Left of The Shoot near Hazel Ridge

Smedmore had been so generous the previous week that a return felt inevitable. Or so we thought. Gail suggested we explore more unfamiliar areas,  with one hopeful objective in mind: Rhoicissus sp. nov. Surely, if all the other Rhoicissus species were flowering, this elusive one would be too.

We met at Beacon Hill, passed through the Broadmore gate, and made our way up to the Hazel Ridge gate, where we turned left. Following Anne, we moved through grassland dotted with flowering orchids before stopping to park our Jimnys at a spot that demanded pause. A large rock beneath a Syzygium cordatum offered the perfect place to sit, and as tradition dictates, we began the day with tea and biscuits.

Habenaria falcicornis 
ORCHIDACEAE
Photo credit:  Tracy

The view was unapologetically Out of Africa: the Transkei stretched beyond, a river traced its way below, and the landscape stole one’s breath with ease. It was nearing midday and already a scorcher. The early cloud cover had vanished without mercy, leaving no shade to hide from the heat. Eventually, we abandoned this idyllic perch and decided to drive closer to a gully where trees promised some respite and botanical interest along its embankments.

Reaching it, however, proved easier in theory than practice.

We tramped through long, thick grass and soon found ourselves entangled in a thicket of Smilax anceps, Ochna, and a Gymnosporia in full flower. The Gymnosporia stopped us in our tracks. Its branches were heavily laden with blooms, and we circled it slowly, admiring and debating, wondering which species it could possibly be.

Ochna natalitia
OCHNACEAE
Photo credit:  Tracy

Tracy sitting underneath the shade of a tree with Smilex anceps.

Our grand three octogenarians botanising in the midday heat.
Maggie, Dorothy and Uschi.

The grassland offered its own rewards: Isoglossa ovata, Indigofera hilaris, Convolvulus natalensis, and Cycnium racemosum revealed themselves to those patient enough to look closely.

Isoglossa ovata with a bag worm attached. 
ACANTHACEAE
South African endemic

Indigofera hilaris var. hilaris
FABACEAE
Photo credit:  Dorothy

Sisyranthus virgatus
APOCYNACEAE

Rafnia elliptica
FABACEAE
South African endemic

Cycnium racemosum
OROBANCHAECEAE

Monsonia natalensis
GERANIACEAE
South African endemic
Photo credit:  Tracy

Rubia cordifolia subsp. conotricha
RUBIACEAE 

The pace was slow and the heat relentless. The temperature had climbed to 34°C, thick with humidity. The gully appeared close—almost teasingly so—but like a mirage in the desert, it remained inaccessible due to the steep terrain. Along its edge, as always, lurked Smilax anceps. This thorny creeper has a particular talent for embedding its barbs into human skin and clothing alike. Uschi, whose clothes bore the brunt of it, exclaimed in frustration that she would rather it had torn her skin. Gail’s cool cotton shirt did not survive the encounter either and with tears and blood she declared it beyond saving by day’s end. Photos were taken on phones that repeatedly shut down, their screens warning that the devices were simply too hot to function.  

Notice on Gail and Tracy's phone.  

Maggie kindly lent Gail her hat, offering much-needed extra coverage as the sun beat down relentlessly. We all found ourselves wishing we were in England. Biting flies and stinging nettles completed the day’s challenges, making this our least favourite excursion—though still botanically rewarding.

Along the gully’s edge we recorded Neocussonia umbellifera in flower, Osmunda regalis, Phyllanthus myrtaceus, Polygala gazensis, Tragia glabrata var. glabrata, and Rubia cordifolia subsp. conotricha. Unable to descend further, we headed uphill and found two trees willing to shelter us while we ate lunch. Thoughts quickly turned to ice creams and milkshakes, and the all-female group agreed this was exactly how the day should end.

Osmunda regalis
OSMUNDACEAE

Phyllanthus myrtaceus
PHYLLANTHACEAE

Polygala gazensis
POLYGALACEAE
Pondoland Centre endemic

Tragia glabrata var. glabrata
EUPHORBIACEAE
Stinging Nettle Creeper

Convolvulus natalensis
CONVOLVULACEAE

Galopina tomentosa
RUBIACEAE
South African endemic

Still, plants had the final word. Sisyranthus virgatus was found, along with Galopina tomentosa, with male and female flowers on separate plants, and Monsonia natalensis. How one wishes for eyesight like a loupe, to truly appreciate the fine floral details visible only through magnification.

Sisyranthus virgatus
APOCYNACEAE

Gail finding a lovely tree to sit on and photograph flowers.
Photo credit:  Tracy

As we began our slow return, we realised Maggie was no longer with us. We found her lying in the grass—she had stumbled while sitting among rocks. Thankfully, she had not struck her head, though her arm was bleeding. Anne took her rucksack, Gail took her hand, and together they guided her back to the car.

Respect must be given to our three octogenarians who braved the elements and seized the day. It was Dorothy who finally confirmed the identity of the flowering Gymnosporia as Gymnosporia heterophylla, producing pressed specimens and matching them with quiet satisfaction.  “Normal” women of this age might have been at home, a pet on their lap, cake within reach, enjoying a cool room. Not ours. Ours are out in the sun, scrutinising every flowering plant, treating Thursday’s flora like a living crossword puzzle—and solving it, one species at a time.

Gymnosporia heterophylla
CELASTRACEAE

Dorothy's specimens.

Dorothy's photo and caption.

Pondoland CREW.
Gail Bowers-Winters, Ann Skelton, Uschi Tercher, Dorothy McIntyre,
 Tracy Taylor,  Maggie Abbott and Hiliary Henderson.

“Botany teaches us to slow down, to look harder, and to listen longer. In the end, it is not comfort we remember, but the plants that stopped us, the questions they asked, and the people who stood beside us while we searched for answers.”