Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: May 2016

Monday 30 May 2016

To the Beacon and Nic II in search of Struthiola pondoensis

Graham and Kate did not walk with the group this week -- Graham was recuperating after his altercation, while riding his bike, with a male bushbuck and Kate stayed behind to prevent any ideas of getting back on the bike. However, Mervyn has decided to re-join the group - a warm welcome back! Anne contributed the following outing report.

Four of us set off from the offices at Beacon Hill up to the Beacon to show Mervyn the commemorative plaque. He had previously scoured the neighbouring koppie to no avail. After having savoured the view we clambered down the steep side and then set off down to the dam on the stream we initially thought was Mr. Nic’s Gully and which we have now named Nic II.

Along the way we passed Helichrysum populifolium, Tricalysia capensis, Watsonia pillansii, Canthium van wykii. Moving away from the dam, we stumbled on the first Struthiola and then they were everywhere in various stages of bud and flower. Tucked deeper into the steep stream banks were Clivia robusta, Indigofera natalensis. Robsonodendron eucleiforme and Pavetta bowkerii and a really large Peddiea africana.

Struthiola pondoensis

Clivia robusta

We puzzled awhile at a healthy stand of Leucadendron spissifolium subsp natalense looking for signs of cones either old or new but found none.

After lunching on the warm rocks next to the Beacon Hill form of Syzygium cordatum we explored the stream bed to find Anastrabe integerrima, Streptocarpus leaves but unfortunately no flowers or fruit and, below a grand waterfall, a lovely swimming pool. Roll on summer!

Further down the gully towards the drop off into the Bulolo we saw many other old friends but very few in flower, Burchellia bubalina, an unidentified Ochna species, Schefflera umbellifera, Bersama spp and the list goes on. For dry looking veld a pretty good haul.

We curtailed our wanderings to have time for visits to Joan and Graham on the way home.

Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Mervyn T, Uschi T

Friday 20 May 2016

Foster's Folly for late flowering species

Although the weather forecast predicted light rain for the afternoon we decided to walk to Foster's Folly at the north western end of the Western Heights in the Umtamvuna nature reserve as we have often come across good flowers along the south-east facing slopes in this area. This time was no exception; it was not long before we came across an early flowering Senecio natalicola.

Senecio natalicola

A little further on we found a solitary Disa poygonoides still in flower. Judging by the number of old stalks in fruit, this must have been an exceptional show a few weeks back - pity we missed it.

Disa polygonoides

On the banks of the nearby stream and hanging out over the clear water were several Disa tripetaloides. The white and pink tinged flowers seem to be present for much of the year.

Disa tripetaloides

Other water-loving plants were also flowering. There were one or two Genlisea hispidula amongst the grasses at the waters' edge and we were lucky to find some Utricularia prehensilis twining up waterside grass stems.

Genlisea hispidula

Utricularia prehensilis

Across a side stream we arrived at an area covered with an abundance of Erica cerinthoides - the sort of numbers we had hoped to find on our earlier visits to Iron Crown. They, together with Moraea spathulata, were really putting on a show.

By the time we got to Foster's Folly the weather had turned cold and windy so we sheltered in the forested top of this rock peninsula while eating our lunch. It was interesting to see the number of Cytorchis arcuata plants growing under the trees. There were many Ceropegia linearis growing in the leaf-litter, one bravely sporting a fruit. We could see that we had just missed the flowering of a few Trichocladus grandiflorus trees, and there were also several Pterocelastrus echinatus with orange fruits.

Ceropegia linearis fruit

Pterocelastrus echinatus fruit

The views from the approach to Foster's Folly are spectacular so we stopped for a group photo at the edge of the cliffs above the Umtamvuna River.

A waterfall on the swamp forest stream

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

Thursday 19 May 2016

Nerine hunting at Ngele

This article below is made available with kind permission of Veld & Flora, the Botanical Society journal.

The article covers an expedition undertaken by a delegation from the UK Nerine Society to discover the origins of the widely cultivated (in the UK) species Nerine bowdenii.

A pdf copy of the article is available at https://www.dropbox.com/s/o3t4bfdvfdd9gcj/Veld%26Flora_March%202016_102-1_NERINE%20BOWDENII.pdf?dl=0

Saturday 14 May 2016

Red Desert Nature Reserve post fire

The management of the Red Desert Nature Reserve had planned to commence with trials to remove stands of invasive Grevillea banksii and Hakea sericea in parts of the reserve, but an arson fire (an unfortunately common event) swept through some of these stands so the trials were delayed. However, once it was seen that the main stands had been unaffected by the fire, the contractor was given the go-ahead. We decided to visit the reserve, both to inspect the areas which had been burned and to assess the work done on the invasive stands.

Apart from a firebreak adjacent to the houses on the inland boundary of the reserve, there was no sign of the fire as we walked towards the Umtamvuna River. There were a few Gazania krebsiana flowering in the firebreak, and Lobelia tomentosa and Agathosma ovata in the unburned grassland.

Gazania krebsiana

Agathosma ovata

Lobelia tomentosa

In a small gully we found a Cassine peragua in flower and fruit.

Cassine peragua

Following along the cliff line we came across this wonderfully gnarled Ficus burtt-davyi growing in a crevice in the rock.

Ficus burtt-davyi

From here we could see down into the gorge where a population of red mangroves, Rhizophora mucronata grows together with Barringtonia racemosa on the south bank of the river.

Mangroves along the south bank of the Umtamvuna river

Turning eastwards we soon came across the burnt area. Despite the recent rain, it appears that the soil moisture conditions are still too low to get most plants going, apart from a display of Cyrtanthus breviflorus and two bright orange Cyrtanthus contractus - both pyrophytes. Adjacent to the burnt section was an area of felled Grevillea banksii, evidence of the contractor's work.

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Cyrtanthus contractus

Walking in the long, unburnt grass is sometimes hazardous as Kate found out when she encountered an unseen hole - fortunately no damage done except to her dignity.

Going ...

Gone

Heading back to the car after lunch we encountered Lopholaena dregeana, some Tulbaghia acutiloba, a stand of the Vulnerable Phylica natalensis and the first of what promises soon to be quite a display of Watsonia pillansii.