Prof. Kevin Balkwill, who has undertaken to write the section on Erythroxylaceae for the Flora KZN, asked if we might be able to find fruits of the two Nectaropetalum species, N. capense and N. zuluense, and so we decided to walk the Fish Eagle trail in the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve where we know many of these species are to be found.
We set off from the Pont Entrance to the reserve and walked along the forest path. We did not have to go far before we found the first flowers on an Acalypha glabra. This is one of the bisexual Acalypha species. A close look at the photo below will reveal male and female flowers both originating at the leaf axils. In the same area we found Canthium spinosum sporting flowers and fruits and a beautiful russet coloured leaf on Rhoicissus tomentosa. There was also a very threatening-looking Tragia glabrata bearing several green and one ripe fruits.
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| Acalypha glabra |
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| Canthium spinosum |
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| Rhoicissus tomentosa |
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| Tragia glabrata |
We entered the reserve and turned left to follow the path along the side of the river. In a sunny patch we found a few flowers on Coccinia mackenii, and poking up through a mat of this creeper were some yellow flowers of Aneilema aequinoctiale. Further down the trail we managed to find a few rather battered blue flowers of Aneilema dregeana. Another plant we recognised along the side of the path was Cissus fragilis with a spray of green fruits.
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| Coccinia mackenii |
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| Aneilema aequinoctiale |
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| Aneilema dregeana |
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| Cissus fragilis |
In the deeper shade along the path we found Carissa bispinosa with a bright red fruit and many orange-flowered Desmodium repandum. While most of the Duvernoia adhatodoides had finished flowering, we found one small cluster of flowers to photograph.
After some serious searching Anne managed to find a bark snail. This was in a new area as the old half-collapsed tree that we knew they liked had finally collapsed fully and was no longer a suitable home for them. We also continually had to duck under the many occupied spider webs across the path.
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| Bark snail |
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| Spider |
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| Spider |
We also saw some rather attractive fungi in these deeply shaded sections of the trail.
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| Fungi |
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| Fungus |
We started encountering Nectaropetalum zuluense once we crossed the rather precarious wooden footbridge and this was to be the dominant species along this section of the path but none had any fertile material present. Another understorey resident was a small Rinorea angustifolia in bud.
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| Rinorea angustifolia |
Once we reached the Leopard Beach area we decided that it was a good time for our lunch stop and while Gail was searching for the right shape of rock to perch on, she came across a very weathered skull of a Crowned Hornbill.
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| A worse-for-wear Crowned Hornbill skull |
On the way back Dorothy was insistent that we try to get a specimen of leaves from a low-lying branch of a big tree and then she was able to confirm that the tree was a fairly large Chrysophyllum viridifolium. Unfortunately in the attempt to get the leaves she penetrated a big patch of nettles and there was some rather frantic arm and leg scratching when she eventually re-emerged. We also found a beautiful Fool's Gold beetle on an Aneilema aequinoctiale near here.
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| Gail and Dorothy after the Chrysophyllum viridifolium specimen |
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| Fool's Gold beetle on Aneilema aequinoctiale |
A last flower encountered in the shade along the path was Justicia tubulosa. In the parking area we found Turraea floribunda with open fruits displaying the fleshy arils that attract birds to come and disperse the seeds.
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| Justicia tubulosa |
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| Fleshy arils on Turraea floribunda seeds |
Participants: Anne S, Colin T, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Maggie A, Mark G, Tracy T.
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