Beacon Hill on a rainy day (Thursday 26 October 2017)

With a forecast for lots of rain during the day, we headed up to Beacon Hill anyway, with the option of work in the herbarium should the forecast prove to be true. While it was heavily overcast when we arrived, it was not raining so we decided to take a chance and set off on foot towards the Beacon. Climbing up the hill to the helicopter landing pad we came across the first Eucomis autumnalis flower for this season and nearby was a Stangeria eriopus with a very substantial underground tuber exposed.

Eucomis autumnalis

Stangeria eriopus tubers and old male cone

Passing a Gnidia baurii, Hybanthus enneaspermis, and the odd Argyrolobium rotundifolium we came across a depression where there was a cluster of Geranium flanaganii flowers.

Gnidia baurii

Hybanthis enneaspermis

Argyrolobium rotundifolium

Geranium flanaganii

We crossed over the hill and worked our way down towards a small dam, seeing Eriocaulon dregei and Satyrium trinerve on the way down.

Eriocaulon dregei

Posed on top of the clear water in the dam were lots of Nymphoidea thunbergiana with their feathery yellow flowers and in the seeps along the side of the dam were numbers of Genlisea hispida and Utricularia livida. While we were looking at these we startled a pair of Marsh Owls. Draped over the long grass at the dam edge we saw the slender creeper of Caesia contorta.

Nymphoidea thunbergiana

Genlisea hispida

Urtricularia livida

Caesia contorta

Ascending the opposite slope we saw Disa sagittalis emerging from horizontal fissures in the rocks and some Brachystelma australe flowering amongst the moss. On flat parts of these rocks we found Delosperma subpetiolatum, and in between other rocks were several Asclepias praemorsa.

Disa sagittalis

Delosperma subpetiolatum

Asclepias praemorsa

Further up the slope there were many Crassula vaginata and on a rock outcrop at the top of the hill we found a Ceropegia linearis  with a single flower.

Crassula vaginata

Ceropegia linearis

By this stage it seemed like we had pushed our luck far enough as far as the weather was concerned and decided to turn back. On the way back we found a very small but brave Burchellia bubalina flowering in a crack and an Apodytes abbottii full of flower. We got back to the offices still dry but the afternoon delivered the promised rain. By that stage we were doing sorting in the herbarium so we could enjoy the sound of the rain without suffering its effects.

Apodytes abbottii

Ophrestia oblongifolia

Participants: Anne S, Graham G, Jean P, Kate G, Maggie A

Our spring visit to Jolivet Sunday 22 October 2017)

Having been alerted to the fact that the Satyrium rhodanthum population that we discovered in October 2016 was flowering, we decided to pay a quick visit to Jolivet to see for ourselves how the plants were doing.

Deciding to save the best for later, we started walking in the grasslands at the bottom of the hill and were soon dazzled by sheets of Monopsis decipiens with their beautiful, pansy-like flowers. Scattered amongst them were Dierama reynoldsii with their burgundy-coloured flowers contrasting with the silvery bracts. Another eye-catching but low-growing species was Cyanotis speciosa.

Monopsis decipiens

 

Sheets of Monopsis descipiens

Dierama reynoldsii

 

Cyanotis speciosa

We came across what we think is probably a creamy-yellow form of Gerbera ambigua as well as a pink form of Gerbera piloselloides.

A yellow form of Gerbera ambigua

Pink and normal colour forms of Gerbera piloselloides

Although not as prolific as we have seen before, we also found clusters of the Endangered narrow-endemic Eriosema populifolium, some with their first flowers. It seems that this year the flowers are a little later than in 2015. Also dotted about these slopes were the Endangered narrow-endemic Searsia rudatisii. The latter, with its small yellow-green flowers is far less obvious, surrounded as they are by other more prominent flowering species.

Eriosema populifolium

 

Searsia rudatisii

We also noticed patches of bright yellow-flowered Leobordea corymbosa on these slopes.

 

Leobordea corymbosa

Having explored the lower slopes we drove up to the hilltops where we were joined by the farm owner to look at the Satyrium rhodanthum. They were certainly doing well - a recent count has put the total number in the two groups at around 100 plants. With the buds being rather obscure, one had to walk carefully to avoid damaging them. Also in this area were a few Disa brevicornis.

Satyrium rhodanthum

Disa brevicornis

Having confirmed for ourselves that this subpopulation of Satyrium rhodanthum, an Endangered narrow endemic species, is in good hands we then headed down to the valley  to look for the other Critically Endangered range-restricted species Riocreuxia flanaganii var. alexandrina. Again we were too early to see the species in flower but we did find a good number of small plants and some with a few buds.

It is very gratifying to see that this undulating grassland patch is being so well conserved - a credit to the farmer and his forebears.

Participants: Graham G, Kate G.

A gale-force trek to Anemone Falls (Thursday 19 October, 2017)

We set off to the Western Heights in a strong south-westerly wind, aiming to head for Anemone Falls to collect a specimen of the Vulnerable Anemone bracteata, as it has been some time since a specimen was last collected. This is a very popular traditional medicinal plant and has been heavily collected in unprotected areas, so it is important to keep track of the state of known populations.

As we reached the gate of the reserve leading on to the Western Heights, a vista of white and yellow opened up before us, even more impressive than it had been on our previous visit three weeks ago. It is unfortunate that while the floral displays of the Western Cape are world-renown, few people, even those living in close proximity to reserves like Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, are aware that we have similarly impressive displays on our doorstep.

A panorama in white and yellow

We drove on along the track stopping frequently to take more photos. Bundled up against the cold wind, we set off into a valley in an attempt to get away from the full force of the wind. 

We collected material from a small Apodytes abbottii, another of our target species for new collections.
 

