Rossmin 1 April 2021

 

The previous week had forced us to change our plans in visiting Rossmin.  The roads were blocked by angry protestors with huge trees cut and dragged across the road. Stones had been thrown at cars and trucks had been set alight and so we decided to change our plans. The day seemed to be doomed as we had all travelled to get to one another picking up passengers along the way and then the heavens opened leaving one staying in one’s car as we watched the level of the water rise around our vehicles. We called it a day and then met the following week under the usual mango tree catching up and then meandered inch by inch up the grassy hill and through the grass, over the hill and far away.

Nervilia kotschyi 

C.R.E.W. setting out.

Alf

 

Osteospermum grandidentatum

Volkameria glabra - Smooth Tinderwood 

Hippobromus pauciflorus - Bastard Horsewood

Alf and Maggie

Ziziphus mucronata subsp. mucronata - Blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie
 

Inspecting the grassland.

Cyphostemma natalitium

Celtis africana

Malvastrum coromandelianum (Photo credit:  Dorothy)

Searsia sp

Monsonia praemorsa

The clouds hung heavily above us, it was humid and uncomfortable, but the flowers were open and we went in search of the Nervilia kotshyi which Tracy had found and to see if we could find it again.  We did find leaves in the thick head-high grass, some eaten by critters. Had the area in October not been burnt we wouldn’t have seen the flowers and would have overlooked this plant perhaps in the thick long grass that carried ticks.

Anne and Buyi dwarfed in long grass.

Tracy lying low, it seemed cooler in the grass.

 

A weavil on Tracy's finger.  

A Bag worm


Anne inspecting the slopes.

Clematis brachiata

Clematis brachiata - Traveller's Joy 

Thunbergia dregeana - Haarbossie 

Berkheya sp

Sidar or an exotic Malvastrum coromandelianum

The destruction of Strelitzia nicolai was still ever present with the harvesting of seed and trees were hacked by pangas, rope left along the pathway which had been used to pull the seed heads down.  There doesn’t seem to be a place where the Strelitzia are are not found and to see mature trees hacked down leaves one worrying about the environmental impact this has. 

Alf carrying rope that was found on the path.

 

Panga scars left on a tree.

The trees are watching.  (Photo credit:  Tracy)

The quarry had extended itself vastly from all sides.  What a scar on earth.  Again nature pays the price and these pristine areas are gone forever.  The sirens went off and more blasting went on with dust settling down on everything.  One is forever grateful for the protected areas and reserves.  We need to protect this earth.

 

The Quarry

Abutilon sonneratianum

Hibiscus fuscus

It was a treat to be walking with cloud cover and no wind even though it was extremely humid.  Where exotic plants had been removed the area still sadly was not free of them and they seemed to have come back with a vengeance in disturbed areas around the graves.  We walked through grass head high in slow and steep places. 

Simon, Dorothy, ... and Tracy heading steeply home.

 

Pimpinella caffra

Pentanisia angustifolia

A few Gladiolus ecklonii with their speckled mauve faces were open for us to admire. The Watsonia and Gladiolus had all set seed too.  Pink was the colour of the day as the Polygala hottentotta were plentiful with their delicate little flowers all hanging in a row.  We saw two pencil straight Dierama igneum, it was like seeing  blossoms on a stalk in spring.  The Synclostemon densiflorus were cerise pink with tightly packed flowers, what a colour!  The chameleon saw pink as a threat when being approached and hissed.

Dorothy and Maggie 

Gladiolus ecklonii

Polygala hottentotta - Small Purple Broom  

Anne with the beautiful Dierama igneum.

Dierama igneum

 

Scabiosa columbaria

Dianthus zeyheri 

Syncolostemon densiflorus 

Lantana rugosa - Bird's Brandy 

Lippia javanica - Fever Tea

Rubus ludwigii subsp. ludwigii - Silver Bramble 

... and Tracy

A brilliant orange caught Anne and my eye, and we thought at first it was Crocosmia aurea but on closer inspection in was the most beautiful Tecomaria capensis I had ever seen.  So vibrant in its hue.  Notobubon waved gracefully in the air and Anne showed us Ocimum gratissimum, our wild basil.  What a potent smell.  We bend our heads down to take deep wafts of the scent that came from a Schizoglossum bidens ssp bidens. Its scent reminded me of Freylinia lanceolata in its heady heavy honey smell.

 

Schizoglossum bidens ssp bidens (smells like honey)

Tecomaria capensis 

Leonotis dubia

Lasiosiphon anthylloides

As we meandered up the hill Simon called us to look at a small chameleon clutching onto a Watsonia seed head.  It’s always special to see these little creatures.  We passed Lasiosiphon anthylloides, Pimpinella, Monsonia and Grass aloes.  How wonderful to have been able to botanise with C.R.E.W. and to always be observing nature in its changing of seasons with friends. 

Grass aloe

Grass aloe

Passiflora suberosa (Alien invasive)

Ocimum gratissimum - Wild basil 

A chameleon on top of a Watsonia seed head.

Priva cordifolia

Notobubon

Crotalaria sp.

Calpurnia aurea subsp. aurea 

Tracy admiring the beautiful aloe.

Buyi.

Upwards and onwards.  Homeward bound.

Pseudarthia hookeri - Bug-catcher 

Pseudarthia hookeri - Bug-catcher 

Gail observing nature at grass level.(Photo credit:  Maggie)

Anne, Maggie, Buyi, Alf, Tracy, Gail, Dorothy and Simon.

“Humanity can no longer stand by in silence while our wildlife are being used, abused and exploited.
It is time we all stand together, to be the voice of the voiceless before it's too late. Extinction means forever.”
― Paul Oxton