Thursday 24 December 2015

Braving a gale at Beacon Hill

After tea (with a Christmas flavour)  in one of the shelters at Beacon Hill we set off with a few species in mind. The first stop was at a spot where we know some Eulophia horsfallii grow but there was no sign of them yet. Nearby, we did however find a flowering Dioscorea multiloba draped over a shrub.


Dioscorea multiloba
We then walked across the grassland looking for Exochaenium grande (formerly Sebaea grandis) and headed towards some rocks where we expected to find Stenoglottis macloughlinii. Near what we know as Mr. Nic's stream, we found a small population of Aspalathus dahlgrenii (ined.), and just beyond that, in a small dam, there were Nymphoides thunbergiana pushing their furry yellow flowers out above the water.
 
Aspalathus dahlgrenii


Nymphoides thunbergiana
While at the dam we saw that earlier efforts to eradicate some invasive Hedychium gardnerianum (a flowering ginger) had not been fully successful so we dug up the sprouting tubers and subsequently hammered them to pulp on some nearby rocks.


Anne "hammering the ginger" (now a euphemism for going beyond the call of duty!)
On these same rocks we found the Stenoglottis macloughlinii we were looking for with many of them flowering in south-facing rock crevices
Stenoglottis macloughlinii
On the way back to the office we finally found the Exochaenium grande we had been looking for. Measurements of this species might help to resolve whether the small-flowered form we also see in this area is a separate species or not.

Exochaenium grande
We decided that eating lunch out in the wind was unwarranted and headed back to the shelters at the office. Pondoland CREW would like to wish all our readers a happy Christmas and may 2016 bring an end to the sub-optimal rainfall we have experienced over the last two seasons.
Christmas greetings from Pondoland CREW

Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Uschi T.

Sunday 20 December 2015

A return visit to Blencathra

As we had heard that this property was for sale and that KZN Wildlife were interested in the possibility of adding this untouched grassland to the adjacent reserve, we returned to try to add to our species list to help inform the decision makers involved with this process. Not unexpectedly we found several species flowering which were not included in our previous list.

Particularly noticeable this time were the numbers of Aristea angolensis although they close in the early afternoon so areas that were showy in the morning were unremarkable an hour or so later.
Aristea angolensis
There was a clump of shrubby Protea caffra with clustered inflorescenses, and between the rocks Isoglossa obovata was putting up stiff competition. We even found a Reed Frog that was convinced we could not see him sitting on a twig.
Protea caffra
Isoglossa obovata
Reed Frog
In the afternoon we walked along the cliffs in the reserve just below Blencathra and found Ceropegia linearis in flower on the rocks near a patch of bright Helichrysum adenocarpum. 
Walking along the cliff edge in the reserve
Helichrysum adenocarpum
Ceropegia linearis
Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Uschi T.

Lasiosiphons at Vernon Crookes NR

Lize van Staden (of Red List fame) and her husband Rudi were passing through our area on their way to the Cape and we joined them at Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve to help them find the Lasiosiphon of this area and do our normal summer survey of the grasslands at the same time. While we waited for them to arrive we explored the area near the camp and found two yellow Orthochilus species, O. ensatus and O. odontoglossus. Not far from these were a few Monopsis stellaroides, including a white form.


Orthochilus ensatus
Orthochilus odontoglossus
Monopsis stellaroides
When Rudi and Lize arrived we drove off to a different area and botanised while they started measuring and counting leaves, bracts and flowers of the Lasiosiphon they found.
 
The counting and measuring process
Lasiosiphon macropetalus
Not far from here we were delighted to again find the critically endangered Riocreuxia flanaganii var alexandrina in flower. In 2013 we rediscovered this plant after it had not been seen for several decades. In the same area we found another member of the Apocynaceae, Ceropegia meyeri.
Ceropegia meyeri
Riocreuxia flanaganii var alexandrina
Participants: Debbie K, Dorothy M, Graham G, Kate G, Lize v S, Rudi v S, Uschi T.

Friday 4 December 2015

A steamy day at Rennie's Beach

Thursday was the first really humid day we have had this summer and we adjusted our walking pace to suit the conditions. This grassland is part of the Red Desert Nature Reserve but is separated from the main section by the R61 highway. It is however quite a special part of the reserve as, being in close proximity to the sea, it seems to have the right conditions for some unusual species to thrive.

While not unusual, Eriosema dregei does well here and there were still a few shrubs with flowers.
Eriosema dregei
Close to where we started waking were a few Heliophila subulata and a single Crotalaria obscura. 
Heliophila subulata
Crotalaria obscura

Orchids were doing well as there were several patches of Satyrium sphaerocarpum and a single but striking Disa polygonoides, and less obvious in the ankle height grass, some Habenaria dives.

