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| Haemanthus albiflos |
Dorothy and Maggie stayed at the top to botanise the burnt firebreak. The very first flower they saw was Indigofera rubroglandulosa, emerging prominently with dense spikes of bright pink-to-red pea flowers. This vibrant South African endemic is a striking, low-growing shrublet that belongs to the family Fabaceae. Up close, its stems and delicate pinnate leaves are densely blanketed in tiny, reddish glandular hairs—that gives the species its descriptive name. Next, their eyes caught the slender form of Eulophia hians var. hians, commonly known as the Blue Yawning Harlequin. Its deep, dark plum-purple sepals and pale lilac-blue petals form nodding blossoms that do not open wide. They then came across Senecio glaberrimus, which belongs to the family Asteraceae. Locally, it is known by its traditional name Lehlomanein Sesotho. The bright yellow ray florets are sparse around the golden centers—a common trait for this resilient pioneer as it braves the elements of the open veld. A splash of vibrant purple revealed Hilliardiella elaeagnoides, commonly known as the Bicoloured Vernonia, which belongs to the family Asteraceae. Berkheya setifera was in flower, splashes of deep cadmium yellow swayed in the breeze. Commonly known as the Buffalo-tongue Thistle, this tough member of the family Asteraceae arises from a woody rootstock with large, tongue-like basal leaves heavily armed in straw-coloured spiny bristles. This time of year we are rewarded with Eriosema umtamvunense, an Endangered Pondoland endemic belonging to the family Fabaceae; it produces densely hairy stems and leaflets that support striking, brick-red and yellow pea flowers. It is an incredible specialist intensely restricted to the ancient Msikaba Formation sandstones. Then they came across Xysmalobium involucratum, a unique perennial herb belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Compact, rounded heads of whitish-green to yellowish-green flowers turn their petals back abruptly to expose the corona. When these flowers open, they release a strongly sweet scent that smells exactly like a ripe watermelon. I guess we’ll all be on our knees smelling it next time. What a sight…bottoms up!
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Indigofera rubroglandulosa
Photo credit Dorothy |
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Eulophia hians var. hians
Photos credit Dorothy and Tracy |
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Senecio glaberrimus
Photo credit Dorothy |
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Hilliardiella elaeagnoides
Photo credit Dorothy |
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Berkheya setifera
Photos credit Tracy and Dorothy |
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Eriosema umtamvunense
Photo credit Dorothy |
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Xysmalobium involucratum
Photo credit Dorothy |
Meanwhile, Gail and I hastily walked to the edge of the gorge. Wanting to reach the bottom, we actively tried not to botanise on the walk—not an easy feat for botanists. At the edge, we paused to admire the splendour of Umtamvuna Nature Reserve. It takes your breath away every time.
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| Down, down |
As our descent began, I gleefully pointed out a flowering Pseudoscolopia polyantha, commonly known as Sandstone Red-stem and belonging to the family Salicaceae, and Psychotria capensis, commonly known as Black bird berry from the family Rubiaceae. Watching our footing carefully to avoid tripping on the long grass lying across the stone steps, Gail briefed me on the task ahead. Here we were once again chasing spurges. Growing adjacent to a large boulder, a Canthium vanwykii, commonly known as Pondo Turkey-berry and also a member of the family Rubiaceae, is easy to identify in the field because of the beautiful chartreuse green hue of the leaves. Not so easy to the untrained eye.
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| Pseudoscolopia polyantha |
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| Psychotria capensis |
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| Canthium vanwykii |
Gail and I reached the forest; it was cool, and water once again dripped down the sandstone cliff from above after months of an unforgivingly dry winter. The rain had washed the dust away, and the forest was a verdant collage. We stood for a few moments to take it all in. On the shaded forest floor was Chlorophytum modestum, a member of the family Asphodelaceae known in Zulu as Umathunga Wehlathi Omncane. This name translates to the small weaver of the forest, which perfectly describes the way this shade-loving evergreen perennial forms an interlocking ground cover on the woodland floor with its rosettes of dark green leaves and delicate spikes of shiny, white, star-like flowers.
