Extreme humiture at Syncolostemon Slopes (Thursday, 20 February 2020)

After a long absence, student Buyi Zakuza was keen to join us on our walks again and discuss her practical projects. We made an early start as the forecast indicated high temperatures and rain in the afternoon. On this occasion we intended to go to the Kwazemane terraces but the last section of track had not been mowed and it was impossible to see where to go through the 2 meter tall grass, so we detoured to Syncolostemon Slopes instead.

The flowers on the rock plates here were very good with mass displays of Aeollanthus parviflorus, Zornia capensis and patches of Oldenlandia herbacea. There were also several Stachys aethiopica, Abrus laevigatus and Hypoxis flanaganii. As we dropped down to the grassland below we saw a big clump of Agapanthus campanulatus and nearby were several tall Cyanotis robusta. In a small damp spot, a host of Utricularia subulata sheltered below some dry twigs.

Abrus laevigatus

Aeollanthus parviflorus

Oldenlandia herbacea

Stachys aethiopica

Zornia capensis

Hypoxis flanaganii

Agapanthus campanulatus

Cyanotis robusta

Utricularia subulata

Near the top of the small cascade we found a low Loxostylis alata completely covered in flowers. We crossed the stream and headed across to where we could see the full waterfall. In this area there was a population of fairly large Aspalathus dahlgrenii. We also found Searsia acocksii in fruit and Pseudoscolopia polyantha with a small cluster of flowers.

Syncolostemon Slopes waterfall

Loxostylis alata

Aspalathus dahlgrenii

Pseudoscolopia polyantha

Searsia acocksii

Around the top of a small forest patch we found a cluster of Kniphofia laxiflora and the rock outcrop beyond this was home to many brightly-flowered Lampranthus fugitans. By the time we scaled this outcrop, all of us were suffering from the combined effects of high temperature and humidity, so we found a sheltering rock overhang out of the sun - no one complained about the occasional drip of water on us from above.

Kniphofia laxiflora

Lampranthus fugitans

We decided to head back to the car to avoid suffering from heat exhaustion. On the way back we came across several Satyrium trinerve and a single, two-headed, Exochaenium sp. nov.

Satyrium trinerve

Exochaenium sp. nov.

Participants: Alf H, Anne S, Buyi Z, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Tracy T.