Beacon Hill walk to mentor the Blue Flag Beach Stewards (Thursday 27 April 2017)

We offered to provide some field botanical exposure to the Mzamba Beach Stewards and they jumped at the chance to join us on our walk at Beacon Hill. We needed to check on how the fruits of the Olea sp. nov. were developing and so headed towards the first of these trees.

A first stop to discuss some forbs

With much to show Mxolisi, Phakamani and Wendy, progress was slow. As we crested the first rise we found a scattering of Moraea spathulata flowering. Phakamani stopped to see how long one of the leaves of this Moraea can get. These leaves are used by rural Pondoland women to tie up bundles of firewood.

Moraea spathulata

Showing the long leaf of Moraea spathulata

We walked on and found some Utricularia livida in flower. These bladderworts augment their nutrients by catching small insect larvae in their underground bladders. Later we were able to show them Genlisea hispidula which uses a similar strategy for living in these nutrient-poor leached soils.

Utricularia livida

Dotted around on these grassy slopes were a few Pimpenella caffra with their delicate white flowers.

Pimpenella caffra

In one damp area of grassland we found a late Habenaria woodii, with one remaining flower, and later, on a rock outcrop, we spotted a very confused Rangaeris muscicola with buds almost ready to open - unusual in a species that normally flowers in December in this area.

Rangaeris muscicola in bud

We came across this Ficus ingens that had rooted in a crack under a rock but the tree was displayed horizontally on another rock surface.

A horizontal tree - Ficus ingens

Examining the Olea sp. nov., the fruits seemed to be bigger than they were on our last visit some weeks back - we will have to continue to monitor their progress. Anastrabe integerrima shrubs were starting to flower, as were Colpoon compressum and Robsonodendron eucleiforme.

Anastrabe integerrima

Colpoon compressum

Robsonodendron eucleiforme

We sat on some rocks to eat lunch and soaked in the fantastic views of the Bulolo River gorge below us. Where we were sitting we found a Diospyros villosa in flower, and not far away was a Phylica paniculata in fruit.

Diospyros villosa

Phylica paniculata fruits

The view in front of our lunch spot

After checking some other individual Olea sp. nov. trees to inspect their fruits, we headed back. On the way we found a small cluster of the inconspicuous grass Aloe, Aloe myriacantha.

Aloe myriacantha

Mxolisi taking a photo of Aloe myriacantha

Sadly, this was Mxolisi's last walk with us as he is leaving to take up a new job in Pretoria. We will watch his further development with interest while we continue to work with Phakamani and Wendy.

Participants: Anne S, Debbie K, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A (accompanied by her sister Joan), Mxolisi N., Phakamani M, Uschi T, Wendy B.