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| Chlorophytum modestum |
A few steps in, a Buxus natalensis , commonly known as the Natal Box and belonging to the family Buxaceae, caught our attention. The flowers of this species are structurally fascinating because they completely lack true petals, relying instead on dense clusters of prominent, bright yellow male stamens to stand out against the shiny foliage. Not too far off, Gail spotted the first Erythrococca sp. nov, belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. We began searching the understory of the forest to find them. Task completed, we retraced our steps. Gail pointed to a Tricalysia capensis var. capensis, commonly known as Forest Jackal-berry, which added another fascinating member of the family Rubiaceae to our list.
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| Buxus natalensis |
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| Erythrococca sp. nov |
Wanting to rejoin Dorothy and Maggie, we quickly walked back, stopping only to admire the beautiful shades of white through to pink of the Agathosma ovata, commonly known as false buchu and belonging to the family Rutaceae.
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| Agathosma ovata |
We sat on some rocks for lunch; the beautiful Umtamvuna Nature Reserve stretched out before us. After lunch, we decided to visit another area to botanise. It is a wonderful combination of sandstone coastal sourveld grasslands, and rocky pavement outcrops providing micro-refugia for specialized plant species.
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| Breathtaking Umtamvuna Nature Reserve |
Our first stop was a small rocky outcrop covered in Polystachya pubescens, commonly known as Amabelejongosi in isiZulu and belonging to the family Orchidaceae. The traditional name translates to the breasts of a young woman, a highly metaphorical reference to the smooth, rounded, teardrop-shaped green pseudobulbs that grow tightly packed together on the rocks. Because of this physical association, this small indigenous orchid is historically significant in traditional medicine as a powerful love charm. It is highly adaptable, often growing as a lithophyte directly on exposed sandstone rock faces in full sun, where its bright golden-yellow flowers release a rich, honey-like fragrance. As we each mulled around, Gail spotted Merwilla plumbea subsp. kraussii, commonly known as blue squill and belonging to the family Asparagaceae. After studying the plant's DNA, South African scientists officially moved it out of its historical classification. Rising elegantly from the turf, its tall flowering spikes carry a spectacular, dense plume of star-shaped flowers in striking shades of misty purplish-blue.
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| Three botany Ladies |
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| Polystachya pubescens |
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| Merwilla plumbea subsp. kraussii |
Had it not been for the upright flower spikes bearing jolly, star-shaped flowers with exceptionally fluffy, yellow stamens, we would have missed Bulbine frutescens, commonly known as wild kopieva, ibhucu in isiZulu, or rankkopieva in Afrikaans. This hardy, clumping succulent adds a fascinating member of the family Asphodelaceae to our day's list, featuring smooth, quill-like leaves filled with a jelly-like sap. This clear gel functions as an exceptional natural first-aid remedy, providing instant anti-inflammatory and soothing properties when applied directly to sunburns, minor cuts, rashes, and insect bites. Good to remember, Maggie.
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| Bulbine frutescens |
Sitting in the thick grass, our next plant was Eriosema salignum, commonly known as brown bonnets. This erect perennial herb belongs to the family Fabaceae. A quick photograph of the specimen captured its upright trifoliate leaves. Nestled tightly at the terminal branch tips, the compact clusters of nodding, bright yellow pea-like flowers are heavily blanketed in dense, velvety white hairs, which gives them a beautiful frosted appearance.
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Eriosema salignum
Photos credit Tracy and Dorothy |
I had climbed up to the top of a small sandstone koppie to explore between the rocks. Trailing over the boulders was Searsia carnosula, commonly known as False Nana-berry or inhlangutshane in isiZulu. This resilient, sprawling shrub belongs to the family Anacardiaceae. It is a characteristic sandstone specialist, easily recognized by its thick, somewhat fleshy trifoliate leaves that sport distinctly wavy, reddish-tinged margins. Exploding from the ends of the branches, its dense, branched clusters of tiny, star-shaped, yellowish-green flowers create a striking focal point against the rugged stone surfaces. When finished flowering, bunches of small, round fruit form in their place, providing an invaluable high-energy food source for wildlife. All around, Apodytes abbottii, commonly known as the Pondo White Pear and belonging to the family Metteniusiaceae, were in various stages of flowering. This craggy, evergreen sandstone endemic is easily identified by its smooth grey bark, leathery rounded leaves on distinctively purple twigs, and massed spikes of sweetly scented white blossoms. To easily confirm its identity in the field, you can just snap a mature leaf; the thick lamina breaks with an audible snap.
