Enjoying the coolness of Smedmore Forest

We started early on the last day of 2015 to avoid the worst of the heat and opted to go to the Smedmore area as this had the possibility of escaping to the shade of the forest. This proved to be a good choice as the grassland and cliff edges soon became uncomfortably hot. We nevertheless saw some interesting plants along the cliff edges. Among these were Faurea macnaughtonii, Polygala gazaensis and some distance out of reach, a Scolopia mundii in full flower.

Faurea macnaughtonii inflorescense bud

Scolopia mundii

Polygala gazaensis

We worked our way back along the cooler forest edge and found Justicia tabulosa flowering on the forest floor, and Orthochilus ensatus in the grassland near the forest.

 

Justicia tabulosa

Eventually we found our way into the forest to have lunch at a spot which normally has a good display of Stenoglottis fimbriata flowering on the rocks but it seems the dry conditions have deterred this species from flowering this year. However the Thunbergia purpurata were flowering well to make up for the lack of Stenoglottis flowers.

Thunbergia purpurata

Participants: Anne S, Debbie K, Dorothy M, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Uschi T.