The colourful rain forest floor. Zimbabwe side of the Falls.
Above: Blood-lilies on the rain forest floor mark the start of the rainy season
Photo: Brett Hilton-Barber
The fragile, yet resilient ecosystem of the rain forest has a profusion of colourful shrubs and other flowering plants. Some 70 shrub species and 170 floral species have been recorded.
Among these are:
Forest-Dwelling Orchid (Calanthe sylvatica)Forest floor plant with broad leaves and large white flowers which are visible in December.
Feretia / Red-Leaved Medlar (Feretia aeruginescens)Scraggly shrub with delicate pink flowers that bloom in October/November before giving way to red, fleshy fruit.
Sun Hibiscus (Hibiscus calyphyllus)Large yellow flower that opens from mid- to- late summer to reveal a chocolate-coloured centre.
Flame Lily (Gloriosa superba)Bold red and yellow flowers that appear in late summer.
This information is based on research by DB Fanshawe of the Zambian Forest Research Division.
Illustrations by Chip Snaddon
Further reading on Climate, Geology, Flora at Vic Falls:
