Another good spring display at the Western heights (Thursday 28 September 2017)

It was overcast and cold when we gathered at Beacon Hill but we decided to take the chance that the rain would hold off during our walk and set off to the Western Heights. We were joined on this occasion by Moraea Phillips who had learned about our walks from this blog, as well as two research students from UKZN, Miguel Castañeda-Zárate and Carolina Diller who are looking at sorting out the Satyrium longicauda species complex.

We parked near the gate and immediately noticed several large patches of yellow flowers in the distance and decided to head in that direction. These turned out to be Senscio heliopsis and were growing in a wetland. Walking through the wetland proved to be challenging as it was necessary to step from tussock to tussock to avoid getting bogged down.

Wetland patch of Senecio heliopsis

Senecio heliopsis

While there were Satyrium longicauda buds scattered around the proximity of the wetland,  these were not open. There were also many Ledebouria cooperi hiding amongst other herbs and a myriad of Eriospermum cooperi showing their white inflorescences about half a meter tall. In the wetland the fruits of Cyrtanthus breviflorus could be seen everywhere, the remnants of the flowering show covered in an earlier blog post.

Once across the wetland we were on more even ground and progress was easier. We soon came across the first of the Merwilla plumbea patches - and we were to see many on this walk, as they cast a blue haze over the grasslands.

Merwilla plumbea

 

Merwilla plumbea buds

The blue haze of hundreds of Merwilla plumbea

We walked on, passing several more of these Senecio and Merwilla patches. It was evident that for this area, we were about a week or so too early to get the full impact of the flowers as many of the species were in bud - a follow-up visit is certainly warranted.

We walked along the cliffs until we found a spot where we could see the view down into the Umtamvuna gorge but were sheltered from the cold wind while we had lunch. On the way back we first headed up a small hill to see if we could find any Euphorbia bupleurifolia plants, as we know that they occur in this area. After a lot of searching we found one, and then nearby, another with fruits.

Euphorbia bupleurifolia

Having confirmed that these plants were still present we walked back down to the stream where we could see Genlisea hispidula and Disa tripetaloides.  In a firebreak area which had been burned about four weeks earlier than the block burn we had walked on for most of the day, we saw most of the same species but with the flowering more advanced. We were even lucky enough to find a Brachystelma australe flowering on a rock plate.

Brachystelma australe

Here the Satyrium longicauda, Sopubia simplex, Eriosema umtamvunense and Kniphofia pauciflora were all flowering well. We even saw remnant flowers on a few Disa similis and the first of the Disa versicolor were starting to show themselves. We strolled along, enjoying this show until we came to a special find, Watsonia pondoensis, probably flowering better than we have seen them before. This narrow-endemic, Endangered species is not often found and we only know it form a few locations on the Western Heights.

Watsonia pondoensis

Watsonia pondoensis

Our luck stayed with us - although both a phone and a camera were lost during the walk, both were rather miraculously recovered.

Participants: Anne S, Carolina D, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Moraea P, Miguel C-Z, Sarah B-W, Uschi T.

Vernon Crookes NR with UKZN students

We arranged to meet Prof. Benny Bytebier and four of his students to accompany them on a walk through the grasslands and forest margins of this reserve. We met along the road towards the reception offices where we were looking at a small population of Haemanthus deformis in the shade of a small bush clump. Nearby we found Jasminum multipartitum with its star-like white flowers, Thunbergia natalensis, Ipomoea plebeia and some robust-looking Gerbera ambigua.

Haemanthus deformis in fruit

Thunbergia natalensis

Jasminum multipartitum

With one of the students, Tanya, focussing her Masters research on Euphorbiaceae we made a point of looking for plants in that family. These included members of the genera Acalypha, Clutia, Croton and Macaranga. It was interesting to note that while there were many Croton sylvatica, very few had flower buds.

