It was day where one preferred to stay at home
and do other things as the weather was most unpleasant to say the least. A few day days before the floors were wet
with humidity and it was hot. We hadn’t
had a winter and now it was this time of year.
August winds pressed pause and December was upon us and the winds still
howled. Lightening had stuck and the
heavens definitely sounded like there was a relocation. Farmlands in the Umtamvuna were left for days
without power. One set out with phone’s
only being charged in the car and battery packs flashed “Change”.
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Xysmalobium involucratum
Hongersnoodbossie
APOCYNACEAE
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Asclepias albens
Cartwheels
APOCYNACEAE
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Bracing the all the elements of the day for the love of plants.
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| Uschi focused and passionate about plants. This is a great teacher. |
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| Maggie out there and soldiering on. |
Dorothy had suggested we botanize at Rennie’s. In the winds a forest would be more protected
but out we went in slow pace as the area where we botanizing in was near the
ocean and can be unsafe. The grass
rolled. Birds battled to fly. We battled to walk forward. Today all plants got the name “inclanta”
which means “inclined to lean” The wind made everything including us and plants
lean to one side. How one was going to
take a sharp image was going to be interesting.
Perhaps it would be an abstract art day in the flowers.
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| The Hugh Nicholson's Thursday Group. |
In the swamp area Watsonia pillansii flowered
in mass. We were at the end as some were
going to seed. The colour was a coral
orange. Just beautiful as were stems
that were about to burst into magic.
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Watsonia pillansii
IRIDACEAE
South African endemic |
Intermingled in the Watsonia pillansii were Eulophia
angolensis. They like children hadn’t
reached their full height but were flowering and still reaching for the
sun. On the outskirts of this wetland an
abundant mass of Satyrium sphaerocarpum flowered. We’d never seen such a mass of these orchids flowering everywhere.
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Satyrium sphaerocarpum
ORCHIDACEAE |
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Walking amongst the Satyrium sphaerocarpum
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Eulophia angolensis
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| Acrolophia cochlearis |
ORCHIDACEAE
On this day the flowers that took charge of the
day where Watsonia pillansii, Satyrium sphaerocarpum, and Eriosema dregei. 99 percent of the Eriosma’s had set seed or gone over. It must have been quite a picture.
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| Alf amongst the field of Watsonia pillansii |
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Eriosema dregei
FABACEAE
Vulnerable A2c; B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(iii)
South African endemic |
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| Uschi looking behind the leaf for bumps. |
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Delosperma carterae
Bumpy Sheepfig
AIZOACEAE
South African endemic
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The name “Delosperma” is derived from the Greek words “delos,” meaning clear, and “sperma,” meaning seed, potentially referencing the plant’s transparent seeds. The species name “carterae” honors a person associated with its discovery or classification, further emphasizing the human connection to the natural world.
The leaves are bumpy and fleshy, often described as looking like small, green pebbles. This unique leaf structure helps the plant retain moisture, a critical adaptation for survival in arid climates. When in bloom, the plant produces an abundance of vibrant yellow or white flowers that resemble lively little stars, creating a stunning visual display that attracts various pollinators.
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Selago tarachodes
SCROPHULARIACEAE
South African endemic
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Aspilia natalensis
Wild Creeping Sunflower
ASTERACEAE
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Bottoms up. Heads down. What's this?
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Convolvulus natalensis
CONVOLVULACEAE
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| Gall's on Rhoicissus tridentata |
Bushman's GrapeVITACEAE
In nature one never knows where to go. It’s like chasing butterflies. Blink at its gone. One just has to be at the right time and the
right place with a lot of luck.
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The Hugh Nicholson's Thursday Group / Pondoland C.R.E.W.
Gail, Dorothy, Maggie, Tracy, Uschi, Alf and Anne.
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“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” –
Thomas Fuller
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