Red Desert walk washed out (Thursday, 13 July 2017)

Although rain was forecast, we were disappointed to see that the sky was clear as we drove to the parking area at the red Desert Nature Reserve. On this occasion we were joined by Lindo Tshapa, who is busy with a MSc at UKZN Westville campus and is at Umtamvuna for two weeks to help re-organise our herbarium folders. Another return visitor was Gerd Siebert. Phakamani, becoming a regular visitor, was also with us.

When we started walking, the wind was blowing strongly from the south and it grew stronger as we made our way through the exposed yardangs from which the Red Desert gets its name. When we emerged out into the grasslands we could see that a firebreak had been burned on the southern side of the track and we moved into that to see what might have started flowering.

Prominent in the unburned sections were little clusters of Agathosma ovata, while the burned parts showed more diversity. Here we saw Callilepis laureola, Eulophia parviflora, Gerbera ambigua, Lasiosiphon kraussianus, Ocimum obovatum, Othonna natalensis and Scabiosa columbaria. With a bit of rain this should soon be looking good.

Agathosma ovata

Callilepis lauriola

Gerbera ambigua

Lasiosiphon kraussianus

Ocimum obovatum

Othonna natalensis

Scabiosa columbaria

Looking up we could see a bank of dark clouds bearing down on us, racing before the strong wind and before long the first drops of rain started hitting us. We tried to press on but pretty soon it was clear that we would not be able to see anything in the horizontal downpour of icy rain and so made our way back to the vehicles as fast as possible. By the time we reached the vehicles no-one was in a fit state for a group photo so we piled into the vehicles and headed home.

Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Gerd S, Graham G, Lindo T, Phakamani M, Uschi T.

Exploring a "new" Aloe Ridge in the Eastern Cape (Sunday 9 July 2017)

A WhatsApp message from Simon Woodley alerted us to the fact that the aloes at Aloe Ridge in the Izingolweni district in KwaZulu-Natal were flowering. This coincided with our going through a new book on succulents that included sections on Aloe ferox and Aloe candelabrum. Following up with one of the authors of this new succulent book, Neil Crouch, to determine the difference in field characteristics between these two species, we could see that what we had always referred to as Aloe ferox at Aloe Ridge (see last year's post on our visit to Aloe Ridge) was probably the reinstated Aloe candelabrum. Neil kindly sent us a copy of the paper reinstating A. candelabrum but in this paper and in the new succulent book, A candelabrum is described as being a species restricted to the KZN midlands.

Knowing that we had seen many more aloes in the distance on the south bank of the Umtamvuna River when we visited Aloe Ridge last year, we decided it was necessary to visit the Eastern Cape side of the valley to confirm which species of aloe was there - potentially adding to the knowledge of the distribution of A. candelabrum.

We learned that one of the Mzamba Beach Stewards, Wendy Bongwana, had been seconded as an intern to Bizana Municipality and as this was en route to the location where we believed the aloe colony to be, we arranged for her to accompany us on the trip. We were even more fortunate in that her home village is Sikhulu, a community close to our intended destination.

We followed Wendy's directions to Sikhulu but were then uncertain about where to go for the final approach to the edge of the Umtamvuna River gorge, so we stopped near her home and walked a short distance to the edge overlooking the gorge. While we could see aloes on the slopes below us, it was clear that the flowers were over. Scrambling down the slope to one of these, I came across a Blepharis integrifolia in flower.

Blepharis integrifolia

Having taken some photos of the flowerless aloes, we walked back to the vehicle. I noticed an aloe in a garden which had remnants of flowers on one spike - as this house belonged to Wendy's aunt, there was no problem in getting access and more photos. We then decided to try a different road to get closer to the area we had seen from the KZN side of the gorge. On the way we saw some more aloes in flower in another garden and were again able to get access with Wendy's kind intervention. Both of these garden plants were A. candelabrum and we ascertained that they originally came from the slopes on the Umtamvuna River valley.  

The next road we tried took us to the right area and fortunately we were soon amongst aloes in their natural habitat - and, even better, many were still flowering. It did not take us long to find that one of the distinguishing characters of A. candelabra, namely the flared tips to the flower tube, was present. As is the case for the aloe population on the KZN side of the gorge, there is a wide range of flower colours - from a bright red through salmon, orange, yellow to white, making for an impressive sight.

We were able to collect representative material so that the identity of these aloes can be verified and the distribution data included.

Aloe candelabrum

Kate and Wendy amongst some Aloe candelabrum

Aloe candelabrum showing the flared tips to the flower tubes

Aloe candelabrum

Aloe candelabrum - an almost jade-coloured tinge to the white flowers

Low on the ground amongst the hardy shrubs were a few Macledium zeyheri.

As the access to this site is much easier than the trip to the KZN Aloe Ridge, it is likely we will be back - perhaps a little earlier - next year. There may even be some modest tourist potential that could be worth exploring. Thanks to Wendy's local knowledge, this trip was a great success.

Macledium zeyheri

The view across the Umtamvuna River with KZN Aloe Ridge in the background, 
and the Umtamvuna River gorge below

A multitude of A. candelabrum surrounding the rural community

References:

Smith G F, Crouch N R, and Figueiredo E. Field Guide to Succulents in Southern Africa. Struik Nature. 2017

Smith G F, Klopper R R, Crouch N R, and Figueiredo E. Reinstatement of Aloe candelabrum A.Berger (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae), a tree-like aloe of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Bradleya 34/2016. Pages 59 to 69. 

