Plant census and floristic analysis of selected serpentine outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, Mpumalanga, South Africa

•A floristic analysis of seven serpentine outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt was completed.•The species composition of each outcrop is relatively unique with about 30% of species shared between any pair of outcrops.•The serpentine flora of the Barberton Greenstone Belt was found to differ from the surrounding non-serpentine vegetation.•32 taxa are endemic to the serpentine soils of the Barberton Greenstone Belt

This paper aims to characterise and describe the species composition of serpentine sites of the Barberton Greenstone Belt as compared to surrounding non-serpentine areas. A floristic analysis of seven serpentine (serpentinite) outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, in the eastern part of South Africa, recorded 744 species and subspecies, 319 genera and 94 families. 18 taxa remain undescribed. The Barberton Greenstone Belt flora includes 32 taxa endemic to serpentine soils and six taxa considered to be hyperaccumulators of nickel. The taxa considered to be endemic to serpentine outcrops make up 39% of the number of endemics found within the Barberton Centre of Endemism. The serpentine vegetation is characterised by fewer trees than the surrounding vegetation and the dominance of grass species such as Themeda triandra, Heteropogon contortus and Loudetia simplex. The species composition of each outcrop is relatively unique with only about 30% of species shared between any pair of outcrops. The flora of the serpentine outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt is found to be different to the surrounding non-serpentine vegetation in terms of number of species per family, the ratios of dicotyledons to monocotyledons and familial composition.