More plant rescue surveys in Pondoland

We set off towards Port St. Johns in the Eastern Cape to investigate the area where the new alignment of the N2 will cross the Umzimvubu River. Between Lusikisiki and the turnoff to a district road near the Ntafufu River, the alignment roughly follows the existing road but then deviates westward onto a greenfields alignment to a new crossing of the Umzimvubu River. We were tasked with doing a preliminary survey of this "greenfields" area to allow for a tender to be submitted for plant rescue in this locality. Driving through rural farmland we were able to get fairly close to a forested strip that we needed to walk through to get an idea of its condition and the range of species present.

Just before we arrived at the closest access point, we drove along a ridge that gave us a great view of the Umzimvubu River valley below. The dominant grass in the foreground of the photo below is the notorious "ngongoni" (Aristida junciformis), a weedy, pioneer species that is indicative of poor veld management. Once it becomes dominant the veld requires more frequent burning as this grass species is only palatable to livestock when it is new.

Umzimvubu River valley - Port St Johns is off to the left

The forested strip to be explored

We made our way down a saddle and onto a track leading roughly along the new alignment through the forest. It was soon evident that this forest was in poor condition with a significant degree of invasion by alien invasive plant species, the most common of which were Cestrum laevigatum, Lantana camara, Solanum chrysostrichum and Solanum mauritianum. Solanum chrysostrichum is interesting in that, fortunately so far, it only seems to have invaded the Transkei area but is very pervasive here. There were signs of firewood collection in the forest strip and as we arrived at the forest, a load of firewood was being hauled up the slope by donkeys. Fortunately, it seems that Cestrum laevigatum is being heavily utilised for firewood so there will be some level of natural control.

Some of the smaller indigenous species found in the forest strip were Leonotis leonurus, Distephanus angulifolius, Dolichos sericeus, Hibiscus fuscus and Plumbago auriculata. There were still some tree species present too and we could pick out a few amongst the Cestrum or protruding above the Cestrum canopy on the slopes above us. These included Accacia karoo, Albizia adianthifolia, Canthium spinosum and Trichilia dregeana. 

Leonotis leonurus

Distephanus angulifolius

Dolichos sericeus

Hibiscus fuscus

Further along, the forest became less dense and we encountered a few other indigenous species such as Chaetacme aristata, Dichrostachys cinerea and Erythrina lysistemon.

Chaetacme aristata

Dichrostachys cinerea

Erythrina lysistemon

Kite spider

On the way back to the Ntafufu turnoff we came across an interesting hedge around a rural cluster of huts - the hedge comprised tall Duvernoia adhatoides shrubs, many of which were in flower.

Duvernoia adhatoides

We then drove along the R61 highway, across the Umzimvubu river just outside Port St Johns and after a short distance inland, turned onto a very narrow farm access road running alongside the Umzimvubu. The going was difficult because of long stretches of muddy water and in some places it was so overgrown that it was impossible to proceed without pushing through the woody shrubs, at the expense of some paintwork. The track then climbed a slope and in less dense woodland alongside the track we found Kalanchoe crenata. When we reached the top of the hill roughly at the point where the track intersected the new road alignment we were able to explore for more species.

These included Erianthemum dregei, Grewia occidentalis, Hippobromus pauciflorus and Pavetta lanceolata.

Kalanchoe crenata

Erianthemum dregei

Grewia occidentalis

Hippobromus pauciflorus

Pavetta lanceolata

With dusk approaching we headed back to our overnight accommodation at Cremorne Holiday Resort. This resort is built on the site originally developed by Captain Sydney Turner, one of the original settlers who tried to develop Port St Johns as a harbour to service this part of the Transkei. He is buried on the site.

Dawn on the Umzimvubu River

Morning sun on Mount Thessinger on the south bank of the Umzimvubu River

Sunrise at Cremorne Holiday Resort

The next day we made an early start and set off to explore the forest near the junction of the planned N2 with the R61. The forest between the site we explored late on the previous day and where we started this morning was inaccessible as there are no tracks through this section. From the forest margin we were able to get some indication of what species to expect along the new alignment. Some of the flowers we saw there are shown below: Crassula multicava, Cynanchum ellipticum and Thunbergia alata. We also found Viscum anceps growing in some venerable citrus trees in an old orchard.

Crassula multicava

Cynanchum ellipticum

Viscum anceps

Thunbergia alata

On our return trip we turned off from the R61 between Bizana and Port Edward to have a look at another proposed bridge site, this one over the Mnyameni River. Although we took an incorrect turn we ended up close to where we wanted to be and walked the last kilometer to the bridge site. This is a few hundred metres above the Mnyameni Falls, which are in the background beyond the pools of water in the photo below.

The location of the bridge site over the Mnyameni River

Fortunately the alignment appears to just miss a rock outcrop with several endemic species growing between the rocks. These include Eugenia umtamvunensis, Pseudoscolopia polyantha and Putterlickia retrospinosa.

Eugenia umtamvunensis

With the shadows growing longer we walked back to our vehicles finding Hibiscus calyphyllus and Pachycarpus grandiflorus in the grassland. We then drove back to the R61 and homewards, having to stop in two places along the route by contraflow roadworks.

Hibiscus calyphyllus

Pachycarpus grandiflorus

Participants: Anne S, Bjorn W (SE-JV), Darren F (QWeb Solutions), Gail B-W (SE-JV), Graham G, Kate G