Sunday, 15 April 2018

Ingrid's Falls (Thursday 12 April, 2018)

After a period where many of our CREW group were unavailable, we were all ready to walk again. The group included Tracy Taylor for the first time. As the recent walks had been to the beacon we decided to walk coastwards with the intention of having lunch at Ingrid's Falls. 

We had not walked far along the path before we saw a good display of Helichrysum adenocarpum ssp adenocarpum.
Helichrysum adenocarpum
We followed the track for a short distance around the rock outcrop where we saw Inulanthera leucoclada, Erica cubica and Crass
ula alba. There was also a colourful patch of Stiburus alopecuroides.




Inulanthera leucoclada
Crassula alba
Erica cubica
 
Stiburus alopecuroides


Turning back we saw a single Cycnium racemosum in flower and then we headed into a wetland area and found a few remaining Habenaria woodii still in flower. A bit further on was a good display of Disa polygonoides amongst a number of Genlisea hispidula.


Cycnium racemosum
Habenaria woodii
Disa polygonoides
We headed down towards the stream finding Syncolostemon rotundifolius, Lobelia pteropoda and Senecio rhyncholaenus on a rock outcrop.


Syncolostemon rotundifolius


Lobelia pteropoda

Senecio rhyncholaenus

Just over the stream we encountered both Commelina diffusa and  Commelina africana amongst the grass. A bit further on we started seeing Exochaenium grande and Thunbergia atriplicifolia and this provided the opportunity to juxtapose the two flowers for comparison. We also found the undescribed Exochaenium sp. nov. in this area.


Commelina diffusa

Commelina africana

Exochaenium grande (L) and Thunbergia atriplicifolia

Exochaenium sp. nov.
Heading over the brow towards Ingrid's Falls we noticed a large clump of Syncolostemon - this proved to be Syncolostemon rotundifolius on closer inspection. Behind this were a number of silvery shrubs of Lotononis meyeri, the latter unfortunately being past their flowering period.

Lotononis meyeri
We reached our lunch spot at Ingrid's Falls and once out of the cool wind enjoyed the autumn sunshine and the view down into the Bulolo River gorge. Amongst the rocks we saw Schefflera umbellifera and Tricalysia capensis flowering.

Ingrid's Falls

Schefflera umbellifera

Tricalysia capensis



On the way back we detoured over a forested rock outcrop where we found several Stenoglottis fimbriata flowering and nearby was a Senecio helminthoides hanging from a tree.


Senecio helminthoides
Near the outcrop we found Lopholaena dregeana with a few flowers. Once back at the stream, Gail nearly grasped a Vine Snake as she tried to steady herself - the snake, undeterred, happily posed for us.


Lopholaena dregeana

Well-camouflaged vine snake 
Participants: Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Tracy T.

Sunday, 8 April 2018

Flowering now (April 2018)

It should be noted that these "Flowering now" posts are dealt with incrementally, i.e. new species are added as they are seen each month so readers will not necessarily see all species for the month with a single visit to that post. Also note that we try to avoid including species seen in the previous month, unless the species is particularly notable.


Acridocarpus natalitius

Barleria obtusa

Barringtonia racemosa

Brownleea parviflora

Buchnera dura

Caputia medley-woodii

Cineraria sp.

Colpoon compressum

Commelina africana

Commelina erecta

Commelina modesta

Crassula alba

Crassula depressa 

Crassula obovata var obovata

Crassula sarmentosa var sarmentosa

Crassula southii

Cryptocarya wyliei

Cycnium racemosum

Diospyros scabrida

Disa polygonoides

Dissotis canescens

Erica alopecurus

Erica cerinthoides

Erica cubica

Erythroxylum pictum

Euclea natalensis

Euryops leiocarpus

Exochaenium sp. nov. 

Gladiolus inandensis

Grewia pondoensis

Glumicalyx goseloides

Habenaria woodii

Hebenstretia oatesii

Helichrysum adenocarpum

Helichrysum herbaceum

Helichrysum pannosum

Helichrysum populifolium

Helichrysum sutherlandii

Heliophila sp.

Hesperantha grandiflora

Homalium rufescens

Hyperacanthus amoenus fruit

Hypoestes forskaolii

Inulanthera leucoclada

Kleinia fulgens

Lauridia tetragona

Leonotis leonurus

Limosella longiflora

Lopholaena dregeana

Loxostylis alata fruits

Maytenus acuminata

Monopsis unidentata

Moraea spathulata

Nerine appendiculata

Nerine bowdenii subsp. bowdenii

Oldenlandia rosulata

Ornithogalum juncifolium

Phyllanthus meyerianus

Pilogyne scabra

Pimpenella caffra

Plectranthus madagascariensis

Podalyria burchellii

Printzia pyrifolia

Priva cordifolia

Psoralea glabra

Psydrax obovata

Pycnostachys reticulata

Rabdosiella calycina

Rhipsalis baccifera fruit

Rhoicissus tridentata fruits

Robsonodendron eucleiforme

Roella glomerata

Rubia cordifolia

Scadoxus membranaceus

Schefflera umbellata
 
Schistostephium heptalobum

Senecio discodregeanus

Senecio helminthioides

Senecio rhyncholaenus

Stiburus alopecuroides

Strychnos gerrardii 

Syncolostemon ramulosus

Syncolostemon rotundofolia

Thunbergia dregeana

Trema orientalis

Tricalysia capensis

Utricularia prehensilis

Utricularia subulata

Wahlenbergia madagascariensis

Watsonia pillansii

Zaluzianskya microsiphon