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| Searsia carnosula |
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| Apodytes abbottii |
Gail had come across a stunning Cyrtorchis arcuata subsp. arcuata, commonly known as Imfeyenkawu in isiZulu. This robust lithophytic member of the family Orchidaceae grows anchored directly to the exposed sandstone rock faces. It features fan-like arrangements of thick, deeply channelled, leathery leaves that protect it from the elements. Arising in dense spikes from the leaf joints, the highly structural, star-shaped cream blossoms are characterized by long, recurved segments and prominent, tapering nectar spurs that release a sweet, heavy fragrance.
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| Cyrtorchis arcuata subsp. arcuata |
Moving further along, we spotted a striking Crassula standing proudly amidst the grassland. A plant that often stirs up a debate and often leaves us divided. At first glance, telling these species apart in the field presents a real challenge because Crassula vaginata and Crassula alba share a remarkably similar growth habit and both species display immense colour variability; despite their common associations with yellow or red, flower colour is not set in stone, and both can bloom in shades of white or cream. To confirm our find, we bypassed the deceptive flower buds and examined the finer structural anatomy. Crassula vaginata features leaves that fuse around the stem to create a prominent, long, tubular sleeve or sheath, whereas Crassula alba possesses short sheaths under 10 mm or lacks a stem-wrapping sleeve entirely. Furthermore, the stem internodes on Crassula vaginata are completely smooth and hairless, unlike the textured, hair-covered stems of Crassula alba. Looking closely at the smooth sepal margins and those unmistakable, hugging leaf sheaths, we knew we were looking at Crassula vaginata. So it’s best to take your magnifying loupe out and have a closer look.
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| Crassula vaginata |
Another tiny succulent sprawling directly across the gritty, skeletal quartz sand caught our attention. It was the jewel-like Delosperma subpetiolatum, a rare and Vulnerable endemic to the Pondoland-Ugu Sandstone Coastal Sourveld. While it beautifully mimics the water-storing habits of its neighbors, this species belongs to the family Aizoaceae. It thrives specifically on the weathered debris of the Msikaba Formation. This ancient rock layer consists of hard, nutrient-poor siliceous quartz arenites that leach into a highly acidic, sandy floor. Standing out in these open sandstone pockets, its smooth, compact leaves compress tightly to withstand the intense coastal sun and low moisture levels, turning a striking wine-red.
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| Delosperma subpetiolatum |
Leaving the exposed sandstone pavements behind, we pushed onward toward a damp, grassy slope where the environment shifted entirely. It was here that we crossed paths with the rare Watsonia mtamvunae. Standing between 30 and 60 cm high, this South African endemic produces slender flowering spikes adorned with small, pink blossoms. Geographically, the species is intensely restricted to coastal southern KwaZulu-Natal and the adjacent Eastern Cape boundary, where it occurs exclusively on the plateaus and slopes surrounding the Umtamvuna River Gorge. The species is highly specialized, thriving only on stony, well-watered slopes and moist coastal grasslands that overlay the ancient Msikaba Formation bedrock. Classified as Vulnerable on the national Red List due to past habitat transformation from commercial timber plantations nearby, its survival relies heavily on the stable water tables protected within these reserve boundaries. Seeing these delicate pink spikes reminded us how important the preservation of the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is.
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| Watsonia mtamvunae |
A flash of deep yellow and chocolate-brown caught my eye. Looking at this specimen, though, it looked anything but mini. It stood proud of the grass. This was Eulophia parviflora, a robust terrestrial orchid commonly known as the Mini Harlequin. Locally, it is known by its beautiful isiZulu name, Imfeyamasele—meaning the frogs' sweet cane—a descriptive linguistic nod that references its moisture-storing roots and its preference for damp coastal grasslands where frogs thrive. Many terrestrial orchids, including Eulophia parviflora, possess underground tuberous roots, thickened stems, or fake bulbs (pseudobulbs). These structures are often juicy or store starchy, sweet nutrients. Traditionally, herders or children would dig up or chew certain orchid parts for their sweet moisture, directly comparing them to wild sweet cane (imfe).
