Cubica Heights - 26 January 2023

There was great excitement as Anne arrived with her passengers in her new clean Duster which left us eating the dust behind her as we drove in convoy to Cubica Heights.  The ants were rife and there was a lot of stomping about which didn’t help matters as they seem to get more fueled up with our toy-toying.

It was hot as we meandered along admiring Indigastrum fastigiatum and Indigofera species.  "Indigofera streyii" will be known as Indigofera herrstreyi when the papers are published. Tracy reminded us Kate's teachings in assisting us to remember how to differentiate between the species.  With the Tephrosia the keel is curved and the pod is flat.  With the Indigofera the keel is straight and the pod is round.  Indigastrums opens up its hands as if it wants to hug.

Gnidia coriacea’s flowers were so tiny.  Tinnea galpinii stared at us with its yellow eye’s wearing its maroon bonnet and protected by soldier ants, the beautiful round seed pods hung on its delicate stalks.  Muraltia lancifolia was beautiful enough for a bride to hold with its flowers that graced the stems in soft multi-colours of lilac.

Crotalaria globifera were so eye-catching, what a show!  Agapanthus campanulatus flowered knee height on hot rocks.

On the forest edge Polystachya concreta grew, the buds still opening. As we entered into the forest the floor was full of Hypoxis,  Liparis remota and Stenoglottis macloughlinii and  Stenoglottis fimbriata fimbriata. The flowers were both in bud and going over.  

Streptocarpus formosus precariously cascaded down the rock edge. Ceropegia woodii climbed up a stalk and was in flower.  A Pavetta caught our attention and the leaves closely inspected as to identify what species we were looking at. The Alberta magna had almost finished flowering. 

Stunted on the ground on the forest margin grew the near threatened Rhynchocalyx lawsonioides.  It is estimated that there are only 10 locations of this tree and it is highly threatened and restricted to habitat.  This tree is found on forest margins.  One could have easily walked past this tree not knowing what one was looking at.

Aspalathus dahlgrenii was also in flower and it was rather precarious to try and get a photo of this FABACEAE as it grew right on the edge of the forest.

Simon had gone exploring and excitedly came back at lunch time and then led us  along the steep forest margin and into the forest.   The tree he wanted to show the group was Olinia radiata.  A Clutia sp. was in flower too.  

With time not on our side we had to leave this beautiful place.  How wonderful it is to see special species in this reserve.

Tephrosia bachmannii
FABACEAE
Vulnerable A2c 

Crassula sarmentosa var. integrifolia
CRASSULACEAE
Rare

Rhynchocalyx lawsonioides
RHYNCHOCALYCACEAE
Near Threatened B1ab(iii,v)

Cubica Heights

Anne's new Duster.  Her passengers are Dorothy, Tracy and Uschi. 
Safe travels Anne!

Cubica Heights

Let the day begin!

Ambling across the rocks with a sea of ants below our boots.

 

Aeollanthus parvifolius
LAMIACEAE

Agapanthus campanulatus
AGAPANTHACEAE

Anastrabe integerrima
STILBACEAE

Apodytes dimidiata subsp. dimidiata
ICACINACEAE

Aspalathus dahlgrenii
FABACEAE

Ceropegia linearis
APOCYNACEAE

Clutia sp.
EUPHORBIACEAE 

Crassula ericoides subsp. ericoides
CRASSULACEAE

Crotalaria globifera
FABACEAE

Gerrardina foliosa
ACHARIACEAE

Gnidia coriacea
THYMELAEACEAE

Gymnanthemum corymbosum
ASTERACEAE

Helichrysum appendiculatum
ASTERACEAE

Hypoxis membranacea 
HYPOXIDACEAE

Tracy, Mark and Maggie

Simon rock surfing.  Dorothy and Simon looking at tiny flowers on the Maytenus acuminata.

Skirting the edge of the forest.

Dorothy admiring this ancient tree that has stood the test of time.

Simon, Uschi and Dorothy closely inspecting a leaf for ID.

Simon agily climbing the canopy in order to get a "takkie" for Dorothy and Uschi.

Tracy taking in the magificance and peace of the nature reserve.

Uschi and Simon, homeward bound.

Relhania pungens
ASTERACEAE

Indigastrum fastigiatum 
FABACEAE

Indigofera abbottii
FABACEAE

Indigofera herrstreyi
FABACEAE

Liparis remota
ORCHIDACEAE

Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata with threads. 

Two examples of the same tree with leaves looking quite different as one was photographed in the forest and the other stunted on the forest edge. 

Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata
CELASTRACEAE

Muraltia lancifolia
POLYGALACEAE

Oldenlandia affinis
RUBIACEAE

Brownleea coerulea
ORCHIDACEAE

Olinia radiata
OLINIACEAE

Pavetta sp.
RUBIACEAE

Polygala macowaniana
POLYGALACEAE

Polystachya concreta
ORCHIDACEAE

Stenoglottis macloughlinii
ORCHIDACEAE

Stenoglottis fimbriata fimbriata
ORCHIDACEAE

Streptocarpus formosus
GESNERIACEAE

Tinnea galpinii
LAMIACEAE

Pondoland CREW

Gail Bowers-Winters, Anne Skelton, Mark Getliffe, Dorothy McIntyre, Tracy Taylor, Hillary Henderson, Maggie Abbott, Uschi Teicher and Simon Hicks.

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." - Henry David Thoreau