On this bright winter morning - just after the winter solstice - we set off to the Western Heights with Iron Crown as our destination. The fire break at vulture nek had been burned and first we explored the burned area, finding a crisped Stangeria eriopus with a new fruit cone. There were a few Gerbera natalensis with their white flowers exposed starkly against the blackened earth. We also found a few remnant Cyrtanthus breviflorus. These fire stimulated flowers emerge within days of a burn.
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| Stangeria eriopus |
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| Gerbera natalensis |
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| Cyrtanthus breviflorus |
We reached the end of the burn on the southern side of the nek and followed the forested stream edge for a while. Here we found Struthiola pondoensis and Podalyria burchellii in flower.In the open grassland we encountered the first of many Eulophia parviflora we were to see on this walk. We made a brief sojourn into the forest to look at several Clivia robusta in flower and fruit. From the forest edge we could see fruits on Allocassine laureola.
In the distance we could see patches of bright orange emerging from the grass - these were clumps of Erica cerinthoides var barbetona (distinguished by the short, inflated tube). While this is a common and widespread species, it is such a bright splash of colour in the grassland that it is aways a pleasure to find.
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| Struthiola pondoensis |
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| Podalyria burchellii |
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| Eulophia parviflora |
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| Allocassine laureola |
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| Clivia robusta |
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| A field of Erica cerinthoides |
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| Closeup of E. cerinthoides |
Walking further through the tall grass we were attracted by a neatly spiralled bud on Lasiosiphon anthylloides. In the forest Nuxia floribunda was flowering. From the edge of some thorny and scrubby forest we could see Senecio macroglossoides and a bit further along there were a few flowers on Senecio helminthioides. Some tall shrubs in the grassland turned out to be Heteromorpha arborescens var. collina.
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| Lasiosiphon anthylloides |
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| Nuxia floribunda |
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| Senecio macroglossoides |
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| Senecio helminthioides |
By then we had reached the base of the crown of Iron Crown and we stopped to admire the view and enjoy our lunch - and debate the ID of a tree far below us. The drop into the Umtamvuna River gorge is at its most sheer here.
Strolling on we started seeing low shrubs of Agathosma ovata covered in flowers, many more Eulophia parviflora and patches of Erica cerinthoides. As as we headed back to the vehicles along the track there were old flower heads of Lopholaena dregeana and many of the afternoon-flowering Moraea stricta. This species flowers towards the end of the dry season, before the summer rains and has a characteristic cylindrical leaf, distinguishing it from M. elliotii, a very similar species. We also found a single Gladiolus inandensis as well as Searsia pondoensis in fruit.
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| Mid-winter shadows (Photo Gail B-W) |
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| Trying to chase away several cattle some 200 m below us (Photo: Mark G) |
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| Finding the first Disa of the season |
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| Disa baurii |
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| Eriosema umtamvunense |
Participants: Alf H, Anne S, Debbie K, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Mark G, Rachel B-W, Sarah B-W, Tracy T.
