Fire Asparagus Sunday Flower Walk

It is now 4½ weeks since the fire and we were today discussing the plants which have recovered, in order of their appearance.

Within days the Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa were up, and at the same time the green shoots of Lanaria lanata were pushing up their burned ends. Various grasses were quick to follow. We were happy to see the Agapanthus walshii shooting from burned stumps. Then we found the Fire Asparagus Asparagus lignosus and it's all over! Recognisable by the dense light green splash it makes on the burned background, it's standing out and the earliest are now in flower:

Asparagus lignosus flowers and leaves

The flowers are tiny, the leaves firm, almost like short pine-needles and the thorns in the axils needle sharp!

Asparagus lignosus branch

What is surprising is that it seems to have been there all the time and we've never noticed them! Look at the base of this one; there are plenty of burned-off stems. The 'woodiness' of the name 'lignosus' is apparent here:

Base of Asparagus lignosus plant showing burned-off stems

This is what the whole plant looks like in the bleak landscape:

Asparagus lignosus plant

I mentioned the Agapanthus walshii, we have been watching them for years now and know where to find them. But what is very satisfying is to see others in their vicinity now shooting, which we were unaware of.

Agapanthus walshii

They are very rare; in SANBI's Red List, they are EN B1ab(ii,iii); C1

"Known from a restricted range (35 km²) in the Elgin valley, recorded from less than five locations with continuing decline of the largest subpopulation occurring as a result of informal settlement expansion." It's pleasing to know that they will have survived the fire. It took some looking to find a bunch we have been keeping an eye on for years. We knew where to look and knew that it should be sprouting. The fire must have been very 'hot' there, but today we found it and packed stones around to make it easier it find in future. There were five flowers on it when the fire came through, including one which we had put a stocking over, to catch a few seeds. Agapanthus walshii, an old stand, recovering Elsewhere, they're thriving! More Agapanthus walshii The Pelargoniums are recovering fast in places, some straight out of the ground: Pelargonium out of the ground ..... and some from the bases of burned bushes: Pelargonium recovering from the base of a burned bush This shows the stage that Lanaria lanata has reached so far, this one recognisable by the remains of flowers:

Lanaria lanata with the remains of flowers

All over, the Palmiet is pushing out green shoots, not only from the burned stems, but from the base too:

Palmiet, shooting

So far this is the only Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa we have found which has set seed. The leaves are showing, but from our observations, they don't get much bigger than this:

Fire Lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa with seed pod

One side of the pod is open, we're not sure whether it has been eaten or that it's beginning to split open to distribute seeds.

Seed pod of Fire Lily Cyrtanthius ventricosa

To give an idea of how 'hot' the fire was and how deep it burned, this dog lead is 1.2 metres long and its clip is just touching the bottom of the hole left from a pine root! If that plant on top survives, it's hardy!

Root of pine burned to a depth of more than one metre!

Here, Lanaria lanata is giving the otherwise bleak background a green hue:

Lanaria lanata greening the bleak background!

It made a change to get back into the unburned section and to find old favourites like this White Water Alder Brachylaena neriifolia, still in flower, as the others would be!

White Water Alder Brachylaena neriifolia in flower

.... and our old favourite, the Many Umbrellas Heath Erica multumbellifera:

Many Umbrellas Heath Erica multumbellifera

This is how it grows, many of the flowers are spent:

Erica multumbellifera plant

At the dam on the Experimental Farm next door, we were treated to the sight of six Spoonbills. We seldom see more than one at a time. Here they are amongst Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Plovers (oops! Lapwings) and a Darter:

Six Spoonbills amongst Sacred Ibis, Lapwings and a Darter

We watched the large flock of Sacred Ibis land, then just four Hadeda Ibis took off from the bank of the dam on the left with their raucous calls, causing all the birds on the island to fly away, the Spoonbills keeping to themselves in flight, and returning first. What made the Hadeda's fly off? Not sure, but looking up we saw a Fish Eagle circling! Quite a performance for us in a minute or so!

:-) A

Late, short Sunday Flower Walk

We were in Cape Town today for Mother's 93rd Birthday Party and got back late. Not wishing to disappoint you all, we went up into 'our' patch to monitor the re-growth after the fire, which was now 3½ weeks ago.

Last week we featured a bush which had grown phenomenally in 2½ weeks, and Pat and Jennetta both kindly identified it as Fire Asparagus Asparagus lignosus. Tony Rebelo, who has in this last week patiently guided me through the process of loading observations on iSpot, agrees http://www.ispotnature.org/node/651088

Today we found another, even bigger:

Pippa shows how big this Fire Asparagus Asparagus lignosus has grown 

Pippa gives an idea of the size; the stems are a metre long already! At each node is a very sharp thorn and the shoot grows from the axil. (Hands still covered in Steenvas from yesterday at Mostert's Mill, despite much scrubbing! see http://compagnesdriftmill.blogspot.com/)

Growing tip and buds of Asparagus lignosus

Close by was the remains of a Bobartia (I wouldn't dare guess which!). It seems to have survived the fire  well.

