More Thursday rain at Beacon Hill (Thursday 7 November 2019)

With rain again forecast for our walking day, we elected to meet at Beacon Hill for tea and to suss out the weather conditions. Despite the drizzle continuing we set off down towards the Raspalis stream where we wanted to check on the identity of two orchid buds seen last week, in the hope that they might prove to be (rare in our area) Disperis paludosa.

On the way we passed several tall Cycnium racemosum, and protruding up through the grass were the inflorescenses of Ophrestia oblongifolia. Indigofera hillaris was another species to catch the eye.

Cycnium racemosum

Ophrestia oblongifolia

Indigofera hillaris

Once we reached the location of the orchid buds we saw that they were Disa caffra and not the Disperis species we had hoped for. Nevertheless, there was quite a good population of Disa caffra in this area and Watsonia pillansii were starting to put on a good show, although the latter will probably be more impressive in about two weeks time. Having given the wetland a good once-over, we turned back and headed across to the nearby rocky outcrop just behind the Beacon Hill offices.

This outcrop proved to quite productive as we found both Canthium vanwykii and Anastrabe integerrima shrubs flowering prolifically. Also enjoying the shelter of the rocks were Helichrysum diffusum, Ekebergia pterophylla, Hilliardiella hirsuta, Phymaspermum acerosum, and Striga bilabiata. We came across what appeared to be a dead and burned trunk of Erythrina lysistemon but somehow this trunk had still managed to push out leaves. Nearby was another similarly weathered looking Erythrina lysistemon bearing a few of this seasons seed pods.

Rain-swept grasslands at Umtamvuna

Weatherproofed botanising on a rocky outcrop

Anastrabe integerrima

Canthium vanwykii

Ekebergia pterophylla

Battered but persistent Erythrina lysistemon

Erythrina lysistemon fruits

Helichrysum diffusum

Hilliardiella hirsuta

Phymaspermum acerosum

Striga bilabiata

We left the rocky outcrop and walked down to the stream where a tall Dais cotinifolia was flowering. We followed the forested edge of the stream uphill, encountering Peddiea africana and Dioscorea dregeana along the margin. Back in the grassland at the top of the forest we found a few rather intricately marked Gladiolus longicollis, some Stachys nigricans, a few Nemesia caerulea and rather unexpectedly, a Satyrium cristatum hidden in the long grass.

Gladiolus longicollis

Stachys nigricans

Satyrium cristatum

Nemseia caerulea

Participants: Alf H, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Mark G, Tracy T..