Psoralea fascicularis: A Restoration Project

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Jeremy Gilmore

One of Lower Tokai Park’s most special plants is the Large-stipule Fountainbush (Psoralea fascicularis), a member of the pea family (Fabaceae). This rather inconspicuous shrublet is most often found growing in damp areas of Fynbos and Renosterveld where, given the right conditions, its small violet flowers provide quite a show.

Although the species has a broad distribution range, stretching from the Cape Peninsula and Stellenbosch to Shaw’s Pass near Caledon, its few remaining populations are greatly threatened. Habitat destruction caused by urban development, expanding agriculture and invasive alien plants threaten populations of P. fascicularis and have resulted in it being Red Listed as Endangered (Raimondo et al. 2018). The species continues to decline rapidly across its limited range.

History

Psoralea fascicularis was recorded by Dr William Frederick Purcell on Bergvliet Farm in 1915, a roughly 4km² area now encompassing most of the Bergvliet and Meadowridge suburbs. While it would have been a lot more prevalent during the time of Purcell, P. fascicularis in this area is now restricted to a handful of plants along the Tokai greenbelts and, of course, at Lower Tokai Park itself.

This makes P. fascicularis just one species among many making Tokai Park so special. It reinforces the need for our collective effort in conserving what little remains of this highly threatened habitat.

The project

To help boost these sub-populations on the nearby Soetvlei and Grootboschkloof greenbelts, Jeremy Gilmore of the Constantia Waldorf School completed his Grade 12 project on the species last year. He focussed on the species’ conservation through horticulture or propagation and restoration.

Jeremy first became interested in the species after noting around Tokai on iNaturalist. iNaturalist is a citizen science platform allowing anyone to upload and identify photographs and other media (e.g. audio) of living organisms – ranging from plants to animals to bacteria, and so on.

After researching the elusive species, Jeremy considered it an ideal subject for his Grade 12 project. He contacted Marianne Alexander, the Grootboschkloof Greenbelt warden, who had also observed the species. This led to him collaborating with Dr Caitlin von Witt from FynbosLIFE, with whom he discussed the project further. FynbosLIFE is a non-profit organisation committed to the conservation of locally indigenous flora through both horticulture and education.

Before long, Jeremy and Caitlin were collecting cutting material from the few plants left on the Grootboschkloof Greenbelt. They then took the material to the FynbosLIFE nursery and prepped it for propagation.

Propagation and restoration

To root successfully, the new cuttings were dipped in to Dynaroot No. 2 rooting hormone powder before being planted into small plug-trays with a mixture of seedling mix and vermiculite. The rooting success rate was incredible, with all trays having a success rate between 86% and 97%. Each of these first trays contained 128 cuttings.

Within two weeks, the cuttings were sufficiently rooted and Jeremy planted them into larger trays containing a more appropriate sand mix. A few months on and they were ready to be planted out on the greenbelts. The cuttings planted out on the Grootboschkloof Greenbelt were extremely successful with a good number of plants not only surviving, but thriving.

The future

To continue helping this Endangered species, more plantings are planned for elsewhere on the greenbelts, as well as at Lower Tokai Park. The project was undoubtedly a great success and has set a milestone in terms of the species’ propagation in terms of its conservation and, perhaps, its future commercial use, e.g. gardens where it may continue to thrive.