It was wonderful to be able to escape the crowds
that had descended the South Coast on mass. It was Christmas after all. The previous day was hot and sunny and so this day we welcomed the
cloudy weather that threatened to shower us with rain. The day began with its usual tea at Beacon
Hill in the Umtumvuna and then we quietly meandered down the hill heading
towards Mr. Nic’s Gully as Simon has requested, he’d like to spend more time
learning about trees. Our first refreshing
lesson was telling the difference between Ficus burkei and Ficus natalensis. Ficus natalensis has a stalk whereas Ficus burei
doesn’t. A handy tip to know if in
question.
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Ficus burkei
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Meandering down to Mr. Nic's Gully.
 | Alberta magna
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Gerrardina foliosa - The one and only species
 | Cyanotis speciosa
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Habenaria dives - Death orchid
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Habenaria dives - Death orchid
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The Eulophia horsfallii was in bud but still an
un-impressionable height as it was only waist high when considering how tall it gets when looking at the flower face to face. Two were promising to flower and a Satyrium
sphaerocarpum flowered in the shade in the gully of the forest.
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Eulophia horsfallii
 | Eulophia horsfallii leaves
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 | Eulophia horsfallii bud
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Satyrium sphaerocarpum
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The Ophrestia oblongifolia grew prolifically
and Thesim cupressoides glowed like that of a lion’s mane. We had a chuckle once again at the name that
graced the spade like flower of the Hybanthus enneaspermus.
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Ophrestia oblongifolia var. velutinosa
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Ophrestia oblongifolia var. velutinosa
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Leaves of the Ophrestia oblongifolia var. velutinosa
 | Thesium cupressoides
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 | Hybanthus enneaspermus
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Carefully we navigated ourselves down the steep
slopes and into Mr. Nic’s Gully where we saw Gerrardina foliosa, Pseudoscolopia
polyantha and Gymnanthemum corymbosum. On
the forest’s edge Memecylon bachmannii stopped us in our tracks with the
flowers looking like blossoms and Dorothy said that she hadn’t seen it flower in
twenty years! The trees were a mass of
beautiful flowers growing off the branches so delicately.
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Memecylon bachmannii - Pondo Rose-apple
 | Memecylon bachmannii
 | Memecylon bachmannii
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Pavetta bowkeri also made us stop and we felt
its beautiful long satin leaves and Gail thought it felt a lot like comfort… A good tree to have, when necessary, like a small
child having a teddy bear. The flowers
truly were fit for a bride. Dorothy pointed
out to look at the black glands that are found in the mid-vein.
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Pavetta bowkeri - Hairy Coastal Brides Bush
 | Pseudoscolopia polyantha - Sandstone Red-stem
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Loxostylis alata
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Loxostylis alata
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One could easily over look the tiny flowers
that grew off the Bulbophyllum scaberulum and the years it took to produce such
an impressive orchid. One certainly
needed a trained eye to pick up the flower and admire its beauty.
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Bulbophyllum scaberulum flower
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Bulbophyllum scaberulum
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Rangaeris muscicola flowered on the rocks nestled in
between other orchid species.
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| Rangaeris muscicola |
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| Orchid sp. |
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Stenoglottis macloghlinii
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Alectra sessiliflora - Verfblommetjie
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Simon and Dorothy keenly studied the Eugenia
umtamvunensis, Dahlgrenodendron natalense, Pterocelastrus rostratus (perhaps) and
found a young Faurea macnaughtonii growing in the gully. A tree looking like Eugenia erythrophylla
left us in question.
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Possibly Eugenia erythrophylla
 | Manilkara nicholsonii
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Growing on the Anastrabe integerrima which was
about to begin flower was a parasitic plant of the Loranthaceae family.
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A parasitic planthappily on the
Ansastrabe integerrima - Pambati tree.
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Anastrabe integerrima - Pambati tree.
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Tiny flowers cascaded from the Putterlickia
retrospinosa, it’s spines that point backwards is always impressive and even
though its spines look menacing it’s the Smilax anceps that leaves one’s legs
shredded each and every time. That’s a
good boundary plant to put around one’s property. It’s going to leave someone grumpy and we know
it as “The Leg-Ripper!”
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Putterlickia retrospinosa
 | Smilax anceps - The Leg Ripper!
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 | Searsia acocksii - Pondo Climbing Currant
 | Gymnanthemum corymbosum
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Cassinopsis tinifolia - False Lemon Thorn/Green mamba
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Erythroxylum pictum - Blue leaved Coca-tree
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Eugenia erythrophylla - Large Leaved Myrtle
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Heading home we admired the rocks and we put on
our rain coats as it was quite chilly and drizzly. Cycnium racemosum flowered away in a
milkshake pink. A Tritonia disticha danced in the breeze and right
at the end the delicate Tulbaghia acutiloba flowered in a soft apricot hue.
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Cycnium racemosum flowers
 | Cycnium racemosum
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Tulbaghia acutiloba
 | Indigofera herrstreyii
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 | Tinnea galpinii watching us from beneath it's bonnet.
 | Tinnea galpinii
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Tritonia disticha
 | Onithogalum sp.
 | Onithogalum sp. leaf
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Climbing out of Mr. Nic's Gully with the heavens threatening to give us a fresh shower.
 | The threat of rain.
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| Trapped rock bird - release me! |
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A Dog-dragon rock watching over us.
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Student and teacher.
It was a wonderful day, and one’s so grateful to our teachers and for their patience and their passion. This was the last botanising day of the 2021. We look to 2022 in exploring new terrains and discovering special species with Pondoland C.R.E.W.
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Pondoland C.R.E.W.
Gail, Simon, Dorothy and Maggie.
"I dream of a quiet man who explains nothing and defends nothing, but only knows where the rarest wildflowers are blooming". - Wendell Berry. |
