Short Sunday Flower Walk

Short, because the dogs ran after a buck and the neighbour's Labrador didn't come back to us. We were worried and searched the area they disappeared into. We should have known she was waiting here at (our) home for us!

It didn't stop us from seeing plenty anyway, starting with a pair of Orchids this morning, growing in the rotten stump of a tree down by the river where we've cleared the bush. What made me take the picture was the ball of foam at the base of each:

Two Orchids with foam on their stems

In the band of Municipal ground along the Klip River next to the Bins family property, where it was until recently completely overgrown with Black Wattle and Port Jackson, there is now a lovely grove (albeit still under a canopy of Black Wattle) with these Arum Lilies Zantedeschia aethiopica.

Arum Lilies Zantedeschia aethiopica

Next step is to plant indigenous trees to consolidate the banks and when they're established, to cut the wattles down. The general appearance is very appealing, the river is much cleaner and from here, all I could smell was my apple blossom from the other side. Quite a change!

Klip River between the Bins' and our Dunland orchard

We have now read that there are four distinct kinds of Wachendorfia paniculata, which might explain the different flowering times and leaf shapes we have noticed. These are on the bank of the dam on the Experimental Farm next door.

Wachendorfia paniculata

The branches on the flower stalk are comparatively short. This is what the flower looks like, and they're in full bloom now. The patches on the upper petals are pale:

Wachendorfia paniculata flower

... and the leaves are narrow and soft:

Wachendorfia paniculata leaf

Compare these to the ones we found flowering in the lower areas just beyond the railway line. The seed pods are orange already and the leaves are drying up:

Wachendorfia paniculata seed pods

Then further up, the largest of them all

Larger Wachendorfia paniculata

The branches on the flowering stems are longer. Detail of the flower with black patches on the upper petals:

Flower detail of large Wachendorfia paniculata

... and the leaves are stiffer and wider. Somehow we must unravel which is which, but one thing is for sure, they're spreading throughout the whole valley!

Stronger leaf

Back to the bank of the dam, there is a striking pink Erica which I have photographed before. It's still a mass of flowers, so today I got up close. The relatively shallow flowers look square:

Erica with 'square' flowers

Not sure what this pea-type flower is, but it grows wild on the bank!

Pea type flower

Some previous occupant of the Railway Foreman's house at the must have been a keen gardener. This Geranium / Pelargonium is growing amongst the ruins:

Geranium/Pelargonium at Railway cottages

Also on the edge of that garden is this Prickly Pear Opuntia which is covered in buds which will shortly make an impressive display. Ever wondered where the name comes from? Wiki has the answer: The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew which could be propagated by rooting its leaves.

Buds on prickly Pear Opuntia

Another pea-type with tiny flowers is growing along the path, perhaps a Tar Pea Bolusafra bituminosa like we've found before, higher up?

Another pea, Tar pea Bolusafra bituminosa? 

The leaves are hairy:

Hairy leaves

The Sparaxis bulbifera have finished flowering and there's a good crop of seeds for next year!

Sparaxis bulbifera seed pods

While searching for the missing dogs, Pippa spotted a splash of pink!

Gladiolus? 

It's well hidden behind bushes, the flowers are beautiful! A Gladiolus?

Flower detail!

All year we've been watching this completely different plant which we thought might be Gladiolus carnea not far away, which also gave us a pink flower like this. First there was one leaf, then another, now several and what looks as though it might be the beginning of a flower stem at last!

Gladiolus carneus (?) spotted last year, with flower stem appearing

This is the first Lanaria lanata we've seen this year:

First Lanaria lanata bud

There's also a good crop of seeds on the Trachyandra revoluta plants we've found in one place only:

Trachyandra revoluta seed pods

Look carefully in the middle.....

Caterpillar on Trachyandra revoluta

The two Dilatris pillansii plants we found are looking even better than last week!

Dilatris pillansii

Flower detail:

Dilatris pillansii flower

Near it, the Star Grass Ficinia radiata was difficult to miss, but there was no sign at all of the lilac flowers in amongst the grass tufts which we saw last week!

Star Grass Ficinia radiata

Finally, this tuft of grass was worth going off the road for!

Unknown grass

:-) A