Beacon Hill - In search of the Lydenburgia abbottii - 3 March 2023

It was possible the most exciting day we've had botanizing. It was not Thursday but Friday. Our Dendrologist guests Francois Du Randt and Hartvig Von Durckheim were in search of endemics in our area and we decided to assist them in finding Brunia tigyna/ Pondoland Ghostbush which is critically endangered B1ab(v)+2ab(v); C2a(i); D and our Lydenburgia abbottii/Pondo Bushman’s Tea which too is classified as endangered D. The Brunia tigyna is easy to find growing on the path along the stream but the illusive Lydneburgia abbottii is a little more challenging.

 

Tony Abbott had once used plastic tape which he used as markers to lead the way into the forest many years ago but these tapes had had now virtually disintegrated and when we saw the remnants of them, we smiled and began following our instincts as we had not seen this tree in years.

 

Tracy and I had always wished to have pants made that had the colouring of Ochna arborea as it has a camouflaged pattern to it and thought it would be perfect for a CREW uniform.  When we came to this one tree, we both stopped in our tracks and we fell more in love with its pattern and decided to shelve the Ochna arborea as a print and use the tree our eyes were enamored with.  The tree with the golden bark, the markings of ochre, green and dusty pink. The new growth of leaves in pink were like autumn exploding.  It was too beautiful.  We had to carry on and glanced back at the tree and continued our search.  Just when we began to think we’d never find it I shouted to Tracy, “Never give up!”.  Both Dorothy and Tracy had thought that the tree had perhaps fallen down and decomposed over time. Tracy had remembered that this tree had smaller rocks around it and ventured a little further down hearing Ingrid’s Falls.  Suddenly like bird song in the morning we began excitedly calling each other.  Tracy had found the Lydenburgia abbottii.  We were deliriously excited.  We called to Dorothy and Francois to come and we circled around and around it, admiring everything about this grand old tree.  We had found a seed from the tree which had germinated and it will be interesting to watch this sapling grow and how long it takes to become a tree that’s growing in the depth of the forest.  We had to pry ourselves away as Hardvig had been left at the top of the hillside above the Brunia tigyna and the sun was beginning to set.  Francois had gone to join Hardvig.  Tracy, Dorothy and I were left to find ourselves out the forest slowly and then came across another tree with the same markings as what we had seen coming down which had stopped us in our tracks and then after finding the Lydenburgia abbottii we knew that what we’d found was another two Lydenburgia’s!  When I first began botanizing in 2008 and joined CREW my heart was so happy that it wanted to explode like a helium balloon.  Today I found myself to have that same feeling and the feelings were mutually felt with Tracy and Dorothy.  Tony would have been so proud of us for finding his tree and the others in the forest which we didn’t know about.

Lydenburgia abbottii's bark, the bark looked like gold.

New leaves on Lydenburgia abbottii's

The underside of the leaves of Lydenburgia abbottii's

Lydenburgia abbottii leaves

New leaves on Lydenburgia abbottii's

Lydenburgia abbottii
Pondo Bushman's Tea 
Endangered D
CELASTRACEAE

Photo credit:  Tracy

A clue to where Tony Abbott once found the Lydenburgia abbottii.

Tracy climbing on the Lydenburgia abbottii

Francois photographing the huge tree.

Gail. Tree bliss.

Gail and Tracy heading home.

Tracy admiring our first Lydenburgia abbottii that we came across.  It was the bark that drew our attention to it. 

Lydenburgia abbottii leaves

The third Lydenburgia abbottii found with new leaves.  

Dorothy and Tracy walking into a beautiful clearing in the forest.

Land marks

Gail and Tracy standing next to an ancient
Harpephyllum caffrum

Cryptocarya latifolia 
Bastard Stinkwood
LAURACEAE

Cryptocarya latifolia's leaves

Margaritaria discoidea seed

Margaritaria discoidea 
Peacock-berry
PHYLLANTHACEAE

Gail and Dorothy venturing down into the forest. 
Photo credit:  Tracy

Heading back up the hill.  

Gail find the note that Hartvig left for Francois telling him that he had returned back to Beacon Hill.  A piece of paper that was speared through a blade of grass propped up on two twigs along the path.

All is well.

Francois, Tracy, Hartvig and Dorothy going over a few "takkie's" that required ID's.

Pondoland CREW
Gail Bowers-Winters, Tracy Taylor and Dorothy McIntyre