Beacon Hill at The Beacon 19 November 2020

We had experienced an incredible amount of rain during the week and we looked at the weather app wondering if we were going to venture out at all, but being the Pondoland group that we are, we met at Beacon Hill in the Umtumvuna, braced with our gumboots, umbrellas, rain coats and tasty treats as not only was it our favourite day but it was also our Dorothy's 78^th  birthday.  The table was laid out with chocolate cup-cakes, brownies, fruit cake and crunchies.   With tummy's warm and full we set out into the rain and wind cheerfully.

Rain pelting down.

Leucadendron spissifolium

Pondoland C.R.E.W.

Tracey with her parachute rain jacket about to lift up into the sky.

At the Beacon we explored the rocky terrain cautiously.  Both my umbrella and Anne's broke, photographing flowers was truly impossible as the rain pelted down and the wind was relentless.  Umbrellas were more of a hazard than providing shelter and even though mine was a golf umbrella it turned inside out and it buffeted against me like a rhino thinking I was its leaning post whilst I was  trying to photograph flowers that were dizzily spinning around and around like colourful propellers.  It is amazing that they still have petals attached to their heads!  I'm sure it was a good day for seed dispersal.

Anne, with her umbrella that was more a foe than friend.

Maggie

  The camera was having a hard time focusing on anything and I was about to be blown off the cliff's like Mary Poppins.  In the end I put away the umbrella and just embraced the rain, tucking my camera under my raincoat, looking pregnant and continuously wiping water from the lens.  Not even the gloomy weather could dampen our spirits as we just took one small step in front of the other.  One must remember that in order to take a photograph of a Brachystelma one must sit in a wet puddle and get as close as to the earth as possible.  Anne found a tiny Brachystelma and we found several more in the rocky area  and the Sisyranthus. 

Brachstelma australe

Brachystelma sandersonii 

Brachystelma sandersonii 

Sisyranthus virgatus

We tottered about on cliff edges living life dangerously.  Every crevice in the rocks was brimming and full of clean fresh water. Streams ran down the earth and new little falls cascaded over the rocks.  All the plants were left freshly washed and dripping in rain drops.  What a joy it was to see!. The dry pond a couple of months ago that was cracked like a salt pan was full and the water lilies were soon to flower once again.

Hypoxis colchicifolia

Searsia carnosula

Tritonia disticha

The black grass from the terrible run away fire several weeks before had all turned to lush green and one could have thought we were in Scotland.

 

The Polystachya pubescens were glorious in their rich colours and peeking in a rock crevice a Rhipsalis baccifera was flowering.

Polystachya pubescens

Rhipsalis baccifera

Hypoxis colchicifolia flowered more brightly than a sunflower and Merwilla kraussii had set seed in beautiful mauve balls.

Hypoxis colchicifolia

Merwilla kraussii in seed.

Tiny Tulbaghia acutiloba, which could be easily overlooked, were pinkish and coral in colour and looked botoxed in all the moisture they had received. 

Tulbaghia accutiloba

We admired the single flower heads of the Aristea abyssinica.

Aristea abyssinica

Dianthus mooiensis waved its delicate pink flowers and Sopubia simplex were in bud. Chlorophytum cooperi popped out in the grass like little single white stars.

Dianthus mooiensis - short tube

Dianthus mooiensis

Chlorophytum cooperi

I admired the Ledabouria revoluta in the grass with their distinct markings. In one area the Crassula were abundant and one had to be so careful where one walked.  Delosperma that normally grew on hot rocks lay submerged like sea-weed underwater. 

Ledabouria revoluta

Delosperma subpetiolatum

With thunder threatening and sheets of rain falling down like curtains we decided to call it a day, which had been absolutely wonderful.  What a privilege it is to have a grassland/flower reserve and then to have a group that lives life fully embracing all weathers.  Here’s to our elders.

Dorothy, our birthday girl living on the edge.  The tree was trying to snatch her up and keep her.

Satyrium longicauda

Lasiosiphon triplinervis

Apodytes abbottii

Helichrysum diffusum

Canthium vanwykii

Pelargonium luridum

Front:  Maggie Abbott and Dorothy McIntyre
Back:  Gail Bowers-Winters, Tracey Taylor and Anne Skelton

Happy Birthday Dorothy!  Here is to many more years botanizing together.  We admire your persistency and perseverance, there is nothing that will stop you from doing what you love to do do and that is being in nature botanizing.  Thank you for your teachings, for your time in taking the time to teach us in looking at the detail in determining what it is exactly we are looking at.  We love your passion. We love you. 

Manilkara Meander

It was the ideal weather in which to botanise.  We had decided to go and explore the Manilkara Meander which on summer days gets extremely hot but on this Thursday it was overcast and there was no wind so taking photographs of flowers that were in focus was possible.  It was an all girl group this week and we all jumped into the car and journeyed forth, and using Q20 to open up rusted locks, we meandered in.

