Today we were joined by a new face and a returnee as Gail's mother, Anne, came to see how her daughter finds her botanical inspiration and Alex joined us after a long absence while he travelled overseas. For the first time in a long while we arranged to walk the Maanhaar by organising to traverse another farm to get access to this part of the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve. We parked in the trace line cut in preparation for firebreaks to be burned in June and July.
Walking along the trace line we found Hypericum lalandii, Anastrabe integerrima and a single Sisyranthus virgatus and a bit further along the colourful shrub Athrixia phylicoides snuggled up to a rock.
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| Hypericum lalandii |
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| Anastrabe integerrima |
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| Sisyranthus virgatus |
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| Athrixia phylicoides |
We then dropped down a south-facing slope to find several Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. natalense, the less common subspecies in the Umtamvuna NR. We did not have to walk far to find the other subspecies, Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum.
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| Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. natalense |
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| Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum |
The long grass made for slow going and this gave us time to enjoy the few species of Helichrysum in flower -- Helichrysum auriceps and Helichrysum lepidissimum.
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| Helichrysum auriceps |
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| Helichrysum lepidissimum |
With an occasional flash of yellow, Gnidia baurii made their presence known. Perched on a rock outcrop we found Diospyros villosus sporting axillary flowers. Another rock outcrop hosted some very out-of-season buds on a cluster of Rangaeris muscicola (normal flowering time Dec-Jan) and close to this was a small Rhipsalis baccifera bearing a heavy crop of sweet fruits.
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| Gnidia baurii |
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| Diospyros villosus |
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| Rangaeris muscicola |
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| Rhipsalis baccifera |
Gail then came across a small grass aloe which we decided was Aloe myriacantha. However, Alex suggested we should have a closer look at the plant to make sure it was the much less common Aloe liliputana. After taking measurements it was possible to confirm this as Aloe myriacantha, the two-lipped flower being the main determining character.
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| Aloe myriacantha |
With the group having split, only seven of us made it to the end of the Maanhaar to enjoy the splendid view and stop for lunch before turning back.
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| Overlooking the Bulolo River gorge from the tip of the Maanhaar |
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| The last stragglers making their way back |
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| A tortoise-shaped rock |
Another out-of-season flower was seen on the way back - Helichrysum griseum. As it was growing in the mowed trace line the mowing might have been the stimulus for the early flowering.
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| Helichrysum griseum |
Back at the Umtamvuna NR offices we saw the nymph of an Eye-flower mantid.
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| Eye-flower mantid |
Participants: Alex V-B, Anne B-W, Anne S, Dorothy M, Elaine L, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Tracy T.
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