Kate and I decided to pay a guest visit to the Pondoland CREW on their outing to the Red Desert Nature Reserve and managed to persuade Lloyd Mhlongo to join us on the trip down to Port Edward. (I only found out later that Gail, the new Blogmaster, decided that I should publish a guest post of the outing on this blog - hence the lateness of the post). We met up at the entrance and were soon into the spring flowers; Afroaster hispidus, Callilepis laureola, Aspidoglossum carinatum, Aspidoglossum glabrescens and a surprising Cyrtanthus contractus - the first time we have seen this species in this reserve. Near the Cyrtanthus contractus was another surprise, a Stapelia leendertsii, this one possibly a garden escapee.
Lloyd spotted a well-camouflaged chamaeleon amongst the forbs.
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Afroaster hispidus
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Callilepis laureola
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Acrolophia cochlearis
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Aspidoglossum glabrescens
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| Aspidoglossum carinatum |
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| Cyrtanthus contractus |
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| A skulking chamaeleon |
Once we were through the yardangs of the Red Desert, we were faced with a hillside full of flowers. There were Asclepias praemorsa, Asclepias albens (in bud), Oxygonum dregeanum, Buchnera dura, Bulbine asphodeloides, Phylica natalensis, Tritonia gladiolaris, Thesium natalensis, Thesium pallidum, Eriosema dregei, Eriosema kraussianum, and Eriosema preptum. This area was liberally interspersed with the small flowers on Centella glabrata.
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Asclepias praemorsa
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Asclepias albens
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| Oxygonum dregeanum |
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| Buchnera dura |
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| Bulbine asphodeloides |
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Phylica natalensis
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Tritonia gladiolaris
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Thesium natalensis
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Thesium pallidum
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Eriosema dregei
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| Eriosema kraussianum |
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| Eriosema preptum |
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| Centella glabrata |
We headed down the slope towards the wetland in the valley below, finding some splendid Chamaecrista comosa clustered around an old termite mound. There were several Convolvulus natalensis, all proudly displaying their greeny-yellow flowers. On the upper slopes were Muraltia lancifolia, Orthochilus foliosus and a white form of Orthochilus ensatus.
Once we reached the wetter areas at the bottom of the slope we saw a few Sopubia simplex, and numbers of Cycnium adonense. The white flowers of the latter slowly turn black as they age.
As we moved further down the slope we found some Kniphofia coddiana and then we were amongst a good display of Watsonia pillansii. Here we also found a few Xysmalobium involucratum.
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| Disa similis |
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Osmunda regalis
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Satyrium longicauda
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| Kniphofia coddiana |
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| Xysmalobium involucratum |
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| Watsonia pillansii |
We paused for lunch in the shade of some Umdoni trees and then Anne, Dorothy, Gail and Maggie left while the rest of us took a more circuitous route back. This helped us to find Cyrtanthus breviflorus, Dimorphotheca fruticosa, the short spur form of Eulophia parviflora and some Merwilla plumbea growing in cracks in a rock plate.
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Pondoland CREW and visitors amongst the Watsonia pillansii
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Cyrtanthus breviflorus
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| Dimorphotheca fruticosa |
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| Merwilla plumbea |
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| Eulophia parviflora (short spur form) |
Participants: Anne S, Buyi Z, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Mark G, Tracy T
