Sunday, 12 August 2018

Women's day washed out at Cubica Heights (Thursday 9 August 2018)

Mindful of the threatening rain and adverse forecast we set off to walk at Cubica Heights where we would always be close to the vehicle. We could see that little had grown since the burn about a month ago - probably due to the dry conditions we have experienced since then. However there were a few Othonna natalensis to brighten up the blackened grass. We also found a few new Euphorbia guenzii popping up and starting to flower.


Othonna natalensis 

Othonna natalensis bud

Euphorbia guenzii

We reached the forested edge to the cliffs and found a few Nuxia floribunda proudly displaying their sprays of white flowers. Further along we found a sprawling mass of Pelargonium capitatum with a few terminal flowers. Nearby was a bed of fibrose lichens. Above this was Brachylaena glabra with several clusters of flowers.


Nuxia floribunda

Nuxia floribunda

Pelargonium capitatum

Interesting lichen

Brachylaena glabra

By this stage it had become distinctly colder and it had started raining so the rain jackets came out. Once the rain started coming down with more intent we decided it was time to head back to the vehicle - a little earlier than we would normally have done.


Tracy tempting fate at the edge

Speeding back to the vehicle

And the rain swirled in
We took a detour on the way back to do some bird spotting that we could do without getting out into the rain. Gail managed to get this great photo of the wintry light on the water of a dam on the way out.


Wonderfully moody picture of reeds in the dam (Photo Gail B-W)

Participants: Dorothy M, Elaine L, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Tracy T.



Tuesday, 7 August 2018

Flowering now (August 2018)

Acalypha depressinervia (m)

Acalypha depressinervia (f)

Acalypha peduncularis (m)

Afroaster hispida

Afroaster serrulatus

Albuca setosa
 
Anemone caffra

Anthospermum galpinii

Ascolepis capensis

Berkheya insignis

Berkheya umbellata
 
Bonatea boltonii

Boophone distica

Brachylaena glabra

Brunia trigyna

Caesia contorta

Callilepis laureola

Chamaecrista comosa

Cassytha pondoensis

Commelina erecta

Cyrtanthus brachyscyphus

Delosperma caespitosum
 
Dioscorea cotinifolia

Disa similis

Disa versicolor

Drimia calcarata
 
Drimia elata
 
Drimia sp.

Elionurus muticus

Erianthemum dregei

Eriocaulon dregei

Eriosema dregei

Eriosema kraussianum

Eugenia albanensis

Eulophia clitellifera
 
Eulophia hians

Euphorbia bupleurifolia

Euphorbia flanaganii

Euphorbia guenzii
 
Geranium flanaganii

Gerbera ambigua

Gerbera kraussii (currently sunk into G. ambigua)

Gerbera natalensis

Gladiolus longicollis

Gnidia woodii

Helichrysum acutatum

Helichrysum teretifolium

Hewittia malabarica

Hilliardiella oligocephala
 
Hypoxis costata

Indigofera rubroglandulosa

Kniphofia littoralis

Kniphofia rooperi

Kohautica amatymbica

Lasiosiphon kraussianus

Ledebouria cooperii
 
Ledebouria ovatifolia

Lotononis bachmanniana

Merwilla plumbea

Nuxia floribunda

Ocimum obovatum

Ophioglossum polyphyllum (Photo Gail B-W)

Ornithogalum graminifolium

Osmunda regalis

Othonna natalensis
 
Peddiea africana
 
Pelargonium capitatum

Pentanisia prunelloides 

Petopentia natalensis

Polygala myrtifolia

Raphionacme galpinii

Scabiosa columbaria

Scadoxus puniceus

Senecio bupleuroides

Senecio coronatus

Senecio humidanus

Senecio speciosus

Senecio variabilis

Sporobolus cf centrifugus

Thesium pallidum
 
Tricalysia capensis


Triglochin milnei

Utricularia prehensilis

Vernonia galpinii

Watsonia bachmannii

Watsonia mtamvunae

Watsonia pillansii

Wurmbea cf kraussii