Location: Domboshawa

General Information

Quarter degree square: 1731C1 Country: Zimbabwe Habitat: Granite "kopje" with shallow soil vegetation islands and mixed deciduous woodland. Altitude range: 1560 - 1650m Annual rainfall: Location (short): Location (detailed):

Description

Domboshawa is a large granite "kopje" or "whaleback", rising out of the central plateau highveld. Most of the surrounding areas are densely populated and cultivated but Domboshawa is relatively well protected by National Monuments of Zimbabwe and is of great botanical interest.

Vegetation is concentrated in the shallow soils of vegetation islands in depressions, cracks and crevices in the granite sheet rock, and in the shelter of large boulders.

Many ferns and flowering plants are unique to this type of habitat, including endemics such as Portulaca rhodesiana (Portulacaceae), Cyphostemma graniticum (Vitaceae) and Gomphocarpus tenuifolius (Asclepiadaceae). Deeper depressions and areas near the base of the kopje profit from the copious run-off of rain water from the bare expanses of granite rock, and are rich in vegetation including areas of mixed deciduous woodland trees. Hymenodictyon floribundum (Rubiaceae), Ochna puberula (Ochnaceae) and Garcinia buchananii (Clusiaceae) are typical representatives of this habitat.

View a list of records for Domboshawa

Google Map of records at Domboshawa

Images

Date	Photographer	Description	Image
12 May 2004	B Wursten	Large boulders near summit
12 May 2004	B Wursten	View from a distance towards Domboshawa Cave. A leafless specimen of Hymenodictyon floribundum is visible in the foreground.
09 Oct 2005	R Burrett	View from the base of Domboshawa hill near the Interpretative Centre looking towards the summit. The "whale rock" is on the right. There is a patch of trees and other woody vegetation near the top just to the left of centre.
09 Oct 2005	R Burrett	View of Sacred Forest (mostly Uapaca kirkiana)
09 Oct 2005	R Burrett	View from within the Sacred Forest in the dry season
27 Nov 2004	B Wursten	Gomphocarpus tenuifolius, a granite rock endemic