Maggie was visiting family in the UK, Gail was in the Cape, and Alf and Dorothy had family visiting them. With Hilary and Uschi opting out, it fell to Anne and Tracy to represent the team. Undeterred by the weather, the duo headed up to Beacon Hill at Umtamvuna to see what Pondoland sandstone endemics they could spot after the burn.
On the way to Beacon Hill, they decided to stop at Banners Triangle to have a look. How disappointing. This small tract of land is normally a smorgasbord of flowers, but not that day. However, Tulbaghia acutiloba (Wild garlic) was out in plenty. A member of the Amaryllidaceae family, the small trumpet-shaped flowers borne in a cluster have distinctive, strongly reflexed green perianth segments surrounding a fleshy, conspicuous tangerine ring corona. There was also Gerbera natalensis (Groenteebossie) pushing up through the bare ground. It was a treat to see these all decked out in their winter attire. Their flower heads and stems emerged densely blanketed in incredibly thick, woolly white hairs to protect them from the winter cold. Interestingly, their leaves only develop well after they flower, allowing the blooms to make the most of the open soot before any foliage gets in the way.
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| Tulbaghia acutiloba |
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| Gerbera natalensis |
The wind followed them to Beacon Hill, where they enjoyed a cup of warm coffee and some nougat to celebrate Anne’s birthday. The Brachylaena discolor (Bosvaalbos) at the car park was so full of flowers and giving off the most beautiful scent. Anne and Tracy then pressed on towards the stream, the icy wind in their faces. The first Berkheya setifera (Buffalo-tongue berkheya) darted around in the wind. It had to be pinned down for a photograph. It gets its common name from the incredibly rough, sandpapery leaves that feel exactly like a rough bovine tongue. Just a few steps further along toward the stream was Gerbera ambigua (Ucabazane). Unlike Gerbera natalensis, the flowers emerge from a fully formed basal rosette of active, mature leaves and the flower stem has significantly fewer coarse, shaggy hairs. An infusion of its pounded leaves is traditionally used in Zulu medicine to soothe stomach aches, while the roots are prepared to treat coughs.
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| Brachylaena discolor |
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| Berkheya setifera |
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| Gerbera ambigua |
Amongst the amber leaves and spent flower buds of Watsonia, was a lone Watsonia pillansii (Pillans’ Watsonia) in flower — late or maybe early, but in its own time. It was a beautiful sight against the dry winter foliage. Eagle eyed Anne spotted a Genlisea hispidula. This extraordinary, highly specialized carnivorous plant belongs to the Lentibulariaceae family. It thrives exclusively in wet, nutrient-poor sandstone seeps and boggy areas. What makes it completely unique is its underground hunting strategy. It has no true root system. Instead, it uses subterranean, hollow, modified leaves that are twisted into tight spirals. These underground “corkscrews” use inward-pointing hairs to lure, trap, and chemically digest microscopic soil organisms and protozoa to gain nutrients missing from the sandstone soils. A true botanical wonder.
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| Watsonia pillansii |
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| Genlisea hispidula |
In the distance they could see the blazing, scarlet-orange flowers of an Erythrina. So they made their way through the Watsonia. Tracy clambered through the thicket to get close enough to take a photo. While South Africa boasts a few regional variations of these trees, a close look at the branches confirmed that this was indeed a Erythrina lysistemon (Common Coral Tree). Unlike Erythrina afra whose petals curve sharply backward to expose a shaggy mass of stamens, or Erythrina latissima with its woolly grey flower bases, the flower spike of Erythrina lysistemon is neat and structured. Its large uppermost standard petal wraps tightly downward like a sleek hood, keeping the stamens completely enclosed, sprouting from slender branches scattered with sharp, hooked thorns. A sunbird protested their presence and so they moved off.
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| Erythrina lysistemon |
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| Erythrina lysistemon |
A few meters away were some very tall Psoralea glabra (Narrow-leaf fountain-bush). There were still a few wind-beaten clusters of dainty, pea-shaped flowers that showed off a beautiful soft lavender-mauve colour. The petals faded into a clean white toward the base, sitting neatly in dark green calyx cups. The fine, needle-like green leaves gave the tall branches a lovely feathery appearance as they moved in the relentless wind.
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| Psoralea glabra |
They ducked under the branches of a Syzygium cordatum (Waterberry) and hopped across the stream. Growing right in the stream bed was some invasive Ginger Lily—specifically of the Hedychium genus. It is a highly aggressive alien plant that quickly displaces native vegetation. Anne and Tracy jumped into action to remove it! Growing nearby were some Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor tree) saplings, an equally troublesome invasive tree. Once they had successfully uprooted them, Anne and Tracy set about smashing the ginger tubers to smithereens. Feeling triumphant and thoroughly satisfied with their impromptu alien-busting session, they enjoyed some well-deserved chocolate.
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| Category 1b Ginger Lily |
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| Category 1b Cinnamomum camphora |
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| Anne: 1 Ginger Lily: 0 |
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| The weapon, the victim and the result |
With renewed vigor, Anne and Tracy continued up the hill. Fighting the new grass for space was Ursinia tenuiloba (Umuthi Wezifuba). Its bright yellow flowers stretched towards the sun, while their delicate, finely divided leaves were almost hidden. In regional folk wisdom, it is sometimes referred to as the “mamba antidote”. An old local legend claims that if a black mamba bites a human, it will immediately seek out and eat this specific herb. Best not to hang around too long and find out if there is any truth to it. Next, Tracy excitedly pointed out the ruby-red of what could only be Indigofera rubroglandulosa—a firm favourite after a burn. With its incredibly eye-catching, pea-shaped flowers, it just adds pure joy to the scorched surroundings. Its stems and flower buds are completely encrusted in tiny, sticky red glands, definitely worth investigating.
