A visit to Rennie's to examine Kniphofia

Kniphofia littoralis is one of our target species for 2016 and having done some reading on the similarities/differences between this species and Kniphofia coddiana, we decided it was necessary to revisit the Rennie's Beach scetion of the Red Desert Nature Reserve to have a closer look at the Kniphofia growing in this exposed section of coastal grassland.

After seeing Nemesia coerulea and Heliophila subulata along the path, we soon came across the first of the Kniphofia species for the day. These had many of the characters of Kniphofia littoralis, but as the day went on and we examined many more of these plants the distinctions became blurred - suffice it to say we are a little confused. We possibly have three species present and flowering on this grassland: Kniphofia coddiana, Kniphofia littoralis and Kniphofia rooperii, but we will have to consult the genus specialists to confirm this.

Nemesia caerulea

Heliophila subulata

Kniphofia cf littoralis

Kniphofia cf rooperii

  Among the rocks and shrubs nearby were Commelina eckloniana, Jamesbrittenia kraussiana and the first flowers on a clump of Geranium flanaganii

Commelina eckloniana

Jamesbrittenia kraussiana

Geranium flanaganii

At the edge of a forest patch we found  Grewia occidentalis, Scolopia zeyheri covered in brightly coloured fruits and Momordica balsamina with flowers and fruit.

Grewia occidentalis

Scolopia zeyheri fruits

Momordica balsamina

The path took us back into the open grassland where there were many Helichrysum appendiculatum, several Eriosema dregei and one or two Tritonia gladiolaris.

Helichrysum appendiculatum

Tritonia gladiolaris

Eriosema dregei

Sharp eyes saw the unobtrusive heads of Acrolophia cochlearis - these orchids look very much like dead heads of grass until a closer look reveals the very attractive small flowers.

Acrolophia cochlearis

Living up to its name was Maytenus procumbens - artfully draping its fruit-filled branches over a low rock plate and growing out of the same rock cluster was Canthium inerme with branches bursting with buds.

Maytenus procumbens

Canthium inerme

Lunch on the rocks

On and in between the rocks where we had lunch were several Euphorbia flanaganii and a Cassine peragua with ripe black fruits.

Euphorbia flanaganii

Lauridia tetragona

Back into the grassland we found another section that had been burned some weeks back - all these burns are started by arsonists. Here we found some Hypoxis angustifolia, two Merwilla plumbea flowers and several Ledebouria cooperii in a drainage furrow.

Hypoxis angustifolia

Merwilla plumbea

Ledebouria cooperii

While Dorothy was trying to take a photo of a Senecio she almost stepped on a night adder - it made a very aggressive escape under a Helichrysum cluster.

Night adder

Along the road to where we had parked, we came across Hewittia malabarica, Gnidia woodii, several shrubs of Dichilis stricta full of bright yellow flowers and a beautiful Boophone distichia.

Hewittia malabarica

Gnidia woodii

Dichilis strictus

Boophone distichia

Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Mervyn T, Uschi T.