Beacon Hill 26 September 2024

It was an awfully windy day and the changes of photographing any flower was near impossible.  I was sure that the images were all going to be blurred.  It was a day which definitely showed who had the passion and stamina to endure this horrid wind.  Venturing near any edge would be dangerous so we kept to the trail and wanted to explore more but in long grass we kept to the trail and close to the office.  We found Drimia echinostachya which is endemic and vulnerable.  Our other endemic for the day was Schizoglossum atropurpureum subsp. virens.   Eulophia hians var. hians can be seen throughout the reserve and is quite prolific. Hypericum aethiopicum subsp. sonderi is also known as St John's Wort and is a perennial.

Drimia echinostachya 
HYACINTHACEAE
Synonym:  Drimia cooperi
Vulnerable A2ad; C2a(i)
South African endemic

Eulophia hians var. hians
ORCHIDACEAE

Hypericum aethiopicum subsp. sonderi 
HYPERICACEAE
St. Johns Wort

Argyrolobium harveyanum 
FABACEAE

Heliophila rigidiuscula
BRASSICACEAE

Pelargonium luridum
GERANIACEAE

Merwilla plumbea kraussii
HYACINTHACEAE 

Dorothy safely heading back up to the office.

Ushi and Alf braving the gale.

Meandering down the path and quickly back up again.

Schizoglossum atropurpureum subsp. virens
APOCYNACEAE
South African endemic

Psoralea glabra
FABACEAE

Geranium flanaganii
GERANIACEAE

Acalypha punctata var. punctata
EUPHORBIACEAE
Sticky Brooms and Brushes

Chamaecrista comosa
FABACEAE

Pondoland C.R.E.W. / The Thursday Group
Alf, Hilliary, Arman, Buyi, Anne, Guest, Dorothy, Uschi and Gail

"Kites rise highest against the wind - not with it".   Winston Churchill

Western Heights 3 October 2024

We headed off to Western Heights in hope that we could see Merwilla plumbea in flower but this was not to be the case as the grassland had not been burnt.  These plants that can be found in the swamp area and can be quite breath taking if one is lucky enough to see fields of blue.

We meandered around a bit and Tracy found Raphionacme palustris which is endemic to the area.  This is a tuberous geophyte.  In the long grass there is no chance of finding this small flower.  

As we drove, we came across herds of cattle.  These have become the local residents to the area and we have lost the battle in getting these bovines out.  The herdsmen set fire to this reserve so that the cattle can have good grazing.  It's heart breaking to see cattle kicking up the earth with their hooves and eating the flowers.  Several Boophone disticha's could be seen lying scattered around thanks to hooves.  

We stopped near The Iron Crown in hope to find Boophone disticha in flower. We were in luck. They were awakening!  What a glorious scent they have.  Boophone disticha is part of the beautiful Amarylidaceae family and a flagship in this family for its widespread ethnic use in traditional medicine.  The San communities used the plant on their arrows for dart poisoning. Compounds extracted have shown promise in the use against some forms of cancer.  This plants too has veterinary uses and it has been suggested that vultures and other carrion birds eat the plant to prevent harm from ingestion of putrid flesh and to sharpen vision. Ref:  Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk

We skirted the edge of the forest and found Anenome afra.  What a magnificent flower this is and when one turns the flower over it has delicate pink hues on the petals.  This species when used with Athrixia heterophylla is used to treat mental diseases.  It is also believed that the roots are used to induce forgetfulness in children and help with weaning of toddlers and babies. Ref:  Sciencedirect.com

The endemics we found were Raphionacme palustris,Eriosema umtamvunense is "Endangered".  Lotononis bachmanniana is and Kniphofia coddiana are "Near threatened". Certainly plants are now more threatened and vulnerable with cattle being left freely to live and graze.  Our wildflowers are under threat when populations continue to build and not conserve the ever-diminishing grasslands.  These plants do need to be documented and specimens placed in herbariums.

Boophone disticha
AMARYLLIDACEAE 
Medicinal 

Eriosema umtamvunense
FABACEAE
Endangered A2c
South African endemic

Raphionacme palustris
APOCYNACEAE
South African endemic

Western Heights.  Tracy spotting Raphionacme palustris

Lotononis bachmanniana 
FABACEAE
Near Threatened A4c; B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)
South African endemic

Kniphofia coddiana
ASPHODELACEAE
Near Threatened B1ab(iii)
South African endemic

Helichrysum ecklonis
ASTERACEAE

Cattle in Western Heights

Ledebouria revoluta 
HYACINTHACEAE

Raphionacme galpinii
APOCYNACEAE

Eulophia hians var. hians
ORCHIDACEAE

Acalypha peduncularis
EUPHORBIACEAE

Pelargonium luridum 
GERANIACEAE

Tracy capturing flowers.

Pentanisia prunelloides subsp. prunelloides
RUBIACEAE

Anemone afra 
RANUNCULACEAE
Windflower 
South African endemic 

Tulbaghia acutiloba
ALLIACEAE
Wild Garlic

Ekebergia pterophylla
MELIACEAE

Clutia pulchella
EUPHORBIACEAE

Thesium pallidum
SANTALACEAE

Ekebergia capensis
MELIACEAE

Dipcadi marlothii 
HYACINTHACEAE

Mystroxylon aethiopicum
CELASTRACEAE

Bulbophyllum scaberulum var. scaberulum
ORCHIDACEAE

Alf capturing the beautiful Boophone disticha.

Argyrolobium rotundifolium 
FABACEAE

Leobordea pulchra
FABACEAE

Eriospermum mackenii subsp. mackenii
RUSCACEAE
Perdepootjie

Gerbera piloselloides
ASTERACEAE

Eulophia hians var. hians
ORCHIDACEAE

Hilliardiella hirsuta
ASTERACEAE
Quilted-leaved Vernonia

Acalypha depressinerva
EUPHORBIACEAE
Bearded-leaved Brooms and Brushes

Cattle herds

Pondoland C.R.E.W. / The Thursday Group
Arman, Dorothy, Tracy, Gail and Alf.

"Awareness is the greatest agent for change." - Eckhart Tolle