Western Heights Umtamvuna - 8 September 2022

Like tightly folded petals we packed ourselves into vehicles and in convoy set off through rugged terrain that was accessible before the rains came and accessed Western Heights in the Umtamvuna.

The reserve had been torched and a week prior the veld that looked like burnt toast now had turned golf green and was bursting into flowers.  As we drove each area seemed to be zoned for one particular plant that thrived and we passed Gerbera’s, Watsonia’s, Boophone, Berkeya’s  in mass, and at the end of the road where we had chosen to botanise  that being the Iron Crown, Gladiolus inandensis flowered profusely.  Where ever one looked this delicate ivory flower grew. 

The view down the gorge was spectacular, the wind had held its breath which was such a treat and as we tentively edged the gorge looking down at the valley below where vultures soared above us and then swept down leaving their down feathers floating upwards into the sky hovering like angel wings in the light.  Butterflies sipped nectar and bees buzzed.  It was alive. A Lanner Falcon flew high up with the vultures and then went plummeting down in great G-force speed. 

Eulophia parviflora was still tightly closed and Eulophia hians var. hians caught everyone’s attention as did Orothochilus leontoglossus which Anne luckily spotted growing shyly amongst all the Gladiolus.  The Boophone disticha were pushing out new leaves and we had to be more patient in waiting for this spectacular flower to bloom.

The sun was setting and we made our way back to Beacon Hill and then found ourselves back on the path going to show the others who had not been with us the week before Drimia depressa.  This too was now going over and setting seed.  In a matter of a week one can miss flowers that showed themselves and then hid themselves for another year.  It’s a chance of luck and simply being at the right place at the right time. Nature waits for no-one. It truly is a game of hide and seek.

We could have stayed there for hours and joked about putting out sleeping bags to see what flowered during the night, just in case we had missed anything during the day. F.O.M.O. is a real thing in this group.  This truly is a group with a huge passion for flowers and going out each Thursday to see what’s flowering now.

Orthochilus leontoglossus
ORCHIDACEAE

Senecio coronatus
Woolly Grassland Senecio 
ASTERACEAE

Anemone caffra
Windflower
RANUNCULACEAE

Dimorphotheca sp.
ASTERACEAE

Drimia depressa
HYACINTHACEAE

Ornithogalum sp.
HYACINTHACEAE

Gazania krebsiana 
ASTERACEAE

Leobordea pulchra
FABACEAE

Berkheya speciosa 
ASTERACEAE

Helichrysum aureum
ASTERACEAE

Alf

C.R.E.W. botanising.

Uschi, Dorothy and Tracy

Mark

Pentanisia prunelloides 
RUBIACEAE

Rotheca hirsuta
LAMIACEAE

Argyrolobium harveyanum
FABACEAE

Lasiosiphon triplinervis
THYMELAEACEAE

Pseudopegolettia tenella
ASTERACEAE
Bloukwasbossie

Eriospermum mackenii
RUSCACEAE
Yellow Fluffy-seed

Male plant

Female plant

Acalypha peduncularis
EUPHORBIACEAE
(Photo credit:  Tracy)

Tracy, Dorothy and Uschi

Polystachya pubescens 
ORCHIDACEAE

Gerbera natalensis
ASTERACEAE

Western Heights - The Iron Crown

Lasiosiphon kraussianus var. kraussianus
THYMELAEACEAE

Indigofera rubroglandulosa
FABACEAE

Othonna natalensis
ASTERACEAE

Gladiolus inandensis 
IRIDACEAE

Thesium pallidum
SANTALACEAE
(Photo credit:  Tracy)

Drimia echinostachya
HYACINTHACEAE

Eulophia hians var. hians
ORCHIDACEAE
(Photo credit:  Tracy)

Ledebouria revoluta
HYACINTHACEAE
(Photo credit:  Alf)

Debbie, Anne and Alf admiring the Drimia depressa at Beacon Hill.

Lanner Falcon

Pondoland C.R.E.W.

Uschi Teicher, Dorothy McIntyre, Tracy Taylor, Anne Skelton, Debbie King, Mark Getliffe, Af Hayter & Gail Bowers-Winters

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."
                                                                                 —John Burroughs