It’s
Thursday and so we met like excited children.
Our task of the day was a further investigation of an orchid that Tracy found a few weeks back at the tail end of a botanising excursion.
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Nervilea cf kotschyi
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Doing our measurements
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Nervilia cf kotschyi
 | Nervilia leaf.
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We
were then instructed to keep a watch on the leaf after the orchid had flowered. That may seem quite easy but
after a burn when the grass is short and charred its quite different when
returning when the grass is knee high and one now has to look for leaves. It's a
bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack and one has to have either a GPS
recording or landmark the area of observation and of course this requires a
passion for doing what one loves doing best in order to find what one is seeking.
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Anne and Maggie
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Dorothy and Tracy
 | Tracy
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We
arrived and got straight to work; the excitement was high as this Nervilia, if it was what it was thought to be against all odds, was only last seen in
1909. Now one has to remember where we saw this orchid, it is in
protected area that was zoned off for conservation but the
surrounding areas are being blasted up for limestone. One's breath is held as this beautiful earth gets exploited
for man's needs and natural areas are further reduced and threatened. Land is being invaded by man and one has a
heart-felt protectiveness knowing how vulnerable these plants are. One gives thanks
to protected areas but there's a threat to how long these areas last before man invades and encroaches further.
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Anne
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We began our botanising in "Area 1" and when we looked
at the Nervilia under observation, I
was stuck by the beauty of its strongly veined leaves. We found that there were between 7 and 9 (mostly 9) veins and then set out to measure the leaves with
rulers and tape measures. I had found an app. of measurement on my
I-phone which one should delete as it was not to be trusted. Out came our
rulers and tape measures with everyone being busy. What
was exciting is that we had observed 17 (could have been 19)
flowering Nervilia and when it came to seeing what the leaves were doing
after plants had finished flowering, we found that in "Area 1" there were about 100 and in "Area 2" about 200. We felt exuberated with our counts!
There was promise of something for the future. Again, one didn't know where to tread as one
feared squashing something sacred. We shall return to this area later to see
if these leaves have grown more and observe changes.
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Data capturing
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Recording the measurements, the devil is in the detail.
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The seed capsule that looks like a little bird head with its green wings that are flying in diffent directions.
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The back of the leaf.
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A few weeks ago, we had sat on rocks eating our lunch and now it
had rained and it was totally luscious and if we had sat there this time all that one would have seen would be hats as the grass had grown that tall in just a few weeks of absence.
The Oxalis were abundant in
certain areas and we meandered up the hill and then suddenly we heard a noise
and Anne stilled us. I had thought it could have been an ancient tree
water logged and falling down onto the earth but then we heard the crackle of
fire and both my car and Anne's was parked under a Mango tree with sugar cane
that had been set alight. The slopes where muddied and the pace had to be
slow as Anne and I raced to get to our cars before our vehicles were consumed
in fire. We staggered on knowing it would be a long way to walk back but our cars were safe and the exercise was good. We continued with
our botanizing.
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Oxalis smithiana
 | Berkheya umbellata
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Dalechampia capensis
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Vitex obovata
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The
sky was filled with soot, it looked like ravens flying before our scratchy eyes and sneezing and wheezing throats, the soot fell onto cobwebs leaving spiders unimpressed at the capture.
The Raphionacme
galpinii were just beautiful and I came across just one Brachycorythis
ovata. It was definitely the time for Brachycorythis
ovata to flower and they were setting seed. These plants are so structural
in the grasslands.
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Raphionacme galpinii
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 | Brachycorythis ovata
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I have a new love for bulbs. My journey was one that started
off with an appreciation for nature/flowers and then not being able to retain
one's enthusiasm one puts bulbs second, as a novice one wants immediate gratification and so in the nursery
world clients want colour not knowing what they are purchasing. With age one learns and evolves as does one's garden
and it changes as one does. The exotics are replaced by indigenous
and bulbs are planted and it's so exciting to see the unexpected flowering in its time. It's like having unexpected wanted gifts arrive when least expected.
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Eucomis autumnalis
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On a steep slope and under an inch of shade we sat and ate our
lunch and then meandered on. Anne and Tracy had ventured down the steep slopes and I changed my lens
and then wanting to record what I had seen, discovered I had lost my note
book! It had months of records in it, wobbly in its writing, wrinkled in its
pages as rain had un-ironed crisp clean pages and the wind sometimes took hold
of the pen. Anne kindly came up to try and help me in my search after I
had taken the photo of the Sisyranthus virgatus admiring its
hairs in the tiny flower that was attached to the thinnest of stems. Tracy then ventured up and found my leather-bound book in the
grass. What a relief! I love how this tribe looks after each other.
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Sisyranthus virgatus
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Anne called back to look at Aspidonepsis flava and then we strolled back to our cars. A butterfly was drunk in sipping
nectar from the Xysmalobium undulatum. Dianthus
mooiensis flowered in true girly pink and under the Erythrina
caffra, Gloriosa modesta flowered in Buddhist robe hues.
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Aspidonepsis flava
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We ambled back with "takkies" (twig specimens for later keying out) and quartz stones found on
the road, loving our day and so grateful for the people who made the day what it
was.  |
| Xysmalobium undulatum |
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| Xysmalobium undulatum |
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| Polygala hottentotta |
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| Pachycarpus concolor |
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| Pachycarpus asperifolius |
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| Harveya speciosa |
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| Cyperus obtusiflorus |
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| Who's observing who? |
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| Albuca setosa |
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| Maggie, Anne, Dorothy, Tracy and Gail - an all lady outing |
Special thanks to everyone involved in making this day possible and to confirmation of plants seen, thank you Graham and Kate Grieve, even though in your relocation are part of us.
