Pink Erica Sunday Flower Walk

A strong South-easter was blowing, meaning we had to hold on to the plants to take photos!

Yes, looking through today's photos, it's the pink Ericas which stand out. Erica pulchella; they are all over!

Erica pulchella

We went back to the area where we found the three Erica obliqua plants, to find them still floweing beautifully, after discovering them five weeks ago.

Erica obliqua

This one was easy to walk past assuming it was yet another E. pulchella, but it isn't. The flowers are arranged in tufts along the stalk, wedding-cake style. We found another one later:

Unknown pink Erica

Flower detail:

Flower detail

Here is a tall one we have not noticed before, standing at about 1 metre with woody stems.

Unknown tall light-pink Erica

Up close, the flowers are just pink:

Flower detail

And in another area, we found this one, not noticed before:

Another unknown pink Erica

Flower detail:

Flower detail

What else caught our eyes? The Lobelia tomentosa are all over the place, in bright violet patches. These are growing in front of Cape Snow, Syncarpha vestita:

Lobelia tomentosa and Cape Snow Syncarpha vestita

We know this Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens is bound to have a flower, there are lots of buds on it.

Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens

Campylostachys cernua, a big bush with quite a few flowers still out:

Campylostachys cernua flower

Interesting spent flowers from the Therianthus, showing the clockwise helix:

Therianthus spent flower

At last! Thanks to Jennetta, we have a name for this shrub, Brachylaena neriifolia or Waterwitels in Afrikaans. It helps to know what the words mean, the Greek means 'short jacket' and the Latin, 'with leaves like an Oleander'. Now we know! It's interesting that we have found the Butterspoon Cunonia capensis or Rooiels in the same area.

Waterwitels Brachylaena neriifolia

Jennetta and Dominic both confirmed that what we suspected to be a Rhus-type shrub last week is Rockwood Heeria argentea. It belongs to the same family as the Rhus and Searsias. Dominic said he finds it in very rocky places, this is no exception. In the wind the backs of the leaves had a silvery look.

Rockwood Heeria argentea

I couldn't resist another look at the large (for us, at least) Leucospermum oleifolium we found last week. The sun was catching the pink new growth at the tips.

Leucospermum oleifolium

Look closely on the ground at the base and the spent and fallen flowers form a mat. What/who will distribute them?

Spent and fallen flowers of Leucospermum oleifolium

Now I've worked out how to photograph Five-toothed Baboon-cabbage Othonna quinquedentata.... against the sky!

Five-toothed Baboon Cabbage Othonna quinquedentata

Here is a flower on the Buchu Agathosma betulina. It's very difficult to pick out the detail.

Buchu Agathosma betulina

There seems to be consensus that this tall Erica is E. plukenetii subsp breviflora. We've been watching it for years and it's the only one we've found in 'our patch'.

Erica plukenetii breviflora

Another little yellow pea!

Unknown small yellow pea-type

We kept seeing this, a little plant about 200mm tall, any ideas?

Unknown small white flower

Something's happening on this Brunia..... last year's flowers can be seen behind.

Brunia in bud

Finally, we're into this time of the year!

Golden Delicious

It's looking good!

:-) A