The southwestern Cape is home to one of the worlds richest floras. The region has an estimated 7000 species of true fynbos and more than 9000 plant species in total. The Cape Peninsula alone has 2 285 plant species on an area a third the size of greater London. It has three times more plant species per square kilometer than those fabulously lush rainforests. For this reason, it was declared one of the world's 34 biodiversity 'hot spots', and in 2004, was confirmed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fynbos is a hard-leaved, evergreen and fire-prone shrubland characterized by four major plant types: restioids, ericoids, proteoids, and geophytes. Restioids, members of the Gondwanan family Restionaceae, are evergreen rush or reedlike plants that are the uniquely diagnostic plant type of fynbos (Campbell 1985). The ericoids include many small-leafed shrubs, ranging from 0.5 m to 2 m tall, which give fynbos its heathlike appearance. The proteoids are the tallest fynbos shrubs from 2 m to 4 m in height, and comprise showy members of the Proteaceae, another Gondwanan family. Geophytes, or bulblike plants, are usually most conspicuous after fires, have blooms which are especially attractive. Citation from http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1202

These photos were mainly taken in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve in August on the tip of the Cape peninsula Note: It is far from certain that the pictured species have been given the correct names.