In a last-minute decision of where to botanise as the group was small, we made our way up to Oribi Flats. We'd had had a considerable amount of rain which left the road going through the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve in a terrible state and dangerous to drive through. We arrived to find a wake of vultures around dead horses as this is where carcases are disposed of. One has to be careful in which direction one walks and which way the wind is blowing as one's tummy can easily turn upside down. We headed to the forest edge and found Commelina erecta flowering profusely and full of pollinators. What a beautiful sight the Dombeya tiliacea was. Any bride would want to stand beneath it and enjoy the white iridescent flowers above her head. The leaves of Euclea natalensis where hairy beneath and lovely to touch.
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| Dombeya tiliacea MALVACEAE South African endemic 
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Clutia pulchella was covered in
tiny white flowers and growing on the rocks was our endemic Stenoglottis
fimbriata subsp. fimbriata. Petopentia natalensis was in seed, its dried
seed capsule was pretty enough to be tied around a present as a bow. The
orchids we found growing on the trees where Angraecum pusillum
and Polystachya pubescens. Along the forest edge Caputia
medley-woodii was in bud and in a few days’, time would be as bright as the
sun. What an incredible sight this would be.
In the grassland land we found Polygala refracta. This fragile looking plant with its eye-catching flower was as happy as Larry and found throughout the grassland. Butterflies skipped from flower to flower as the vultures’ caught thermals in the wind. We found ourselves reaching for our rain coats at one stage but fortunately the weather was kind to us and we didn't have to drive all the way back drenched.
On the rocks we found our vulnerable and endemic Delosperma subpetiolatum. We found many Craterostigma nanum. These tiny plants and are always a joy to look at their little faces. It's as if they have two little eyes’ looking back at you.
It was lovely to stand around Aspalathus abbottii with our dear Maggie and to find flowers on the plant which was also going into seed.
Tephrosia bachmannii is endemic and vulnerable and was full of seed capsules that had already opened. Abrus laevigatus, Cyanotis robusta, Zaluzianskya elongata and Ceratotheca triloba could be seen in the grassland in which we transversed. How lovely Ceratotheca triloba in flower and the Solanum seaforthianum var. disjunctum lured us right to the edge and with one fall one would be food for the makorti's. You can always count on the exotic Nightshade from America. It already spells warning.
We headed back to the Jimny, our hearts full and content. As always Oribi Flats never disappoints us and it was a special day shared with friends.
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| Stenoglottis fimbriata subsp. fimbriata ORCHIDACEAE South African endemic
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| Ceratotheca triloba Pedaliaceae |
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| A kettle of vultures flew above us. Craterostigma nanum is a plant that can survive extreme dehydration and withstands long periods of drought by going dormant. It can appear as dead and then “comes back to life” when it is exposed to water again. It gets its name because it seems to be resurrected from the dead. Craterostigma nanum belongs to the wishbone flowers as the arching stamens inside the flowers resemble a wishbone. It may
carry symbolic meanings of hope and the desire for good fortune |
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| Abrus laevigatus FABACEAE |
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| Tephrosia bachmannii FABACEAE Vulnerable A2c South African endemic |
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| Zaluzianskya sp. SCROPHULARIACEAE |
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| Wahlenbergia capillacea CAMPANULACEAE |
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| Erythroxylum pictum ERYTHROXYLACEAE |
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| Belenois thysa |
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| Colpoon compressum SANTALACEAE |
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| Solanum seaforthianum var. disjunctum SOLANACEAE Exotic Brazilian nightshade from Central and South America! |
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| Polystachya pubescens ORCHIDACEAE |
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| Helixanthera woodii LORANTHACEAE Wood's Dainty Mistletoe |
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| Olea capensis OLEACEAE South African endemic |
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| Simon, Dorothy and Maggie taking a close look at trees that can be puzzling. |
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| Jasminum breviflorum? OLEACEAE Wild Jasmine |
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| Delosperma subpetiolatum AIZOACEAE Vulnerable B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii,iii) South African endemic The genus name “Cynotis” comes from the Greek word, meaning “dog’s
ear”, referring to the fuzzy leaves. |
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| Cyanotis robusta COMMELINACEAE South African endemic Aspalathus abbottii has a woody shrubby growth habit that
enables it to thrive in dry, nutrient-poor soils. It has small, pinnate leaves and bright
yellow flowers. |
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| Aspalathus abbottii FABACEAE Vulnerable D2 South African endemic |
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| Polygala refracta POLYGALACEAE |
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| Zaluzianskya elongata SCROPHULARIACEAE |
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| Petopentia natalensis APOCYNACEAE South African endemic |
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| Caputia medley-woodii ASTERACEAE |
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| Acridocarpus natalitius MALPIGHIACEAE |
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| Eugenia natalitia MYRTACEAE |
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| Clutia pulchella EUPHORBIACEAE |
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| Euclea natalensis EBENACEAE |
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