Manilkara Meander 

Boophone disticha

Normally we would have ventured left but we found ourselves on unexplored terrain that we don’t frequent regularly as it is steep and rocky and scorching.   One truly does not have to charge busily about but to simply pause and take a good look at what is growing where one is standing.  There is an abundance of incredible plants growing if only one takes the time to observe. 

 

One had to be sure footed as it was quite easy to twist one’s ankle walking on such steep terrain and with hips and knees that have been replaced one’s respect fell to the elderly as any injuries would come at a hefty price. 

Maggie and Dorothy

Anne

The plants that were wearing the crown for the day were the Pachycarpus.  I simply love their structure.  The Asclepias praemorsa is so delicate and can be walked past so easily as the grass hides it.   The Raphionacme galpinii is also another that can be overlooked.  I love its compactness of flowers and its tight clusters of star like flowers. 

Pachycarpus asperifolius 

Pachycarpus asperifolius 

Asclepias praemorsa

Raphionacme galpinii

Raphionacme galpinii

Raphionacme galpinii with seed follicle

So with our pace slow and observance we explore as a group and sometimes divided.  Always within eye-sight.   Anne had found a Polygala fruticosa nestled in rocks and  Tracey and Dorothy were identifying which Polygala it was.  I was meandering down and my gaze fell first upon a rock that seemed to look as if it were a guardian looking down at us and seeing who was walking on her territory angrily and about to boom and pounce.  My eye then was fixed on a movement suddenly, just when I thought that it was so strange we didn’t see snakes more frequently I then saw this beautiful Green Bush-Snake.  It seems impossible but here’s a snake and it’s climbing up on a surface that’s ruler straight and going straight up.

Polygala fruticosa

Polygala fruticosa

The rock guardian watching down from above.

Green bush-snake

A sculptural rock face gazing up.

In the grasslands near cliff’s edges Watsonia inclinata flowered, along with the occasional Hybanthus enneaspermus.  Ocimum obovatum I always find beautiful every time I take a photo.  There was Thesium pallidum, Rotheca hirsuta and Vangueria infausta in flower. Ipomea crassipes twined and Merwilla plumbea was seen both in its lilac and pink hues.   Butterflies danced and skipped and birds sang. Suddenly to disturb this utopia a rifle shot was heard. There were poachers out finding the now almost non-existent animals.  Phone calls were made but nothing followed up. 

Watsonia inclinata

 

Watsonia inclinata - in its various shades of drying colours.

Ocimum obovatum

Indigofera rubroglandulosa

Indigastrum fastigiatum 

Spindasis mozambiqua

Eulophia parviflora 

Afroaster

Ipomea crassipes

Merwilla plumbea

After our lunch gazing upon a river that flows and the Transkei we began meandering back.   Maggie and Dorothy continued with their climb and Anne, Tracey and I ventured down further wishing to explore further.  It was just beautiful.  We saw on a cliff’s edge Ehretia rigida in flower.  It was magnificent. 

Ehretia rigida

Maggie and Dorothy

I’ve never seen Jasminum multipartitum flower so prolifically and en masse. There was a Carissa bispinosa in flower and both male and female Dioscorea dregeana were taking full advantage on a tree and growing happily.  Anne and Tracey had found some invasive plants and quickly dealt with them.  Gazing down with the river below the Erythrina and Protorhus longifolia had set seed.

Carissa bispinosa

Dioscorea dregeana - female seed heads

Dioscorea dregeana - male flowers

Jasminum multipartitum

Ficus glumosa 

Vangueria infausta

With excitement I called Anne and Tracey and had seen a Pachycarpus which just seemed to be different from any of the ones that we had seen today.  I shouted, “It looks like a salmon star-fish!” and Tracey pulled out her tape measure and we began measuring its leaves and flowers.  It was very exciting seeing something in nature that one hasn’t seen before. We learnt later thanks to expert observations and was reported back that it was a Pachycarpus coronarius hybrid species. 

Pachycarpus coronarius hybrid species

With time pressing knowing we had a steep ascent we pushed on admiring the Brachystelma rubellum and Rotheca hirsuta.  In a shallow rock surface tiny Drimia uniflora were flowering.  One something thinks how difficult it is to keep a house plant alive and yet here we have the tiniest and strongest little plant that is smaller than half a grain of rice if not smaller surviving the harshest of conditions requiring damp but having the scorching sun which doesn’t kill it.  I simply love nature.

 

Brachystelma rubellum 

Rotheca hirsuta

Drimia uniflora

Anne Skelton, Tracey Taylor, Gail Bowers-Winters, Dorothy McIntyre, Maggie Abbott

"Like wildflowers you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would". Anonymous.

With sincerest thanks to all who made this day possible,

 with transport, knowledge, and their love of plants which unite this group together weekly.