Participants: Graham G, Kate G, Wendy B.

A big group walks to Hazel Ridge and beyond (Thursday 6 July 2017)

This week our group was further augmented by Gail and her younger daughter, Sarah, as well as Phakamani and his supervisor, Liseka Gqumani.

Having parked our vehicles next to a Eucalyptus plantation at the edge of the reserve, we set off across the grassland towards Hazel Ridge. On the way down we came across some scattered Watsonia pillansii with their orange flowers. Despite this being winter, the sun was warm and we were glad to reach the shelter of the low trees along the ridge. Growing in the leaf-litter under these trees we noticed several Haemanthus albiflos, one of which was in flower.

Watsonia pillansii

Watsonia pillansii

 

Haemanthus albiflos

A little further along the ridge we came across Trichocladus grandiflorus, the witch hazel after which the ridge was named. Unfortunately only old fruit capsules remained.

Trichocladus grandiflorus fruit capsules

We were surprised at the number of Manilkara nicholsonii we saw along this trail. Many had obviously flowered recently, much later than those we saw flowering at Manilkara Meander at the beginning of June.  At the end of the ridge we dropped down into the surprisingly cool streambed and then scrambled up the opposite bank, emerging into rocky grassland fringed by forest. On the forest edge we saw a single flower on an Ochna arborea and nearby was an Erianthemum dregei - below it we found several of its seeds starting to establish themselves as new parasites on a Dahlbergia obovata.

Ochna arborea

 

Erianthemum dregei seeds starting to parasitise a Dahlbergia obovata

Re-entering the forest we came across a few Mystroxylon aethiopicum in fruit and in the undergrowth were Crassula sarmentosa flowering. 

We decided to stop here to enjoy our lunch in the shade of a Manilkara nicholsonii. Some of the group elected to sit out in the open on a large rock and while there, Phakimani spotted a discarded snake skin in a tree some 5 metres below the rock - and then saw the snake itself, a large black mamba (one of our more poisonous species) enjoying the winter sun on the top of a tree nearby.

Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Crassula sarmentosa

 

The visible portion of the live black mamba

The head end of the mamba's shed skin

Being at the edge of a densely forested cliff, prudence dictated that we should proceed no further so we made our way back along the same route finding Clivia robusta as well as Dermatrobotrys saundersii growing in a small hollow in a horizontal branch.

Clivia robusta

Dermatrobotrys saundersii

Driving back we were fortunate in seeing a Gymnogene fly overhead - a fitting end to a great walk.

Participants: Anne S, Debbie K, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Liseka G, Phakamani M, Sarah B-W, Sarel C, Uschi T.

Flowering Now (July 2017)

Afroaster hispida

Agathosma ovata

Albuca setosa

Alectra sessiliflora

Aloe candelabrum

Aloe maculata

Antidesma venosum

Asclepias navicularis

Berkheya insignis

Berkheya speciosa

Berkheya umbellata

Blepharis integrifolia

Boophone disticia 

 

Brachylaena discolor

Burchellia bubalina

Callilepis laureola

Clivia robusta

Commelina erecta

Crassula perfoliata

Cyanotis speciosa

Cycnium tubulosum

Cyrtanthus brachyscyphus

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Dermatrobotrys saundersii

Dimorphotheca fruticosa

Dyschoriste burchellii

Erianthemum dregei seeds starting to parasatise

Eriosema dregei

Eriosema kraussianum

Erythrina caffra

Erythrina lysistemon

Eugenia albanensis

Eulophia clitelliffera

Euphorbia flanaganii

Bronze new leaves of Ficus ingens

Freesia laxa

Gerbera ambigua

Gladiolus wilsonii

Grewia occidentalis

Haemanthus albiflos

Hebenstretia comosa

Helichrysum aureum

Helichrysum griseum

Helichrysum lepidissimum

Helichrysum pallidum

Helichrysum nudifolium var pillosellum

Hewittia malabarica

Hilliardiella oligocephala

Hydrocotyle bonariensis

Hypoxis angustifolia

Hypoxis colchicifolia

Hypoxis hemerocallidea

Ipomoea crassipes

Kniphofia cf littoralis

 

Kniphofia rooperi

Lasiosiphon anthylloides

Lassiosiphon kraussianus

Ledebouria cooperi

Leucospermum innovans

Linum thunbergii

Macledium zeyheri

Mikania natalensis

Momordica balsamina

Moraea elliottii

Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Nemesia caerulea

Ocimum obovatum

Ornithogalum juncifolium

Orthochilus foliosus

Othonna natalensis

Oxalis smithiana

Pelargonium luridum

Pelargonium pulverulentum

Polygala refracta

Raphionacme galpinii

Scabiosa columbaria

Senecio humidanus

Senecio speciosus

Senecio variabilis

Strychnos spinosa fruit

Thesium natalensis

Tritonia gladiolaris

Ursinia tenuiloba

Watsonia densiflora

Watsonia pillansii

Xysmalobium involucratum