In one area we found several of the Endangered, narrow-endemic Searsia rudatisii, some in flower. In the same grassland area we found a few Triglochin milnei in flower.

Searsia rudatisii

Triglochin milnei

Growing in cracks in some of the granite boulders, we found Ochna arborea putting on a show with its bright gold flowers.

Ochna arborea

Another species we encountered that enjoys the proximity of such rock outcrops was one to warn the students about -- Obetia tenax, the tree nettle, has a fierce sting to plague the unwary. Otherwise, this is an attractive small tree.

Obetia tenax

Ledebouria revoluta flowers were very much in evidence in the grasslands, some having multiple inflorescenses.

Ledebouria revoluta

Other plants we saw included Monopsis decipiens, Drimia elata and Canthium suberosum.

Canthium suberosum in fruit

Posed in front of a large granite boulder

Participants: Amy S, Benny B, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Phakamani M, Sthembile N, Tanya M, Uschi T, Zodwa M.

Mkhambathi - 5 Kniphofia species, dolphins and whales (13 to 16th September 2017)

We were lucky to get accommodation at Gwe Gwe camp in Mkhambathi Nature Reserve, but for various reasons, members of our CREW group were unable to join us. We were however, able to entice Rudi and Lize van Staden away from Pretoria to make their first proper visit to this wonderful reserve. We reached the reserve gates around midday and having made arrangements at reception for the next day, unpacked and had lunch at Gwe Gwe cottages.

That afternoon we set off across the beach and into the grassland beyond. It was not long before we tracked down a small colony of Holothrix burchellii that we had seen in fruit on a previous visit. On this occasion there were several in flower. This represents a range extension for this species, with the previously known northernmost population over 100 km to the south west.

Holothrix burchellii

The grasslands in this part of the reserve had not been burned this year and we struggled through long grass and Smilax anceps as we headed up the coast. We found Eriosema dregei and Burchellia bubalina in flower and plenty of Diospyros scabrida both in flower and in fruit, the latter looking splendid in the late afternoon sun.

Diospyros scabrida

Nestled between some rocks almost in the splash zone were some tall Albuca virens most with dried seed heads and some hardy Hypoxis villosus. We also came across several Kniphofia littoralis flowering in the tall grass as well as some clusters of Geranium flanaganii.

Albuca virens

Hypoxis villosus

Geranium flanaganii

At the beacon marking the limit of the area where shore fishing is permitted, we turned inland to see if we could find some burned grassland to make walking easier. This gave us an opportunity to look back at Gwe Gwe in the distance. We were thrilled to see an Osprey fly past over the sea.

While we did not find any newly burned areas, we did come across more flowering plants. On the slopes leading to the Gwe Gwe river we found Merwilla plumbea, while in the still water in a pond were two water plants, Nymphaea nouchali  and Potamogeton nodosus. On the banks of the stream were several Leucadendron pondoense and Eriocaulon dregei with Disa tripetaloides in flower.

Gwe Gwe bay

A still pond on the Gwe Gwe river

Leucadendron pondoense

Eriocaulon dregei

Gwe Gwe River and lagoon

We enjoyed a late afternoon swim at the beach at Gwe Gwe. Next morning we were greeted by a rather cloudy sky which produced a dramatic sunrise to start the day's activities. We were also enthralled by the sight of many dolphins lazily moving through the gentle waves in the bay just in front of our cottages. In the distance we could also see whales splashing and blowing.

We set off to collect our guide for the day, Mr Sonwabile Jack, and headed to the Reserve's wilderness area where we were to explore some burned grasslands.

Sunrise at Gwe Gwe

At the first stream crossing we found Denekia capensis, and a short distance downstream were several Struthiola pondoensis flowering in great abundance, with Cliffortia odorata growing nearby.

Denekia capensis

Struthiola pondoensis

At the second river crossing we stopped to look at Erica cubica before bumping across the river and heading on.

