Mostly Green Sunday Flower Walk

Although the burned veld looks grey from a distance, now after seven weeks, the colour is returning, although it's mostly green leaves. Here and there a splash of colour is visible from a distance, like this Tritoniopsis, in a crack in the rock which escaped the worst of the fire, Possibly T. antholyza. It looks as if we're in for a good showing of them in the next few weeks, judging from the leaves coming up.

Tritoniopsis in a crack in the rocks

Jennetta wrote in for more details of the Buchu Agathosma we have been watching. We have assumed it's A. betulina, but she's wondering whether it could be A. crelulata ?

Agathosma, but betulina or crenulata?

Some of the guide books don't show the leaves, which apparently distinguish them. Here is a close-up of them. Comments, please! However, there's no mistaking the Buchu aroma! We are also watching its babies growing all around it, getting bigger by the year!

Leaf detail of the Agathosma

The re-growth of the Lanaria lanata has reached about 400mm in most places, and the leaves are beginning to hang down. Here the tips are describing arcs in the bare sand.

Lanaria lanata leaves making arcs in the sand

One would expect a shrub like this to be very dead after suffering a 'hot' fire like this, but Fynbos is resilient! Not sure yet what this is:

Re-growth from the base of a burned shrub

We went to see the large Leucospermum oleifolium we found just before the fire.

Burned Leucospermum oleifolium plant

Close inspection of the spent flowers shows there might be life in the seeds yet!

Detail of the seeds in the burned spent flower. Is there life?

Here, a Liparia splendens which was burned, is shooting from its base:

Liparia splendens with re-growth at base

..... and another, we remember that's what was growing here, formerly within the forest, now it'll be in full sun. This one was totally burned-off:

Liparia splendens re-growth where it was completely burned off

Amazingly, there are still a few seeds to distribute from this Protea cynaroides!

Still a few seeds on the Protea cynaroides

Palmiet, recovering:

Palmiet

Pink Oxalis are to be seen here and there, and more to come, judging from the clover-lile leaves to be seen all over.

Oxalis

The Fire Asparagus, Asparagus lignosus isn't growing as fast as it did in the first few weeks, but it makes a pretty plant with its little white flowers (and sharp thorns!).

Recovering Agapanthus walshii:

We counted 24 flowers on these Agapanthus walshii before the fire

Had we not packed rocks around this plant, the two bicycles might well have ridden right over them! Can't they stick to the tracks?

Two bicycles narrowly missed this rare Agapanthus walshii plant

Back in the Village, outside Grabouw Auto Electrical, the Silk Floss Tree Ceiba speciosa (formerly Chorisia speciosa). For some reason only a high branch is flowering this year.

Silk Floss Tree Ceiba speciosa in flower in the Village

Apparently the seeds were imported in the stuffing of a pillow from South America many years ago and planted in Rondebosch, and grew! Related to the Baobab and Kapok Tree, I read. You only lean on this trunk once!

Sharp spines on the Silk Floss Tree trunk!

Last weekend I visited the Eastern Freestate, where one comes across different plants. Here on the farm, a field of Cosmos, which is much darker than the roadside specimens, is the result of selective breeding:

Deep pink Cosmos as far as you can see!

More Cosmos!

Every day we went out on a Military Vehicle convoy near the Lesotho border....

Very different terrain in the Eastern Freestate!

and on the stops, we were able to observe what was growing next to the track:

Unknown flower on the side of the track

Any guesses?

This is what the plant looks like

Another, there were several more unfamiliar plants:

Glossy leaves and a tall flower head

Shiny leaves above and spent flowers below:

Spent flowers on the head

:-) A