We found an Adenia gummifera in flower in the small amount of dune scrub next to the beach where we stopped for lunch. Close to the beach Carpobrotus dimidiatus was sprawled on the dunes and was flowering.
Carpobrotus dimidiatus
Crossing a rock outcrop we came across a particularly robust Euphorbia flanaganii and as we walked back to our vehicles we found a Dichilis strictus.
Euphorbia flanaganii
Dichilis strictus
Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie A, Uschi T.



Wednesday 2 December 2015

A glorious day in the montane grasslands at Ngele

We had not visited the Ngele mountain area for some months, and as November has proved in the past to be good for Asclepiads we set off early and met up with the recently appointed DAFF Forestry Officer, Mr Sebenzile Joyi. After giving him a copy of the recently published species list for the area, we set off to the Belfast Lookout area with Security Guard and guide, Mr Robertson Madwe, and after the arduous and relatively precarious climb up to the plateau where the grasslands are, we got out of the vehicle to see what was flowering on this occasion.

Surprisingly, despite the poor rains, the grassland was full of colour with Indigofera hillaris and Eriosema distinctum providing the background tones of red and orange, interspersed with white, pink, and yellow of less common species.


Eriosema distinctum
Indigofera hillaris
Hiding shyly amongst the grass were many Resnova lachenalioides and in this area we have found this species to be an indicator of a yet-to-be-described species, Xysmalobium rhodanthum (ined.) - this proved to be true again as there were several of the Xysmalobium rhodanthum in flower. Sprawling across the rocks were numbers of bright yellow Xysmalobium tysonianum with attendant pollinators.

Resnova lachenalioides

Xysmalobium rhodanthum (ined.)

Xysmalobium tysonianum
There were many of the short stalked Watsonia confusa, but, unlike previous years, we could find none of the mimic species Disa pulchra. Senecio barbatus flowers provided a colour and texture contrast, and dotted around were numbers of the delicate orchid, Disa stricta.


Watsonia confusa

Senecio barbatus
Disa stricta

Moving on to another section of this grassland, we came across some shrubby Lessertia perenans in flower, some Cerastium arabidis, and in a wetland area near a small stream we found Nidorella undulata, Wahlenbergia rivularis, a Disa cornuta and Satyrium bracteatum. On the slopes above the stream were several Helichrysum vernum.

 
Lessertia perenans

Cerastium arabidis

Wahlenbergia rivularis

Disa cornuta

Satyrium bracteatum

Helichrysum vernum
On a steep slope a little further on we found a Disa oreophila in flower, and following the stream downslope we came across some daisy family shrubs that we will need some help with. Also alongside the stream we saw a Lithospermum afromontanum. While having lunch in the shade of some trees, we found a Maytenus acuminata in flower, and two Streptocarpus pusilus hiding under a rock.
 
Disa oreophila
Lithospermum afromontanum

Maytenus acuminata

Streptocarpus pusilus
After tackling the track down the mountain again, we stopped off at a grassland near the Ntunta River to look at a tree Robertson had found the previous day. We collected more material here and this subsequently turned out to be Commiphora woodii, a species not previously recorded at Ngele; well spotted Robertson. Another species to be added to the list. In this same grassland we saw Pachycarpus concolor and Orthochilus leontoglossus.


Orthochilus leontoglossus

 Pachycarpus concolor

Collecting a specimen of Commiphora woodii

We then headed homeward after a long but satisfying day.

Participants: Anne S, Graham G, Kate G, Robertson M, Uschi T.

Flowering now (December 2015)

Readers should note that Pondoland CREW also undertakes outings in areas which are outside the Pondoland Centre of Endemism; some of the species depicted below have been taken in montane areas beyond the borders of the Pondoland Centre of Endemism.

Adenia gummifera
Albuca humilis
Albuca rupestris
Alectra sessiliflora
Aloe ecklonis
Aspalathus dahlgrenii (ined.)
Aspidonepsis flava
Barbaretta aurea
Berkheya macrocephala
Bersama lucens
Cerastium arabidis
Chironia krebsii
Crassula vaginata
Cyphia longifolia
Delosperma lineare
Dichilus strictus
Dioscorea cotinifolia
Dioscorea multiloba
Diospyros scabrida
Disa polygonoides
Disa stricta
Drimia sphaerocephala
Eucomis comosa var striata
Geranium caffrum
Gladiolus dalenii
Gladiolus ecklonii
Gloriosa superba
Habenaria dives
Heliophila subulata
Hirpicium amerioides
Ipomoea pileata
Monopsis stellarioides
Polygala rhinostigma
Ranunculus multifidis
Satyrium sphaerocarpum

Schizocarpus nervosus
Sphenostylis marginata
Stenoglottis macloughlinii
Streptocarpus pusilis
Thunbergia dregeana