Erica cubica

We soon arrived at the first of the burns and stopped to look around. Here we found Dierama tysonii, Lotononis bachmanniana, Senecio speciosa and Disa brevicornis. We were also lucky to find Eriosema latifolium in flower. There was quite a size-able population of this Vulnerable narrow-endemic species in this area.

 

Dierama tysonii

Disa brevicornis 

Eriosema latifolium

We then drove to the edge of the Mtentu River gorge where we found Adenocline pauciflora.

 

Looking upstream at the Mtentu River gorge

Adenocline pauciflora

We then drove towards the sea but stopped to have lunch under a Syzygium tree next to a small group of Helichrysum diffusum.  An after-lunch stroll revealed Disa similis, Ornithogalum paludosum, Utricularia prehensilis, Aristea gerrardii, Eriospermum cooperi and Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. natalense in a wetland.

Helichrysum diffusum

Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. natalense

We reached an area with more floral abundance near the sea and were soon blown away by the sight of hundreds of the Vulnerable narrow-endemic species Kniphofia drepanophylla growing in a wetland. These were accompanied by Disa similis, Satyrium longicauda, Eriospermum cooperi and old flower stalks of Merwilla plumbea. It was clear that this area required more time to explore thoroughly and we decided to return the next morning.

Kniphofia drepanophylla

We stopped off at Mkhambathi Falls and walked upstream to look at the Strandlooper Falls.

On a bank of the Mkhambathi River just below Strandlooper Falls

The next morning we were again treated to the spectacle of dolphins playing in the waves just outside our cottages.

Sunrise at Gwe Gwe - just after the dolphins left

We stopped to investigate a small forest patch on our way back towards Mosquito Beach and here we saw many Mitriostigma axillare flowering in the undergrowth. Accompanying them were Hyperacanthus amoenus and Appodytes dimidiata.

Mitriostigma axillare

After leaving the forest patch we stopped just above Mosquito Beach and walked around the grassland well covered in flowers. Amongst them were Oxygonum dregei, Convolvulus natalensis and Cucumis zeyheri as well as Delosperma subpetiolatum and Lampranthus fugitans on the rock plates. The whole area was covered in Triglochin milnei, many of which were already producing fruit.

Convolvulus natalensis

Cucumis zeyheri

Delosperma subpetiolatum

Triglochin milnei

We walked over the narrowest part of the estuary and made our way up the slope on the east bank. We were immediately amongst Hesperantha baurii and as we worked our way up the slope, we started seeing lots of Satyrium longicauda and patches of Polygala fruticosa.

Polygala fruticosa

Over the top of this slope we came to another wet depression with an expanse of Kniphofia drepanophylla. Here we found a white Hesperantha which, after studying reference books appears to be Hesperantha hygrophila.

Hesperantha hygrophila

Walking through the flowers near Mosquito Beach

We then walked around some forested coastal dunes encountering more Kniphofia drepanophylla in the wet areas while there were Kniphofia littoralis in the adjacent grasslands and Kniphofia coddiana amongst the rocks. Just before we reached the beach we found a few Kniphofia rooperi in a boggy area. We walked back to Mosquito Beach along the beach and after a quick swim, had lunch in the shade of some Mimusops caffra trees.

With the weather threatening, an abrupt change after swimming in bright sunshine, we headed inland again, but slightly south of our previous route, and soon came across the first specimens of Kniphofia pauciflora. Nearby at the edge of the stream we found Argyrolobium baptisioides. Feeling the first drops of rain, we hurried on noting the first of the Moraea elliottii opening despite the gloomy conditions. Although it was an early end to the day's exploration, we had had a good day.

Kniphofia pauciflora

Argyrolobium baptisioides

Unfortunately the next morning's planned trip to the Superbowl had to be cancelled because of limited time and adverse weather, so we bid the staff at Mkhambathi goodbye and set off homewards.


Participants: Graham G, Kate G, Lize v S, Rudi v S, Sonwabile J.