Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Floral Treasures of Rennies

Our destination this Thursday was Rennies, Port Edward — a small but highly biodiverse, endemic-rich coastal ecosystem. We met at the seaside entrance to the Red Desert. After we realised we didn’t have our keys to the gate, we called Matt, who valiantly arrived minutes later to unlock it and let us in. From the gate, we could see the extent of the arson burn that had occurred at the Red Desert over the weekend. Matt said that it had taken until late Monday afternoon to get it under control; the dry winds and lack of rain meant that fire season was starting earlier than expected.

A nest of twigs and spider silk sits vacant till spring.

After our traditional tea and coffee, we gathered our packs and set off down the tracks towards Rennies. There was no wind—hallelujah!—it was cool and cloudy. Our first flower was the hardy Athrixia phylicoides, Bush tea, a common sight at this time of year. There was Imperata cylindrica, Cotton-wool grass, which begs you to reach out and touch the soft, woolly, silver-white flower spikes. Anne pointed to Leonotis leonurus, Wild dagga, growing in the thicket, and as we brushed past a clump of Cymbopogon nardus, Giant Turpentine Grass, it released its gentle citronella smell.

Athrixia phylicoides

Imperata cylindrica

Leonotis leonurus

Cymbopogon nardus

Nearby in the parched grass, Helichrysum natalitium, Imphepho, displayed its creamy-yellow flower clusters. Imphepho translates directly in traditional contexts to “air for the spirits”; it is believed that burning the dried plant clears the physical air, creating a pure space that allows ancestral spirits (Amadlozi) to breathe, draw close, and communicate with the living.

Helichrysum natalitium

Tucked into the grass, Thunbergia atriplicifolia (Isiphondo esincane) used its dark green foliage and soft, cream-coloured flowers to draw our gaze. Beside it, the pretty pink Tephrosia macropoda subsp. diffusa trailed through the thick grass — a small, dainty pea that secretly hides potent chemical properties. Rising on four-sided square stems was the floriferous perennial herb Hypericum lalandii, Spindly Hypericum, showing off its starry yellow flowers. Scattered around them were the blue stars of Aristea ecklonii, whose intense blue flowers open wide at dawn, only to melt into a dark blue ink by the heat of midday. Tragic.

Thunbergia atriplicifolia

Tephrosia macropoda subsp. diffusa

Hypericum lalandii

Aristea ecklonii

The occasional Watsonia densiflora was still in bloom, adding a pop of deep magenta-pink colour with its densely packed, trumpet-shaped blossoms that stacked neatly up rigid, sword-like stalks. As we plodded along, our packs heavy with lunch, Dorothy found the South African endemic Selago tarachodes, a highly attractive, compact perennial herb belonging to the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). We set our sights on some rocks, eager to explore what botanical treasure we might find. Standing out there in the long grass like beacons, Lasiosiphon anthylloides (Brandbossie) is a remarkable shrub. It features neat layers of overlapping, silky grey-green leaves that beautifully complement its soft, woolly yellow flowers.

Watsonia densiflora

Selago tarachodes

Lasiosiphon anthylloides

A muddle of botanists, admiring Lasiosiphon anthylloides

Anthospermum herbaceum falls in the coffee family (Rubiaceae). What’s interesting is that it is strictly wind-pollinated. It's amazing how unique each plant is. Peeking out of the grass was Indigofera herrstreyi, a highly localised endemic species in the Pondoland Centre of Endemism. As we made our way through the Watsonia pillansii, Knolpypie, Alf spotted a single spike of the fiery tangerine flowers. If orange is your colour, then you will love these.

Anthospermum herbaceum

Indigofera herrstreyi

Watsonia pillansii

Amidst the rocks and grass, the beautiful succulent rosettes of Aloe maculata, Common Soap Aloe, form a vibrant green oasis. Their flat-topped clusters of tubular flowers are held proudly atop long, slender stems. Hillary, fascinated with the flowers, carefully and perfectly dissected a single tubular flower. Anne explained how the prominent, superior green ovary leads to a slender style surrounded by six pollen-bearing anthers. Polygala myrtifolia, September bush — while the blooms closely resemble a legume (pea) flower, they belong to the milkwort family (Polygalaceae). Barleria obtusa, Bush violet, defines the arrival of the cooler weather.

