Sunday 20 February 2022

Beacon Hill 17 February 2022

We met at Beacon Hill, the air was cool and breezy, the clouds grey but not threatening to rain upon us on the usual route that finds us normally drenched.  How wonderful it was to botanize and not be scorched by the sun and to take photographs during the midday without the glare which can leave one wilted like a flower by the end of the day during the humid and hot month of February.

We set off with the intention of mapping out a new path for the Umtumvunae hikers, a dream that Dorothy wanted to see happen in her life time which took one from the office at the Umtumvuna reserve were one would walk up to the Beacon and then to create a new trail which lead one down to the dam and across Mr. Hugh Nicholson's Gully, along the escarpment heading back to the office.  The proposed trail would be able to link one back onto an existing trail were it takes one down into the gorge or one could simply meander back with circumferencing a distance of  around 3 km.

The grass was thick and quite a slog to walk through. One could only have the greatest admiration for Dorothy who waded through it diligently without a pause and only a purpose and who never tired in helping us identify the plants coming from her eager and questioning students.  What incredible patience she has in her teachings.  What comes through strongly is the passion that comes from both the teacher and the student.  To live passionately and with purpose is what it's all about.

The flowers were plentiful and it was such a joy to see the Brunsvigia grandiflora magnificently flowering.  It's so easy to simply take a different route and in doing so one misses a beauty like this but then one will see something else special in some other place just depending on the timing and seasons.  Erica cubica flowered on the rocks and we paused to admire the Melasma scabrum, something that we don't often come across.

As the day drew to a close we congregated together and Simon who had collected "takkies" as Dorothy call's them put specimens on the table and put us to the challenge of identifying them.  This can be quite a test.  The leaves are turned over and then scrutinized. The books come out just in case we need to do a bit more homework.

It's a privilege to be part of this group and to learn.  One never stops learning as what is flowering today is gone tomorrow and then the next season is upon us and one has to wait another year for a species to flower and then the challenging in remembering its name and sometimes we find there's an annoying name change...    


Dissotis canescens

Dissotis canescens


Desmodium setigerum

Desmodium setigerum leaves

Desmodium dregeanum

Hybanthus enneaspermus

Hybanthus enneaspermus  seed capsule

Hybanthus enneaspermus

Pentanisia angustifolia

Selago tarachodes

Selago tarachodes leaves

Schizocarphus nervosus

Aspidoglossum ovalifolium

Aspidoglossum ovalifolium


Polygala macowaniana

Isoglossa ovata

Isoglossa ovata

Alepidea peduncularis 

Alepidea peduncularis leaves

Gnidia coriacea

Thunbergia atriplicifolia

Lippia javanica

Hibiscus trionum

Hibiscus trionum leaves

Hibiscus trionum seed capsules

Hibiscus trionum seed

Dorothy and Debbie

Alectra sessiliflora

Cyphia elata

Cyphia elata

Cyphia elata  leaves


Vigna vexillata

Vigna vexillata leaves

Tephrosia grandiflora

Tephrosia grandiflora

Sopubia simplex

Sopubia simplex

Sopubia simplex

Exochaenium grande 

Exochaenium grande

Helichrysum cymosum

Helichrysum cymosum

Helichrysum appendiculatum

Helichrysum appendiculatum

Lasiosiphon triplnervis

Lasiosiphon triplnervis (5 petals)


Asparagus sp.

Asparagus sp.

Asparagus sp.

Monopsis unidentata


Hypoxis sp. seed

Exochaenium sp. nov

Exochaenium sp. nov

Exochaenium sp. nov

Argyrolobium harveyanum

Argyrolobium harveyanum

Argyrolobium harveyanum

Crassula vaginata subsp. vaginata

Crassula vaginata subsp. vaginata


Brunsvigia grandiflora

Helichrysum pannosum

Helichrysum pannosum flowers


Helichrysum pannosum leaves


Kniphofia parviflora  awakening

Kniphofia parviflora


Kniphofia parviflora


Kniphofia laxiflora  smooth and hairless leaves

Kniphofia laxiflora  (the underside of the leaf)

Kniphofia laxiflora

Eucomis autumnalis

Indigofera hilaris var. hilaris

Indigofera hilaris var. hilaris

Helichrysum auriceps

Helichrysum auriceps

Vigna vexillata

Melasma scabrum

Melasma scabrum

Melasma scabrum with a pollinator. 

Melasma scabrum leaves

Diospyros scabrida seed

Asclepias praemorsa

Asclepias praemorsa

Asclepias praemorsa

Gazania krebsiana

Cryptocarya wyliei

Aeollanthus parvifolius

Aeollanthus parvifolius

Aeollanthus parvifolius

Looking to create a new trail for visitors.

Eriosema sp. Possibly Eriosmea rossii.

Eriosema sp.


Eriosema sp. seed

Eriosema sp.


Leonotis intermedia

An old Syzigium cordatum trunk.

Nymphoides thunbergiana

Buchnera dura

Tulbaghia acutiloba

Anastrabe integerrima

Gnidia coriacea (4 petals)

Bulbine sp. nov

Roella glomerata

Roella glomerata

Crassula obovata var. dregeana (Vulnerable D2)

Crassula obovata var. dregeana

Indigofera herrstreyii

Indigofera herrstreyii

Indigofera herrstreyii

Erica cubica

Agapanthus sp.

Satyrium trinerve

Caesia contorta

Caesia contorta

Tinnea galpinii

Gall's on Ochna serrulata

Habenaria dives

Crassula pellucida subsp. brachypetala

Crassula pellucida subsp. brachypetala


Tephrosia polystachya

Tephrosia polystachya

Tephrosia polystachya leaves

Pachycarpus grandiflorus

Indigastrum fastigiatum

Indigastrum fastigiatum

Nemesia sp.

Sphenostylis marginata

Sphenostylis marginata leaves

Sphenostylis marginata

Dorothy dissecting a Sphenostylis marginata flower head
to help us see the "spade-shape" for easier identification. 


Trees
Eugenia verdoorniae

Manilkara nicholsonii

Bersama swinnyi

Eugenia erythrophylla

Eugenia erythrophylla


Eugenia erythrophylla back of leaves


Syzigium gerrardii


Cunonia capensis

Cunonia capensis

Cunonia capensis

Grewia pondoensis

Rothmannia globosa

Cryptocarya wyliei

Syzigium cordatum seed heads

Apodytes abbotti seed

Tricalysia capensis

Robsonodendron eucleiforme

Simon and Dorothy not leaving a leaf unturned and 

Dovyalis lucida

Dovyalis lucida


Pondoland C.R.E.W.
Tracy T. Debbie K. Gail B-W, Simon, Dorothy M.

Beacon Hill, Umtumvuna