Apodytes abbottii

Alberta magna flowers caught the eye, as did a display of Acridocarpus natalitius adorning the top of the stream-side forest canopy. Amongst the more common trees in this strip of forest we saw Eugenia erythrophyllum, E. natalitia, Clutia sp. nov., Dahlgrenodendron natalense and Rhynchocalyx lawsonoides.

We followed the tree line for a while but then had to mount a small rise and brave the wind again before descending into the next valley, across a slope covered with sweet-smelling flowering Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum. This was another of our target species so we were doing better than expected.

A slope covered in flowering Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum shrubs

We walked along the forest straddling the stream leading to Anemone Falls and this time we found a less precarious way into the stream bed than climbing down to the lip of the falls and walking upstream - particularly so today as the strong wind was blowing the waterfall back into the forest.

As we reached the stream we came across the first of the Anemone brevistylis plants and we were delighted to see that they were flowering. Unfoirtunately we were later to find out this is the much more common Anemone brevistylis. Alongside these on a steep bank in deep shade was a cluster of the Rare endemic Crassula streyi. Overhanging the Anemone was another Rare endemic, Rinorea domatiosa in flower. It was very rewarding to find so many special plants in a small area.

Anemone brevistylis

Anemone brevistylis

Rinorea domatiosa

Looking down Anemone Falls

Anemone Falls

We had our lunch a short distance upstream from the falls to get away from the spray.  Our return trip was aided by the strong wind at our backs. At the edge of the forest we found several Harveya pauciflora in bud.

Harveya pauciflora

We made our way through another small forest patch to check on a population of Clivia robusta (no flowers) and came across an Excoecaria simii in fruit. Then on up the slope encountering Watsonia densiflora on the exposed slope and a single Disa saggitalis secreted in a small south-east facing rock outcrop.

Disa saggitalis

 

Watsonia densiflora

Wind-blown near Anemone Falls

For much of the day we had been walking through rather tall, unburned grassland, so on the way back we decided to treat ourselves with a brief stop in the burned section we had seen from the gate. Apart from the eye-catching feast of Berkheya speciosa with a wash of white Helichrysum ecklonis in the background, there were many other flowers hidden away, such as Leobordea pulchra, Sopubia simplex, Satyrium longicauda and the odd Lotononis bachmanniana.

A feast of flowers

Helichrysum spiralepis

Leobordea pulchra

While we were glad to get out of the wind, we were privileged to have been treated to a rare floral spectacle.

Participants: Anne S, Gail B-W, Graham G, Jean P, Kate G, Maggie A.

Visits to three grasslands at Ngele (Thursday 12 October, 2017)

Our first objective with this visit was to assist with an assessment of the plant biodiversity of a section of grassland just on the KwaZulu-Natal side of the Umtamvuna river on the lower slopes of the Ngele mountain range. There had not been much rain prior to our visit and accordingly there was not much flowering. The grassland is also used for grazing the sheep from the local community, so the ground cover was very short. The assessment was needed as there is consideration of an application to plant Eucalyptus in the area.

We recorded as many species as we could identify - some in a non-flowering state. A few of these are shown below. We also got good views of the confluence of the Umtamvuna River with the Mafadobo River from this site.

Leobordea pulchra

Striga bilabiata

Basananthe sandersonii

Asclepias cuculata

Confluence of the Umtamvuna (right) and Mafadobo Rivers (above left)

Having completed the survey, we decided to head off to an area where we thought we could find Struthiola anomala and Dioscorea brownii as we have no recent specimens of these species. Although the flowers at this next site were far more prolific, our two target species had failed to appear this early in the season. We nevertheless had an enjoyable time scrambling around on a steep, south-facing slope while looking for them.

Instead we found a number of Geum capense and Helichrysum vernum accompanying Kniphofia baurii, Aspidoglossum flava and Diclis reptans. The wind was howling around our ears while exposed on this slope making photography very difficult so we were glad to move on into a less exposed area.

Afroaster perfoliata

Aspidoglossum flava

Geum capense

Diclis reptans

Helichrysum vernum

Around the corner were some Anemone caffra, one or two Heliophila rigidiuscula, and several of the very attractive Tulgaghia leucantha as well as a single Hypoxis parvula var. albiflora.

Heliophila rigidiuscula

Tulbaghia leucantha

Hypoxis parvula var. albiflora

Once we walked over the crest of the hill, we were shielded from the wind and could relax in the sun and have our lunch. Nearby we found Pachycarpus plicatus and a small patch of the rather imposing Berkheya macrocephala. Dotted around were several eye-catching Raphionacme hirsuta and there were imposing patches of Rhodohypoxis baurii in exposed rock sheets along with a colony of Euphorbia flanaganii.

Pachycarpus plicatus

Polygala amatymbica

Berkheya macrocephala

Raphionacme hirsuta

Rhodohypoxis baurii

Walking back to the vehicles we came across Rhynchosia villosa in flower and a single Ipomoea simplex.

Rhynchosia villosa

Ipomoea simplex

The team for the day with the Ngele range in the background

Our final stop for the day was at a small grassland near the Weza sawmill. This patch was blooming well with a swathe of Kniphofia baurii and we were also lucky to find a few of the leafless but imposing Cyrtanthus contractus.

Ajuga ophridis

Argyrolobium amplexicaule

Cyrtanthus contractus

Kniphofia baurii

Lithospermum papillosum

Kniphofia laxiflora

Eriosema distinctum

By this stage the clouds that had started building up earlier had become threatening and the wind had turned cold, so we were glad to get back to the shelter of the vehicles and head back homewards, satisfied with all we had seen.

Participants: Anne S, Graham G, Jean P, Kate G, Isabel J, Phakamani M.