Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Red Desert NR (Thursday 17 September 2020)

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.

Afroaster hispidus

Callilepis laureola

Acrolophia cochlearis

Aspidoglossum glabrescens

Aspidoglossum carinatum

Cyrtanthus contractus

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.

Asclepias praemorsa

Asclepias albens

Oxygonum dregeanum

Buchnera dura

Bulbine asphodeloides

Phylica natalensis

Tritonia gladiolaris

Thesium natalensis

Thesium pallidum

Eriosema dregei

Eriosema kraussianum

Eriosema preptum

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.

Chamaecrista comosa

Convolvulus natalensis

Muraltia lancifolia

Sopubia simplex

Orthochilus foliosus

Orthochilus ensatus (white form)

Cycnium adonense

In the wetland we started finding Disa similis - a favorite of mine. There were many Satyrium longicauda with their white flowers and in the stream bed there was a colony of the Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis.

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.

Disa similis

Osmunda regalis

Satyrium longicauda

Kniphofia coddiana

Xysmalobium involucratum

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.