A visit to the Western heights was due, after a relatively long delay occasioned by concerns over the possible state of the access roads after the heavy rains in April but these fears were unfounded and we made our way to the gate with relative ease (given the normal state of Pondoland roads). With a brisk, cold wind blowing, we found a grassland area to walk in where we would be sheltered from the worst of the wind. Dorothy had rejoined us after recuperating from a knee replacement and she wisely decided to wander around near the vehicles rather than trying to keep up with the rest of us in the long grass. We were also joined for this walk by Nokothula Mfeka, a KZN staff member from Maphelane in Zululand.
Flowers are relatively scarce at this time of the year but it was not long before we found
Exochaenium grande and not far away was the similar-looking
Thunbergia atriplicifolia. Growing near a weathered sandstone outcrop was a tall
Hibiscus trionum and nestled against the shelter of the rock were
Rabdosiella calycina with sprays of pink-tipped flowers.
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| Exochaenium grande |
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| Thunbergia atriplicifolia |
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| Hibiscus trionum |
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| Rabdosiella calycina |
Crossing a shallow watercourse we found a single
Habenaria filicornis and then saw several long-leafed
Moraea spathulata extending their flowers above the grass. A small clump of
Aristida junciformis (ngongoni grass) made an interesting picture huddled in a rock cleft and the dried seed heads of a
Berkheya speciosa provided some interesting texture. We found a small patch of the fern
Davallia chaerophylloides in a cleft in a rock.
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| Habenaria filicornis |
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| Aristida junciformis |
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| Moraea spathulata |
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| Berkheya spathulata seed heads |
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| Davalia chaerophylloides |
Nestled in amongst the grass were a few heads of
Erica aspalathifolia still in flower, with many others with only withered old brown flowers. At the edge of a rock sheet was a single
Erica cubica with some remnant flowers. Another plant favouring a rocky habitat was
Helichrysum lepidissimum and between the rocks we found several long stalks of
Inulanthera leucoclada. Also tall enough to protrude above the grass was
Senecio rhyncholaenus.
We then made our way staggering through tall grass and sedges and boggy ground, through the Swamp Forest, where we found several tangles of Cuscuta gerrardii in flower on their chosen host Anthospermum shrubs. Apart from our recent collections of this Cuscuta, it was last collected over a hundred years ago.
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| Alectra sessiliflora |
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| Caputia medley-woodii |
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| Cuscuta gerrardii |
We reached the access track and headed back towards the vehicles, stopping for lunch where we could shelter from the wind. We walked back across the grassland, finding
Raphionacme palustris with an erect fruit follicle and a bright red flash of
Disa polygonoides. Athrixia phylicoides shrublets provided scattered splashes of pink flowers.
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| Raphionacme palustris |
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| Disa polygonoides |
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| Athrixia phylicoides |
Participants: Alf H, Anne S, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Nokothula M, Tracy T.
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