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| Eulophia parviflora |
Skirting the edge of a rocky outcrop, a vibrant explosion of crimson caught our attention. It belonged to the Ochna genus—the famous Mickey Mouse bushes. Trying to separate Ochna serrulata from Ochna natalitia out there highlights just how adaptable and variable wild flora can be; while Ochna serrulata typically keeps to a smaller, fine-leaved profile, an Ochna natalitia growing out in the open can become stunted by the harsh sun and low moisture, severely reducing its leaf size. Because this particular specimen was heavily stunted out there on the bare rocks and there were no galls to give us a definitive answer, it remained a beautiful field puzzle. We spent a few moments admiring the contrast between the brilliant red sepals that perfectly cradle the developing green fruits regardless of the exact species name.
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| Ochna species |
Walking down towards the edge of the reserve, we confronted an element we do not normally pay attention to, as it bluntly reminds us that even this vast wilderness has boundaries. There in the grass, right before the firebreak, two lush Thunbergia atriplicifolia were flowering. Commonly known as the Natal Primrose, this delightful grassland shrublet arises from a woody underground rootstock and produces large, trumpet-shaped blossoms. The flowers are a pale, buttery-creamy yellow on the outside, accented by a contrasting, rich golden-yellow throat on the inside. Growing against the rocky outcrop, it was impossible to miss Kniphofia coddiana. This striking monocot is a South African endemic intensely localized to the coastal sandstones of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The inflorescence displays a beautiful colour gradient; the tightly packed tubular buds emerge a rich, fiery red before opening downward into soft, golden-yellow mature blossoms. Perfectly adapted to the rugged contours of the Msikaba Formation, it anchors its roots directly into wet rock crevices and thin soil sheets that capture seasonal seepages. It is classified as Near Threatened.
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| Thunbergia atriplicifolia |
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| Kniphofia coddiana |
Sticking to the burnt firebreak we made our way back to the cars, botanising of course. We came across Senecio variabilis from the family Asteraceae. True to its name—variabilis means 'variable' in Latin—this species can change quite a bit in appearance, ranging from deep purple to mauve, to our pale lilac find, and even a rare yellow morph. It is always a delight to see.
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| Senecio variablis |
Standing there in the firebreak was Drimia echinostachya. It is sobering to learn that this striking geophyte faced a massive population decline of over 30% over the last 30 years. Out there, the remaining subpopulations are highly fragmented, making them incredibly sensitive to external pressures. What makes their situation even more critical is how slowly they develop, taking a long generation span of roughly 20 years. It means that when you are standing in the grass looking at a mature, flowering Drimia echinostachya, you aren't just looking at a seasonal wildflower—you are looking at a two-decade-old survivor. If a poacher digs up a single mature bulb today, it doesn't just mean a flower is gone for the season. It means 20 years of growth and survival. This hangs heavily on one's heart. The species is up against intense challenges, heavily targeted by destructive wild harvesting for the traditional medicine trade and facing constant pressure from international horticultural poachers who strip the slow-growing bulbs straight out of these rocky grasslands.
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| Drimia echinostachya flowers and capsules |
As we walked, my eye caught the deep, dusty rose of Helichrysum griseum. Its large, broad, velvety-green leaves are lightly felted and edged with fine hairs that glisten in the light. Commonly known as the Grizzly Everlasting, this member of the family Asteraceae adds a striking warmth and deep texture to the veld.
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| Helichrysum griseum |
We Rejoined Dorothy and Maggie back at the cars. It was a classic Pondoland CREW Thursday—full of shared debates, split paths, and incredible botanical encounters. Driving away from the reserve, we felt a deep appreciation for the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve. These specialized ecosystems serve as irreplaceable natural sanctuaries, protecting ancient survivors and rare endemics that continue to quietly anchor their roots in the ancient Msikaba sandstone.
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