Pachycarpus, Acridocarpus, Streptocarpus and more at Smedmore (Thursday 9 January 2020)

With rain forecast after midday, we decided to walk the clifftops at Smedmore where we would always be reasonably close to the vehicles. We checked to see if the usual crop of Riocreuxia torulosa was flowering but instead there was Cryptolepis capensis with its long white twisted petals. We walked on to see that most of the colony of Pachycarpus coronarius had already set fruit. Growing in a small cluster of shrubs we found Dioscorea quartiniana flowering - previously we had thought this plant was a D. multiloba although we had never seen it in flower. Not far away we found another common Dioscorea species, D. cotinifolia.

Cryptolepis capensis

Dioscorea quartiniana

Dioscorea cotinifolia

The adjacent grassland hosted Eucomis autumnalis, Indigastrum fastigiatum and a few Pachycapus coronarius that were still flowering. At the forest edge we found a Solanum giganteum. Scrambling down the steep slope below the rocky edge we came across a large colony of Streptocarpus formosus -- rather difficult to get a decent photograph without holding onto nearby trees with your teeth.

Eucomis autumnalis

Indigastrum fastigiatum

Pachycarpus coronarius

Solanum giganteum

Streptocarpus formosus

Clambering back out of the forest we found the first of many Eugenia erythrophyllla trees in flower. As this was the first time many of us had seen such prolific flowering from these Eugenias, we surmised that they flower only infrequently. Near to the first of these was a small Homalium rufescens and a bit further along we found several Schrebera alata  bearing their pink and white sweet-smelling flowers.

Eugenia erythrophylla

Homalium rufescens

Schrebera alata

 Again venturing down the slope, Anne found a single flower on Mimusops obovata. A nearby Garcinia gerrardii was bearing some immature fruits and nestled between large rocks were two Aspalathus dahlgrenii. Tracy found two climbing plants emerging from gaps between some rocks --  Pilogyne scabra and Coccinia mackenii.

Mimusops obovata

Garcinia gerrardii

Aspalathus dahlgrenii

Pilogyne scabra

Coccinia mackenii

Back at the cliff edge we found Osyridicarpos schimperianus in flower and Dorothy collected a specimen of Oncinotis tenuiloba. Back out in the grassland there were Dimorphotheca fruticosa and after persuading a bud to open, we found an undescribed Pachycarpus - something that might be a hybrid with P. coronarius.

Osyridicarpos schimperianus

Oncinotis tenuiloba

Dimorphotheca fruticosa

Pachycarpus sp. nov.

Next we found several Pavetta lanceolata shrubs poking their flowering tops out above the other trees. As we entered the edge of the forest we spotted Dalechampia capensis and once we had pushed our way through the undergrowth, we could see several Calodendrum capense proudly displaying their flowers as patches of pink in the otherwise green forest.

Pavtta lanceolata

Dalechampia capensis

Calodendrum capense

Turning the corner we found a single flower of Hyperacanthus amoenus.

Hyperacanthus amoenus

After a brief stop for lunch on some ant-free rocks (at this time of the year it is difficult to find a place to sit without getting attacked by pugnacious ants) we headed back before the promised rain. As we entered the Beacon Hill gate of the reserve we saw several Habenaria dives.

Habenaria dives

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