Really hot Sunday Flower Walk

We should have walked this morning when it was marginally cooler. At least there was a breeze up there, but out of it, it was stifling!

The orange Day Lilies are out at the old Railway cottages:

Day Lilies at the Railway Cottages

Flower detail:

Flower detail

The Acanthus mollis won't look as nice as this for long, their leaves are already untidily lying on the ground:

Acanthus mollis

And the Dorothy Perkins roses still aren't completely finished:

Dorothy Perkins

Luckily, the breeze was blowing the very unpleasant odour of these Helichrysum foetidum away from us!

Helichrusum foetidum

On the red road, we were disappointed to find all these Helichrysums lying around, harvested (not sustainably!) and thrown away!

Helichrysum flowers lying in the road

One of the many completely stripped plants:

Helichrysums stripped of flowers

We checked again on our stocking on what we think is Gladiolus carnea.  There are many more flower stalks to spread seeds naturally. The pods are breaking open now:

Stocking to collect a few seeds of Gladiolus carnea (?)

From there, Pippa spotted a splash of pink! By desctiption of the tallness of the plant, we think that Watsonia borbonica is more likely than W. rogersii.

Watsonia borbonica (?) flower

According to the Plantzafrica website, the styles of the flowers only unfurl later on their second day. See the difference between the top flower and the next in the picture below:

Day-old and older flowers

Also pink, these Vygies Mesembryanthemums are still flowering:

Vygies Mesembryanthemums

No doubt, this Bobartia filiformis will be opening this evening, it being full sun, not one was open!

Bobartia filiformis, closed flower

Each flowering head has one or two ready to open:

Bobartia filiformis plant

The Psoralea pinifolia are in full bloom now:

Psoralea pinifolia plant

The pea-shaped flower is distinctive!

Psoralea pinifolia flowers

Here's a Gnidia anormala:

Gnidia anormala

Always giving a spot of bright violet here and there, Lobelia tomentosa:

Lobelia tomentosa flower

Here's a tall pea-type we haven't seen before, perhaps an Aspalathus?

Unknown pea-type

This is how the Lanaria lanata look now:

Lanaria lanata plant in flower

Up close, the pink florets:

Flower detail

A Brunia, its flowers now turned reddish brown. These also tend to get harvested.

Brunia

Easily overlooked in the damp patches, there are at least two different plants here with flowers, one looking like a Sundew.

Unknown plants in damp patches

The Combflowers Micranthus are starting to open in 'our' area:

Combflower Micranthus

We still haven't pinned down this late Daisy:

Unknown Daisy

All those Arum Lilies Zantedescia aethiopica have now set these bright yellow seed pods:

Seed pod of Arum Lily Zantedescia aethiopica

I stopped to have a good look at these Many Umbrellas Erica multumbellifera flowers. We have often seen them eaten away on the sides as if some insect needs to do that to get in at the nectar and pollen. Patches can be seen already on the sides of these flowers as if the process has begun. Perhaps the open ends are too small for the pollinisers to enter?

Many-Umbrellas Erica multumbellifera flowers 

The flowers are distinctly different from many of the others!

Small Erica multumbellifera plant

In the abandoned orchard on the Experimental farm with many strange varieties, there are indeed some unusual ones! This apple has blossoms as well as fruit about an inch across.

Unknown apple with deep pink blossom as well as fruit

:-) A