Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Fynbos
Fynbos (Afrikaans for fine bush) is the natural vegetation occurring in a small belt of South Africa, mainly in the South-western Cape. Of the world's six floral kingdoms, this is the smallest and richest.
Three of the characteristic fynbos plant families are proteas, ericas and restios. The diversity of plants is greater than that of the tropical rainforests, with over 8000 species of plants occurring in the area, around 5000 of which do not occur anywhere else in the world. Of the Ericas, 600 occur in the fynbos kingdom, while only 26 are found in the rest of the world. A single mountain next to Cape Town, Table Mountain, supports 1470 species, more than the entire United Kingdom.
The King protea is the national flower of South Africa.
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