Visiting another recent burn (Thursday 30 August 2018)

The timing was right for hunting down the elusive succulent Euphorbia bupleurifolia. As this is a sought after plant for succulent gardens, I have left out any mention of the site of our walk this week. Setting out from Beacon Hill in the vehicles, we made a brief stop to look at a Bonatea boltonii  flowering alongside the entrance road to the Reserve. 

Bonatea boltonii

Once we reached out destination we set off on foot through the recently burned grassland and were soon amongst the early flowers. A large yellow-flowered Hypoxis costata was one of the first species to catch our attention, the other noteworthy character of this species being the very hairy leaves. There were also several Ledebouria ovatifolia with their spotted leaves pressed tightly against the ground, some of these with open flowers.

Hypoxis costata

Ledebouria ovatifolia

Then, in an unexpected habitat, we found the first Euphorbia bupleurifolia in flower. The most notable of these had a caudex of about 150 mm tall and was a female plant, with two much smaller female suckers growing close to its base. A short distance away was a small male plant. Our timing was good as the older flowers were starting to turn salmon pink and creating quite a display.

Euphorbia bupleurifolia (female)

Euphorbia bupleurifolia (male)

Over the brow of a hill we started finding open-flowered Anemone caffra and we continued finding these scattered along the route we walked. We were lucky to encounter a rather lazy legless lizard enjoying the spring sunshine and he hung around to have his photo taken.

Anemone caffra

Legless lizard (Photo: Tracy T.)

Just before we reached the forest we found an early flower on Geranium flanaganii. We stopped for lunch in the welcome shade - difficult to think that the week before we would have been seeking out the warmth of the sun. One of the trees in our shady patch was Peddiea africana with many clusters of greeny-yellow flowers.

Geranium flanaganii

Peddiea africana

Working our way around to the warmer side of the shady patch we found Tricalysia capensis bearing a host of ready-to-burst white buds. Draped over a tree was a Dioscorea cotinifolia with spikes of white-tipped female flowers. Nearby was a very floriferous Petopentia natalensis, the flowers borne before most of the leaves have sprouted.

Tricalysia capensis

Petopentia natalensis

Dioscorea cotinifolia (female)

We found several Pentanisia prunelloides in flower and poking its top above the cliff line was a flowering Nuxia floribunda. On the way back to the vehicle the early firebreak burn had a better crop of flowers, amongst which was the first Eulophia hians we have found this spring season. A very satisfying day which delivered many of the Euphorbia bupleurifolia we had hoped to find. In a week or two, these plants, which were so easy to see in the relatively bare grassland, will be all but impossible to find once the grass and other forbs grow up around them and their eye-catching flowers die off.

Pentanisia prunelloides

Nuxia floribunda

Eulophia hians

Participants: Alex V, Dorothy M, Elaine L, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Mark G, Tracy T.