Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Manilkara Meander

It was the ideal weather in which to botanise. We had decided to go and explore the Manilkara Meander which on summer days gets extremely hot but on this Thursday it was overcast and there was no wind so taking photographs of flowers that were in focus was possible. It was an all girl group this week and we all jumped into the car and journeyed forth, and using Q20 to open up rusted locks, we meandered in.

Manilkara Meander

Boophone disticha

Normally we would have ventured left but we found ourselves on unexplored terrain that we don’t frequent regularly as it is steep and rocky and scorching. One truly does not have to charge busily about but to simply pause and take a good look at what is growing where one is standing. There is an abundance of incredible plants growing if only one takes the time to observe.

One had to be sure footed as it was quite easy to twist one’s ankle walking on such steep terrain and with hips and knees that have been replaced one’s respect fell to the elderly as any injuries would come at a hefty price.

Maggie and Dorothy

Anne

The plants that were wearing the crown for the day were the Pachycarpus. I simply love their structure. The Asclepias praemorsa is so delicate and can be walked past so easily as the grass hides it. The Raphionacme galpinii is also another that can be overlooked. I love its compactness of flowers and its tight clusters of star like flowers.

Pachycarpus asperifolius

Asclepias praemorsa

Raphionacme galpinii

Raphionacme galpinii with seed follicle

So with our pace slow and observance we explore as a group and sometimes divided. Always within eye-sight. Anne had found a Polygala fruticosa nestled in rocks and Tracey and Dorothy were identifying which Polygala it was. I was meandering down and my gaze fell first upon a rock that seemed to look as if it were a guardian looking down at us and seeing who was walking on her territory angrily and about to boom and pounce. My eye then was fixed on a movement suddenly, just when I thought that it was so strange we didn’t see snakes more frequently I then saw this beautiful Green Bush-Snake. It seems impossible but here’s a snake and it’s climbing up on a surface that’s ruler straight and going straight up.

Polygala fruticosa

The rock guardian watching down from above.

Green bush-snake

A sculptural rock face gazing up.

In the grasslands near cliff’s edges Watsonia inclinata flowered, along with the occasional Hybanthus enneaspermus. Ocimum obovatum I always find beautiful every time I take a photo. There was Thesium pallidum, Rotheca hirsuta and Vangueria infausta in flower. Ipomea crassipes twined and Merwilla plumbea was seen both in its lilac and pink hues. Butterflies danced and skipped and birds sang. Suddenly to disturb this utopia a rifle shot was heard. There were poachers out finding the now almost non-existent animals. Phone calls were made but nothing followed up.

Watsonia inclinata

Watsonia inclinata - in its various shades of drying colours.

Ocimum obovatum

Indigofera rubroglandulosa

Indigastrum fastigiatum

Spindasis mozambiqua

Eulophia parviflora

Afroaster

Ipomea crassipes

Merwilla plumbea

After our lunch gazing upon a river that flows and the Transkei we began meandering back. Maggie and Dorothy continued with their climb and Anne, Tracey and I ventured down further wishing to explore further. It was just beautiful. We saw on a cliff’s edge Ehretia rigida in flower. It was magnificent.

Ehretia rigida

Maggie and Dorothy

I’ve never seen Jasminum multipartitum flower so prolifically and en masse. There was a Carissa bispinosa in flower and both male and female Dioscorea dregeana were taking full advantage on a tree and growing happily. Anne and Tracey had found some invasive plants and quickly dealt with them. Gazing down with the river below the Erythrina and Protorhus longifolia had set seed.

Carissa bispinosa

Dioscorea dregeana - female seed heads

Dioscorea dregeana - male flowers

Jasminum multipartitum

Ficus glumosa

Vangueria infausta

With excitement I called Anne and Tracey and had seen a Pachycarpus which just seemed to be different from any of the ones that we had seen today. I shouted, “It looks like a salmon star-fish!” and Tracey pulled out her tape measure and we began measuring its leaves and flowers. It was very exciting seeing something in nature that one hasn’t seen before. We learnt later thanks to expert observations and was reported back that it was a Pachycarpus coronarius hybrid species.

Pachycarpus coronarius hybrid species

With time pressing knowing we had a steep ascent we pushed on admiring the Brachystelma rubellum and Rotheca hirsuta. In a shallow rock surface tiny Drimia uniflora were flowering. One something thinks how difficult it is to keep a house plant alive and yet here we have the tiniest and strongest little plant that is smaller than half a grain of rice if not smaller surviving the harshest of conditions requiring damp but having the scorching sun which doesn’t kill it. I simply love nature.