Author: thedigitalphilatelist

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. It features a glossy, reddish brown coat. The impala is known for two characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy. The impala is found in woodlands and sometimes between woodlands and savannahs; it inhabits places near…

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Aloe is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants. The genus name is derived from the Arabic word alloeh, meaning “bitter and shiny substance.”  The genus is native to tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar, Jordan, the Arabian Peninsula, and various islands in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Réunion,…

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Hoodia lugardii was name after Major Edward James Lugard (1865-1957), a British-born plant collector who collected extensively in Botswana. It is a robust multi-stemmed succulent perennial. Stems are usually erect, branching from the base, cylindrical, ribbed by up to 30 vertical rows of tubercles, each tipped by a single spine.…

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Ansellia is considered a monotypic genus of orchid, with only one species, Ansellia africana, commonly known as African ansellia or leopard orchid. However, it may in fact be a complex group of species which share common floral structure and growth habit. The plants are found throughout neotropical and subtropical Africa.…

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The Rhodes Matopos National Park is the oldest in Rhodesia. In November 1926 a National Park and Game Reserve was declared within the Matopos hills. In 1963, a change in policy saw the creation of the Matopo National Park and a reduction in the park’s size, with the balance being…

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Baker Avenue, Salisbury is name after Samuel Baker (1821 – 1893). Baker was an English explorer, officer, naturalist, big game hunter, engineer, writer and abolitionist. He also held the titles of Pasha and Major-General in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. He served as the Governor-General of the Equatorial Nile Basin,…

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The Eastern Cataract is located on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls but can be seen from Danger Point in Rhodesia. It is often dried up during the dry season. It is approximately a quarter of Victoria Falls and has an elevation of 101 metres. Postcards 1969 – R A Bourlay…

View More Rhodesia Philately: Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya) – Eastern Cataract

Jacaranda mimosifolia is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting violet-colored flowers. Older sources call it J. acutifolia, but it is nowadays more usually classified as J. mimosifolia. In scientific usage, the name “jacaranda” refers to the…

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Aloe inyangensis is a succulent aloe plant species, found only in the mountainous Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia. It grows best in shady conditions but in some areas is also found in the open in heaths on mountain tops. This aloe is a small herbaceous plant with stiff, succulent strap-shaped leaves…

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Aloe pretoriensis is a species of Aloe found in eastern Rhodesia. It occurs in rocky grassland at generally higher altitudes and flowers in winter. The pointy flowers are carried on elongated racemes on a decidedly tall and branched peduncle. They have a tight rosette of erect, pale green leaves, which…

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