Bobartia after the fire

.... and it looks as if the seeds could be ready to be dispersed.

Bobartia seed pods

We never realised there were so many, but this is but one of many Lanaria lanata (thanks Pat for the confirmation). They shot up quickly after the fire, the green is now mostly 200 to 300mm tall, and the rapid growth seems to have slowed.

Lanaria lanata

This looks like a Daisy, the one we think is a Euryops, shooting from the base already.

Euryops (?) regrowth from the base

We went to where we knew many Watsonia schlechteri were growing, and we weren't disappointed.

Watsonia schlechteri

This tortoise didn't make it :-(

Burnt tortoise and Lanaria lanata

We went back to where we found another 'new' plant last week:

Tulbaghia alliacea

Again, both Pat and Jennetta suggested Tulbaghia alliacea. Yes, I nibbled a leaf, and I'm still burping garlic! I still couldn't freeze the flowers!

Tulbaghia alliacea flowers

We went on to where Pippa was sketching new-found Agapanthus walshii a couple of months ago, to find them also recovering: 

Agapanthus walshii

On our way home we found the remains of a burned Brachylaena neriifolia which we could recognise by the flowers.

Burnt Brachylaena neriifolia flowers

Here again, there is re-growth from the base already:

Brachylaena neriifolia re-growth at the base

It will be interesting to see how the new growth takes over the old.

Brachylaena neriifolia plant with re-growth at the base, after 3½ weeks

There should be a New Moon out there somewhere!

Sunset!

:-) A

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It takes more than a fire...... Sunday Flower Walk

It's now two and a half weeks since the fire, and the Agapanthus walshi are pushing up already!

Agapanthus walshii coming up!

This was where we found the 20+ flowers recently. There are more in this vicinity breaking through the burned sand:

More Agapanthus walshii!

From a distance the area looks grey but as you come closer, the green patches are more noticeable. Pat confirmed that the tough vee-shaped green leaves coming up are Lanaria lanata, but if there were any doubts, this dispels them; the remains of the flowers are intact:

Lanaria lanata, still with the remains of flowers

The length of the green above the ground is already between 6 and 8 inches on average:

More Lanaria lanata, it's about the most prolific plant showing now.

.... and the base of the shrub on the left is shooting! Here is a Palmiet, shrugging off the effects of the fire:

Palmiet

There are still a few Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa to be seen, some showing a leaf or two:

Fire Lilies Cyrtanthus ventricosa with leaves

Here is the cone of a Leucadendron of some kind, no doubt Nature has made it spread its seeds after the fire .....

Leucadendron

...... in the same way as this Protea cynaroides, which has just two seeds left to scatter!

Protea cynaroides with two seeds to go!

This plant was astonishing, it is already about two feet tall:

Unknown plant already two feet tall

....... and it's about to flower!

Detail of buds

This grass or Restio is making a remarkable recovery and there was lots of it.

Grass or Restio? 

It seems that termites have survived, there was plenty of evidence of white sand being deposited out of holes like this:

Termite activity

Here is 'our' Erica which we think is E. plukenetii, burned but still recognisable. We'll be watching it closely!

Erica plukenetii(?) burned

This is the stem of the Heeria argentea we found recently. It is tucked well in under the rock, which may well have saved it.

Stem of Heeria argentea under a big rock

..... and surely this Leucadendron has been through more than one fire?

Stem of a Leucadendron, not yesterday's child!

I have taken this photo many times of the Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens with the Eikenhof Dam and Country Club in the distance. I hope this magnificent specimen survives.

Burned Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens, a familiar view.

The Pelargoniums are recovering quickly too:

Pelargonium, bouncing bask!

Here's another Agapanthus walshii; you see we know where to look for them!

Another Agapanthus walshii.

.... and this looks like a Wachendorfia paniculata:

Wachendorfia paniculata

We found this, not sure what it is, but it wouldn't stand still in the fresh Northwester, which we hope might bring some rain. We've just had two light showers since the fire.

Unknown plant/bulb?

... even with Pippa holding the stem!

Flower detail, out of focus:-(

Back in the unburned section, the Buchu Agathosma betulina is flowering nicely, and we noticed another 'baby' under it. I'm so glad it didn't burn!

Buchu Agathosma betulina with flowers

I didn't have a memory card in the camera so these were all taken with my phone :-) A