in the 2004 Red Data book. However, it is true that the species has become increasingly rare as their habitat has been lost to urban development.
*While the illegal picking of arum lilies will not lead to the extinction of arum lily frogs, the sale of illegally harvested flora at our traffic lights is a cause for concern. If left unchecked, various other illegally harvested plants could be sold at traffic lights. This could include proteas, ericas and various bulb species in the future.
*The City does not wish to deter the public from purchasing flowers from hawkers – as long as they are legal retailers.
did you know that this lily
did you know that this lily is edible. yip, everything above ground can be eaten....we should educate this to the masses of starving peeps and maybe, there will be less intrusion on the wetlands as the educated may start to grow them in their own back yards...[food for thought]