Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos is a vegetation type that naturally occurs in theCape Winelands (or "Boland") of theWestern Cape,South Africa.
This vegetation type is found on lower mountain slopes and high, rolling plains in theWestern CapeBoland ofSouth Africa. The loamy soils are naturally poor, moist and slightly acidic but the biodiversity is rich.
The vegetation consists of a diverse array ofProtea,Erica,geophyte anddaisy species, as well as some endemic species. In the moister areas, the Ericas predominate over the other plant groups.This vegetation type is more vulnerable than other types of mountainfynbos, as it typically grows on lower slopes, which tend to be developed for housing or cultivated for farming.[1]
An isolated patch of this vegetation can also be found further to the west, within the city of Cape Town. Here it is usually known asPeninsula Shale Fynbos and occurs on the lower slopes ofDevils Peak as far south asNewlands Forest andKirstenbosch. On the northern slopes of Devils Peak, it merges intoPeninsula Shale Renosterveld. This ecosystem is usually classed as being a type of Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos, although there are differences.[2]
There is a forest ofSilvertrees (Leucadendron argenteum) growing in this spot of Peninsula Shale Fynbos, just aboveRhodes Memorial. This rare and enormousProtea is typically restricted to thePeninsula Granite Fynbos of Cape Town. It is not known why it grows in the shale fynbos here.[3]
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