It was a scorcher of a winter’s day with the temperature of 30 degrees. We aimed for The Iron Crown but ended up seeking a place with big more shade in the midday sun and found ourselves at The Old Vulture Restaurant. This was a place in the 1970's where carcasses were disposed and vultures flew in to feast. Now we find free-range cattle leaving zig-zag paths going up a once pristine grassland which is ever diminishing with paths that measure 40 cm to half a meter in width. For botanists and nature conservation enthusiasts this is heavy on one's soul when the reserve could be better managed.
Aloe candelabrum
ASPHODELACEAE
Near Threatened B1ab(iii)
South African endemic
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| Cattle breaking over trees and damaging a pristine grassland in a reserve. |
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| A footpath zig-zagging all the way up the grassland hillside. |
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| Clear trails of cattle and herdsmen. |
The two orchids we found flowering was the ever-prolific Euolopia parviflora and one Disa hians going over.
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| Disa hians ORCHIDACEAE South African endemic |
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| Eulophia parviflora ORCHIDACEAE Around the rocks we found Haemanthus albiflos in flower with Olea capensis subsp. enervis growing above.
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We found one Aloe candelabrum on the forest edge a buzz with bees. This aloe is classified as "Near threatened" owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. This is aloe is a South African endemic.
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| Aloe candelabrum ASPHODELACEAE Near Threatened B1ab(iii) South African endemic |
The other endemics we found on this day were Disa hians, Lasiosiphon triplinervis, Diospyros villosa and Anastrabe integerrima.
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Lasiosiphon triplinervis
South African endemic |
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| Diospyros villosa EBENACEAE South African endemic
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In the grassland we saw Senecio skirrhodon, Wahlenbergia huttonii, Osteospermum imbricatum and Gerbera ambigua flowering.
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| Heading down the rolling hillside. |
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| Meandering down the hillside on a 30 degree day. |
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| Wahlenbergia huttonii CAMPANULACEAE |
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| Senecio skirrhodon Senecio madagascariensis ASTERACEAE The two Acalypha we came across was Acalypha depressinerva with soft silver hairs on the leaves and the Acalypha punctata var. punctata which was coming into flower. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. The name Acalypha is from the Greek akalephe, meaning ‘a nettle’, and refers to the leaves which resemble nettles. The species name punctata means ‘marked with dots’, referring to the gland dots on the leaves. |
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| Acalypha depressinerva Bearded-leaved Brooms and Brushes EUPHORBIACEAE |
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| Acalypha punctata var. punctata Sticky Brooms and Brushes EUPHORBIACEAE |
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Buyi looking down at the dry riverbed below.
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On the forest edge Senecio deltoideus was both in flower and had set seed. Macaranga capensis var. capensis is usually occurring in la ow-altitude forest, along streams and in most wet areas. It's commonly known as ‘David’s Heart’, due to its large heart-shaped leaves.
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| Senecio deltoideus Canary Creeper ASTERACEAE |
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| Macaranga capensis var. capensis EUPHORBIACEAE Brachylaena uniflora is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The male inflorescence is more dense and has more flowers per head than the female.
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| Halleria lucida Tree Fuchsia STILBACEAE |
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Osteospermum imbricatum
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| Gerbera ambigua ASTERACEAE |
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| Our dear Maggie sitting comfortably in the coolth of a ficus. |
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| A joyous bunch of women, Maggie, Buyi, Dorothy, Hilliary, Gail and Anne. |
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| Pondoland C.R.E.W./The Thursday Group Gail, Hillary, Magge, Simon, Dorothy, Anne and Buyi "To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles." - Unknown |