Aloe maculata

Hilary examining a flower tube of Aloe maculata

Through the looking glass

A perfectly dissected flower

Polygala myrtifolia

Barleria obtusa

At our lunch spot on the rocks we were surrounded by some exciting finds. Justicia betonica, Squirrel’s tail, and Ceropegia carnosa, whose tubular blossoms feature specialised cages lined with downward-pointing hairs. These temporarily imprison tiny flies before releasing them once they are dusted with pollen. Euphorbia flanaganii, Medusa’s head, is endemic to the coastal sandstone bands of the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal. It is severely poached for two totally different reasons: the international horticulture trade and the domestic “muthi” market. This combined pressure, paired with ongoing coastal development and habitat fragmentation, has landed the species Vulnerable status.

Justicia betonica

Ceropegia carnosa

Euphorbia flanaganii

You have to love some of the common names. Soldier-in-the-box, Albuca setosa — the hessian-like, matte bulbs form a distinct, fibrous tunic around the neck, a primary identifying feature that protects it from the harsh elements of the veld. Delosperma lineare with white flowers and translucent red fruit growing in the cracks. We admired the beautiful evergreen tree Apodytes dimidiata, White Pear, full of asymmetrical black berries, each sporting a bright scarlet, fleshy aril. Osteospermum moniliferum, Bietou, full of jolly yellow daisy-like flowers.

Albuca setosa

Delosperma lineare

Apodytes dimidiata

Osteospermum moniliferum

Winding through the grassland are a series of gullies hidden in the long grass, expertly designed to trip you. Just ask Uschi! Helping to hold the muddy margins of these gullies together is Lobelia anceps, which acts like natural netting because of its tendency to drop roots wherever its stem joints touch the mud. Callilepis laureola, Ox-eye Daisy, is beautiful but highly toxic. Interestingly, in early botanical history the word “daisy” originally meant “day’s eye”. Adding “ox-eye” or “bull’s-eye” was used to describe daisies that were much larger, rounder, and bolder.

Uschi "exploring" the gully

Lobelia anceps

Callilepis laureola

You would be forgiven for thinking that the name Thesium cupressoides has something to do with its copper-gold colour. However, the species name cupressoides actually refers to its highly branched, bushy growth habit and its small, scale-like leaves that resemble a cypress tree (Cupressus). Cyanotis speciosa, Doll’s powderpuff, has distinctive mauve-pink fluffy flowers beautifully contrasted by its bright yellow anthers. Our second Polygala of the day, Polygala refracta, is distinguished by its bright pink wing alae that flank a smaller, darker pink central keel.

Thesium cupressoides

Cyanotis speciosa

Polygala refracta

Clusters of pretty button-like yellow flower heads belonged to Nidorella auriculata, Inhlanga. The species name auriculata means “with ears”. This refers directly to the distinctive lobes at the base of the leaves that tightly clamp or wrap around the central stem (auriculate leaves). We waded through the grass to admire Coleus kirkii, Blue soldier, which was putting on an impressive display. Dorothy photographed Gnidia woodii, a perennial subshrub belonging to the fibre-bark family (Thymelaeaceae).

Nidorella auriculata

Distinctive lobes at the base of the leaves of Nidorella auriculata

Coleus kirkii

Gnidia woodii
Photo credit Dorothy

As we walked through the Brachylaena discolor, Coastal Silver-oak, and Strelitzia nicolai, Natal Mock Banana, we saw the papery, sun-kissed blossoms of Helichrysum aureum and Berkheya speciosa. Endemic to southern Africa, it is known for its dramatic rosettes of spiny foliage and exceptionally large, bright yellow composite flowers. Some quick group photo magic and then we were homeward bound.