Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: The Chute 29 August 2024

We certainly didn't have The Chute in mind when it came to botanising on Thursday. Manilkara as where we found ourselves waiting patiently for the key to arrive and the gate to be opened. We were told that the lock could be broken for us but we decided against such drastic action and just venture a little further down to the gate below which found us at The Chute the Gagoza far in the back ground and Devils Backbone beckoning us to make it our next visit. The view was spectacular to say the least. The area had been burnt and we were lucky to have found ourselves here as it would be incredibly dangerous and difficult walking in long grass as the area is incredibly rocky.

We found ourselves finding shelter away from the icy wind and sipped our tea. Uschi had said, "Let's go!" and so we did walk ever so carefully on the forest edge. This chute was a sheer drop and incredibly dangerous if one fell. There would be no return. Tempting as it was to want to know what grew inside, we decided to just imagine and growing on the edge was the most beautiful Tricalysia capensis var. capensis. What a show. What a scent. Cotyledon orbiculata was in flower too. Our endemic Petopentia natalensis was flowering and Acridocarpus natalitius tempted us to admire its flowers but because of the drop we did so from a safe distance.

In the burnt grassland Gerbera natalensis, Gazania krebsiana put on a flowery show. Gerbera natalensis braved the cold in its woolly jarmies. The bulbs that peeked were Boophone disticha, a Drimia species and good old Ledebouria revoluta.

Nestled in the rocks and forest edge we found Ochna serrulata and Ochna arborea. Spring was in the air! Erythrina lysistemon was equally magnificent growing precariously on the edge, the scarlet flowers as beautiful as the setting sun. Sideroxylon inerme that had us scrutinizing its leaves for clues and Uschi managed to give us its ID after Alf bravely reached over and took a "takkie" for us to turn this way and that. What an old gnarled tree this was. This tree has had a hard life.

The terrain was unbelievably breathtaking. Never have I seen more beautiful rocks. How privileged we were to be together enjoying the day together and seeing what was flowering now. Thursdays are a day where one leaves the world behind and all is good.