A welcome home to Mark

It was great to hear that one of our CREW stalwarts, Mark, had made it back after an arduous ordeal of being trapped for several weeks in Mumbai due to the closure of international borders because of Covid 19. Once Mark made it back to South Africa he was quarantined in Gauteng. After being released just before the regulations were relaxed to Level 3, he found it very difficult to get out of Gauteng as flights had not resumed and car hire companies had not been given permission to start business again. Eventually he managed to borrow a vehicle but this was not the end of the story as the vehicle broke down on the way to KZN.

Now safely back at home, Mark will be joining our walks once group activities are permitted again.

Welcome back Mark!

Photo; Gail B-W

First walk in the field under lockdown Level 3 (Thursday 4 June 2020)

At long last there was an opportunity to walk in an open grassland as Lockdown Level 3 kicked in. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife have not determined the protocols for opening their reserves yet and therefore the the gates of the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, our favourite hunting ground, remain closed.

Management of this reserve have clearly been working hard during the lockdown as several firebreaks have been burned in anticipation of block burns before arsonists have a chance to ply their customary trade. As these burns have been recent, there was very little showing in the burnt areas apart from a few early Gazania krebsiana. In the unburnt grass alongside the burns we saw Agathosma ovata, Athrixia phylicoides, Aspalathus chortophila, Gnidia coriacea and Helichrysum subglobmeratum. There was also a small patch of Rafnia elliptica, some with a few flowers, others bearing dried fruits.

Athrixia phylicoides

Aspalathus chortophila

Agathosma ovata

Gazania krebsiana

Gnidia coriacea

Helichrysum subglomeratum

Rafnia elliptica fruit

Rafnia elliptica

As we waded through tall, dry grass, we were surprised to see a few Exochaenium sp. nov. poking their heads out above the grass. This was the first time we have encountered this species in the Red Desert NR. There were little shrubs of Lotononis meyerii like silvery grey mounds, all bearing fruits from the last flowering season. We also found Buchnera dura, Euryops leiocarpus, Gerrardina foliosa, a large fruit on a Strychnos spinosa, Searsia dentata, Syncolostemon rotundifolius, Hypoestes forskaolii, Indigofera herrstreyi (ined.), and isolated Helichrysum aureum var monocephalum.

From here we had a splendid view of the bridge over the estuary, with a nice rainbow-like reflection.

Exochaenium sp. nov.

Buchnera dura

Euryops leiocarpus

Gerrardina foliosa

Strychnos spinosa fruit

Searsia dentata

Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Hypoestes forskaolii

Indigofera herrstreyi ined.

Helichrysum aureum var monocephalum

The Umtamvuna River estuary and bridge

We headed towards the forested cliff edges encountering Lobelia tomentosa  and Lobelia pteropoda on the way. On the forest fringe we saw Polygala myrtifolia and  Schefflera umbellifera in flower. Isolated in the grassland was a large Protea roupelliae sporting flowers in different stages.

Lobelia tomentosa

Lobelia pteropoda

Polygala myrtifolia

Protea roupelliae

Schefflera umbellifera

We crossed a small watercourse and headed back towards the cliffs overlooking the Umtamvuna River estuary to a spot where we had previously seen a large python. There was no sign of the python on this occasion, but we did find some splendid Aloe arborescens, a bright yellow Caputia medley-woodii, Apodytes abbottii in fruit, a solitary Barleria obtusa, Erythroxylum pictum in fruit,  Heliophila rigidiuscula and several Lopholaena dregeana.

Aloe arborescens

Apodytes abbottii

Barleria obtusa

Caputia medley-woodii

Callilepis laureola

Erythroxylon pictum

Heliophila rigidiuscula

Lopholaena dregeana

We crossed a dip and scaled a steep hillside before winding around the hill following a well-worn path. We could see a strip of firebreak ahead of us but again this burn was too recent to show any new growth. Walking through what would normally be a wetland we saw a few Utricularia livida in flower. At the top of a rise there was another firebreak - at the side of this was evidently an earlier trace burn and here we found numbers of Cyrtanthus breviflorus taking advantage of the burn to show their flowers before the grass could hide them.

Heading back we found some Dissotis canescens, together with Eriosema parviflorum. There was a single, multi-stemmed Leonotis intermedia, and a lonely Berkheya speciosa just before we reached the parking area.

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Dissotis canescens

Eriosema parviflorum

Berkheya speciosa

Leonotis intermedia

Flowering now (June 2020)

Afrosciadium natalensis

Agathosma ovata

Aloe arborescens

Anacampseros rufescens

Anastrabe integerrima

Angraecum pusilum

Apodytes abbottii

Aspalathus chortophila

Athrixia phylicoides

Barleria obtusa

Berkheya speciosa

Brachylaena uniflora

Buchnera dura

Callilepis laureola

Capparis fascicularis 

Caputia medley-woodii

Clematis brachiata

Clivia robusta

Coccinia hirtella

Cotyledon velutina

Crassula cordata

Crassula ovata

Crassula ovata

Crassula perfoliata var heterotricha

Crassula perforata

Crassula sarmentosa var integrifolia

Cynanchum gerrardii

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Cyrtanthus contractus

Delosperma subpetiolatum

Delosperma tradescantioides

Dianthus mooiensis

Dicliptera cernua

Dierama igneum

Dissotis canescens

Drimia calcarata

Eriosema parviflorum

Erythroxylum pictum

Euphorbia ingens

Euryops leiocarpus

Exochaenium sp. nov

Gazania krebsiana

Gerbera ambigua

Gerbera natalensis

Gerrardina foliosa

Gladiolus inandensis

Gnidia coriacea

Haemanthus albiflos

Haementhus deformis

Helichrysum aureum var monocephalum

Helichrysum herbaceum

Helichrysum nudifolium var pilosellum

Helichrysum subglomeratum

Heliophila rigidiscula

Hibiscus divaricatus

Hypoestes aristata

Hypoestes forskaolii

Hypoxis argentea

Indigofera herrstreyi ined.

Indigofera rubroglandulosa

Kalanchoe rotundifolia

Lasiosiphon anthylloides

Ledebouria revoluta

Leonotis intermedia

Lobelia pteropoda

Lobelia tomentosa

Lopholaena dregeana

Mimusops ovata

Monopsis decipiens

Mystacidium pusillum

Mystacidium venosum

Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Nuxia floribunda

Olea capensis subsp enervis

Osteospermum imbricatum

Osyridicarpos schimperianus

Othonna natalensis

Petopentia natalensis tuber

Polygala gazensis

Polygala hottentotta

Polygala myrtifolia

Protea roupelliae

Pseudoscolopia polyantha

Pterocelastrus echinatus

Pycnostchys reticulata

Rafnia elliptica fruits

Rafnia elliptica

Rapanea melanophleos

Schlefflera umbellifera

Searsia carnosula

Searsia dentata

Senecio deltoideus 

Senecio erubescens var incisus

Senecio helminthoides

Senecio polyanthemoides

Senecio rhyncholaenus

Senecio variabilis (foreground)

Solanum giganteum

Strychnos spinosa fruit

Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Tetradenia riparia

Tulbaghia acutiloba

Ursinia tenuiloba

Vangueria infausta fruit

Watsonia densiflora

Xyris natalensis