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| Ursinia tenuiloba |
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| Indigofera rubroglandulosa |
Zigzagging through the burnt veld, they stumbled upon the unmistakable, bright pink spikes of Graderia scabra (Pink Ground-bells). This tough, low-growing little grassland pioneer is actually a hemiparasite, attaching underground to grass roots to thrive in these nutrient-poor sandstone soils. The clumps were covered in neat rows of leafy bracts, cupping tightly packed flower buds waiting to open. Waving around in the wind nearby was a lustrous Helichrysum aureum (Golden Everlasting). Little pollinators clung tightly to the bright, golden-yellow disc florets, refusing to be blown away from the centre of the capitulum by the unforgiving wind.
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| Graderia scabra |
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| Helichrysum aureum |
Still searching amongst the fresh grass growth, they came across the tiniest Acalypha. It can be incredibly tricky to tell Acalypha peduncularis and Acalypha punctata apart at this stage, especially right after a fire when they are just starting to push up out of the soot. Their female brush-like flower heads look virtually identical. If you flip a leaf over and look closely (a hand lens helps!), and the underside is covered in small, distinct, translucent or dark glandular dots, then it’s Acalypha punctata. If the leaves are hairy but completely lack these gland dots, then it’s Acalypha peduncularis. Acalypha peduncularis gets its name from its long, elongated peduncles. Given that the stalks hadn’t reached full maturity yet, it is probably best to note it as “Acalypha punctata (or perhaps Acalypha peduncularis)”.
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| Acalypha punctata (or perhaps Acalypha peduncularis) |
Moving along, they were delighted to find a patch of Helichrysum ecklonis still showing their shimmering blush pink inflorescences, sitting on long, dove-grey stalks rising from velvety, ground-hugging leaf mats. They stopped for lunch in the shelter of some boulders, once again surrounded by ash. After lunch they started to head back. Sheltered from the wind behind a large rock was Dimorphotheca fruticosa its long, slender stems reached upward, lifting solitary daisy heads that were just beginning to unfurl toward the sky, showing off the gorgeous, soft pink and lilac blush lining the undersides of their petals. Interestingly, Dimorphotheca means “two-formed fruit” or “two-shaped seed box” in ancient Greek. This refers to the plant’s clever evolutionary survival strategy where a single flower head produces two completely distinct types of seeds: flat, winged outer seeds designed to fly away on the wind, and heavy, wrinkled inner seeds that drop straight down to secure the home turf.
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| Helichrysum ecklonis |
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| Dimorphotheca fruticosa |
As they walked along, they admired Acalypha peduncularis. Unlike the earlier Acalypha, it was easy to identify this one with its long peduncles. The subterranean rhizome, packed with fuel, allows the plant to regenerate and instantly dominate the open sun long before the surrounding grasses can recover. In the distance, it was impossible not to notice Aloe maculata (Common Soap Aloe); their rich orange flower heads radiated warmth on a cold winter’s day. These robust, spotted aloes are a vital winter lifeline in the grassland, their tubular, nectar-rich flowers acting as a magnet for hungry sunbirds when little else is in bloom. Especially after a fire. The Lasiosiphon kraussianus (Lesser Yellow-head) flowerheads were bent over in the wind, which was now at Anne and Tracy’s backs, pushing them along—but you can’t hurry botanists! The rounded terminal flowerheads are heavily cloaked in a protective, velvet armour of shimmering silver-silky hairs, lifting 18 to 45 bright canary-yellow tubular flowers straight up out of the soot. Known locally as isidikili, these striking yellow spheres looked like little radiant orbs bobbing in the wind.
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| Acalypha peduncularis |
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| Aloe maculata |
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| Lasiosiphon kraussianus |
Pelargonium luridum had turned the burnt landscape into an open-air art gallery. This species is famous for its shape-shifting foliage, and the leaves were an exquisite sight. A beautiful Asparagus africanus (African Wild Asparagus) had sprung up. Down at the base of the stems revealed a fascinating sight: a dense, protective armour of coppery-brown, scale-like modified leaves wrapping tightly around each shoot, heavily armed with sharp, reflexed thorns. This structural shield insulates the tender growing tips from the elements.
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| Pelargonium luridum |
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| Pelargonium luridum |
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| Pelargonium luridum |
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| Asparagus africanus |
Just as Anne and Tracy were about to cross the stream, a luminescent magenta Oxalis smithiana (Star-leaved Sorrel) waved at them. Its solitary, jewel-like flower was impossible to miss against the blackened terrain. Its luminous magenta petals transitioned into a glowing lime-green and yellow throat. A closer look right behind the blossom revealed its highly unique foliage; unlike typical broad clover leaves, its leaflets are split into exceptionally narrow, thread-like lobes that help it conserve moisture against the biting elements.
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| Oxalis smithiana |
Growing on the dry stream bank was Osteospermum moniliferum (Bush Tick-berry). True to its name moniliferum—which means “necklace-bearing”—it was laden with rings of bead-like fruits. They were in all stages of development: tight green clusters sitting alongside old, drying orange florets, and fully ripe, glossy, purplish-black berries that are heavily relished by local birds and wildlife. Then, with one foot in front of the other, they followed the path back. Tracy couldn’t help but wonder about the “over there” that they didn’t explore—what did they miss? Botanical FOMO is real! Thank heavens there is always next week!
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| Osteospermum moniliferum |
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| The path home |
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