Flora of the Kap River Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

A detailed analysis of the flora of the newly proclaimed Rap River Reserve (600 ha) is given. The reserve is adjacent to the Fish River and some 5 km from the Fish River Mouth. It consists of a coastal plateau up to 100 m a.s .l. which is steeply dissected by the two rivers that partially form the bo undary of thc reserve. The flora of the reserve was sampled over a peri od of three years and plants were collected in all the vegetation types of gra ssland, thicket and forest. 488 species were collected with a species to fa mily ratio of 4:4. The majority of the taxa recorded represent the major ph ytochoria of the region. Nineteen species are endemic to the Eastern Caps, two are classed as vulnerable, five are rare, six are protected and a furth er seventeen are of uncertain status. The flora of the Kap River has closes t affinities to that of the Alexandria Forest.