It’s Spring Day and the grass that’s burnt is a wash with colours. To look down at one’s feet there is a ray of colour as if one’s toes are dipped into a rainbow. In slow steps that weren’t even necessary we gazed down at various Hypoxis species and Indigofera rubroglandulosa which was so eye-catching in its deep pink. We also found Drimia echinostachya which is in the Vulnerable A2ad; C2a(i) category. In the veld around the office at the Umtumvuna we found Gladiolus longicollis and an abundance of Ledebouria. Eulophia hians var. hians was the only orchid we came across that day. Afroaster serrulatus and Tulbaghia acutiloba, Tulbaghia ludwigiana and Acalypha peduncularis were plentiful too.
It was not easy to take photos as the wind
blew and in cloudy conditions we ambled up to The Beacon and admired Tricalysia
capensis flowering between the rocks and in the valley a carpet
of Gerbera ambiqua flowered with the back of their heads being
more beautiful than the front with the pink stipes going up the petals being so eye-catching.
Having gathered on the rocks after lunch
we began heading back, how much easier it was to walk through the veld that
had been burnt but now green and as we linked back onto the trail heading
towards the office, we excitedly came across Drimia depressa. Our
hearts skipped in delight and this flower literally brought us to our
knees. We admired it completely and it captured us for quite a
while. We had found a single Near threatened Anemone caffra flowering
amongst them. To the right of the office fields of the
Vulnerable Watsonia mtamvunae flowered. Any person
who loves the colour pink would have loved it here. And when we
thought we had seen all the flowers nestled in the rocks and fully in flower
was the gorgeous Merwilla plumbea kraussii. Another show
stopper. How wonderful it was to enjoy our botanising day in
conjunction with Spring Day.
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| Anemone caffra RANUNCULACEAE |
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Drimia echinostachya
Photo credit: Debbie and Tracy |
 Watsonia mtamvunae IRIDACEAE Vulnerable D2 |
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| Indigofera rubroglandulosa FABACEAE South African endemic
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| Eriosema umtamvunense FABACEAE Endangered A2c |
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| Merwilla plumbea kraussii HYACINTHACEAE Blue Squill  |
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| Female plant |
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| Acalypha peduncularis (male) EUPHORBIACEAE |
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| Tulbaghia ludwigiana ALLIACEAE |
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| A delighted Anne capturing the beautiful Drimia depressa. |
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| Mark taking in the scent of the flowers. |
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| Mark and Dorothy. |
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| Drimia depressa HYACINTHACEAE |
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| Brunsvigia grandiflora AMARYLLIDACEAE |
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| Boophone disticha AMARYLLIDACEAE  |
 Pelargonium luridum GERANIACEAE |
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| A typical gall that is found on Ochna serrulata |
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| Ochna serrulata OCHNACEAE |
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| Gerbera ambigua ASTERACEAE |
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| Gail Ross-Adams, a visitor to the group. |
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| Welcome back Mark! |
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| Pondoland C.R.E.W. with visitors and friends Front: Gail Ross-Adams, Tracy Taylor, Debbie King Back: Uschi Teicher, , Maggie Abbott, Dorothy McIntyre, Mark Getliffe, Anne Skelton and Gail Bowers-Winters “It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― |
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