As we had seen some Clivia robusta plants flowering the previous day, we decided to head for Hazel Ridge where we might be able to show our group this species in flower. We drove up there in cool, overcast conditions with two vehicles full. From the trace lines mowed in the grassland here it is evident that preparations have been made for the firebreaks to be burned. However these trace lines formed an easy path for us to follow and we did so until we came close to the cliffs at the edge of the Umtamvuna River gorge where we deviated to look at the forested edge.
One of the first things to catch our attention was Garcinia gerrardii sporting ripe yellow fruits. Another of the cliff edge species was Maytenus acuminata: in this case we found a twig with both an open fruit showing the orange aril and some axillary flowers. Further back in the open grassland huddled against a rock were a few Clutia disceptata, one with a few flowers.
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| Garcinia gerrardii |
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| Clutia disceptata |
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| Maytenus acuminata fruit |
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| Maytenus acuminata |
We reached a small plateau where we found some new fruits on Pseudoscolopia polyantha and on several of the Ochna arborea shrubs there were Helixanthera woodii in fruit. Out in the grassland here was a single Watsonia pillansii with its orange flowers; we were to see several clumps of this species later in the day, all on the opposite side of a wooded ravine.
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| Pseudoscolopia polyantha |
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| Helixanthera woodii fruits |
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| Watsonia pillansii |
We started dropping down a steep grassy slope, skirting a knoll to our right and the gorge opened up before us. As we made our way into the low forest on the top of the ridge we started seeing Mystroxylon aethiopicum shrubs with purple fruits having a plum-like bloom on the skin.
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| Heading down to Hazel Ridge (Photo Gail B-W) |
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The Umtamvuna River gorge looking inland;
Hazel Ridge appears on the right of the middleground |
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| Purple fruits on Mystroxylon aethiopicum |
There were many long runners of Crassula sarmentosa with little white star-shaped flowers in terminal clusters and these were sharing the forest floor with many of the bulbous storage root structures of the climber Petopentia natalensis. At the side of the path we found Dermatobotrys saundersii pushing out buds where it was growing in a crack in a large horizontal branch of a Protorhus longifolia.
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| The bulbous root of Petopentia natalensis (Photo Gail B-W) |
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| Crassula sarmentosa |
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| Dermatobotrys saundersii |
Along the sides of this path we started seeing Clivia robusta plants with flowers. We reached the end of the ridge and made our way into the streambed from where we could see a small waterfall down into a clear pool, the surrounding rocks covered in Clivia robusta, Stenoglottis fimbriata and a large-leafed Streptocarpus. While we sat and had our lunch at the side of the stream, Colin noticed a small frog. This turned out to be an endangered Kloof Frog. Amongst the understorey plants we recognised Clutia sp. nov., Carissa wyliei, and Monanthotaxis caffra.
On our way back along the same path we noticed several flowers which had escaped us previously. Amongst these there were a few Mystacidium venosum plants with single flowers and several Angraecum pusilum with buds. The Trichocladus grandiflorus, after which the ridge is named, had old fruits at the end of some branches.
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| Mystacidium venosum |
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| Trichocladus grandiflorus |
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| Angraecum pusilum buds (Photo Gail B-W) |
Emerging from the forest again, we saw Alberta Magna in flower on the opposite slope. Gail caught this butterfly sitting on a grass stem, subsequently kindly identified by Alex as a Yellow Zulu, Alaena amazoula.
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| Alberta magna |
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| The long uphill trudge homeward |
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| Alaena amazoula, the Yellow Zulu (Photo Gail B-W) |
Participants: Anne S, Colin T, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Mark G, Tracy T.
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