Wachendorfia Sunday Flower Walk

The Wachendorfias are beginning to come out, but strangely it seems at this stage that it's only the ones with the first leaves growing close to the ground after the fire. Those growing 'normally' seem to be far behind.

Wachendorfia paniculata flower

Curved leaves growing close to the ground

We hurried up to the plant we've been watching develop, but it seems we must wait a bit longer!

What is this?

The buds are getting longer and peeling away from the stem from the bottom up... what will it turn out to be?

Flower detail, we can't wait for it to open!

More of these short grasses........

Short grass with purple flowers

A berry (and thorns!) on Asparagus lignosus:

Berry on Asparagus lignosus

After getting excited last week about all the buds on the Othonna heterophylla, guess what? It's been eaten again!

Othonna heterophylla, eaten again!

There was even a partly open bud lying next to it on the ground. There are still tightly closed buds.

Closed bud of Othonna heterophylla

Here's another we remember; a white five-petalled flower from the top, but the closed bud and the back of the petal is mauve. The stem twines. Common names Baroe (khoi) and Klimop (Afrikaans) Cyphia volubilis. 

Baroe, Klimop Cyphia volubilis

This is the growing tip of a Liparia splendens we know, now re-growing nicely. I suspect there's a lot of growing to do before we get any flowers.

Liparia splendens, growing tip

At the base of a Mimetes cucullatus which was badly burned is this, looking ever more like a 'baby' with red tips to the hairy leaves.

Baby Mimetes cucullatus? 

More exciting is what looks like a whole lot more, less than a metre away! This is not all.

If so, are these more?

This looks like re-growing Pseudoselago serrata which was quite prolific all over the area we are montitoring.

Pseudoselago serrata

There is a lot of this, growing where we remember China Flower Adenandra uniflora. What could it be?

What is this where the Adenandras were growing? 

Now the dam is full again on the experimental far, the Waterblommetjies Aponogeton distachyos have come back and there are already buds on it.

Waterblommetjies Aponogeton distachyos

:-)

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First Wachendorfia Sunday Flower Walk

We spotted the first Wachendorfia paniculata today, and at the same time solved the conundrum of what the low-growing curled pleated leaves are; just that, presumably affected by the fire!

The first Wachendorfia paniculata spotted since the fire!

This is also the first non-green colour we have seen in the burned veld for a long time. I suspect it won't be long before there will be a riot of colour, judging from how they are growing in places!

Lots more to come!

We're still unsure what had caused damage to many of the new growth, sometimes older leaves which have come up since the fire. These are Agapanthus walshii. Was it frost? The leaves all look as if they have been blown from the north-west. Is it because there's little other vegetation to protect these first re-sprouters?

Agapanthus walshii, is it frost damage?

We keep thinking the Buchu Agathosma crenulata can't possibly have more flowers, yet every time it looks more covered in these delicate blooms:

Buchu Agathosma crenulata flower, the plant is covered in them!

Some of the Brunias are covered in the white baubles which are made up of many florets.

Brunia in flower

Since the fire, many of the sandstone rocks are flaking off like this:

Sandstone flaking off since the fire

The Fire Asparagus A.lignosus are less obvious, but they're still to be found, with new light-coloured growth: 

Fire Asparagus A. lignosus with new growth

The Searsias are making a strong come-back. There seem to be several different types, but all with leaves in threes.

One of the Searsias, growing nicely

Three leaves:

Leaf detail

We went to the place we remember many China Flower Adenandra uniflora growing, and we're confused by what are growing prolifically there.

What are these where the China Flower Adenandra uniflora were? 

Here's one up close. The leaves are evenly distributed around the stem at every node in threes or fours. What can they be?

Leaf detail

We went up to where the Pagoda flower Mimetes cucullatus was burned, to inspect the tiny plant growing near its base. The leaves are hairy and each has a single red tip.

Is this a baby Mimetes cucullatus?

Could it be a baby, and could these, about a metre away be more? We'll be back to observe soon!

Are these more?

We know what to expect when we hear a hoarse squeak, over and over from the shky! Spur Winged geese!

Four Spur Winged Geese

Last week's efforts at the culvert seem to be paying off, it's flowing clear! We haven't had heavy rain since. I suspect it will have a tendency to silt up.

The culvert is working!

:-) A

Semper Aliquid Novi Sunday Flower Walk

Always something new! Today was no exception. In fact, we have more questions than answers!

Snow on the high peaks!

But first, back to yesterday, going over to Franschhoek in my old Austin Lorry I was compelled to stop on the Pass by a brightly coloured flower on the side of the road.

Muraltia heisteria on Franschhoek Pass

Only when it was in the viewfinder did I recognise the flower itself as a Muraltia. However, this one grows differently from the single example we have found on our walks. Here the flower is more prominent and the plant more scraggly. It has us guessing whether we're correct with the identity of 'our' one as M. heisteria. The one on the Pass looks like that on the Fernkloof  website as M. heisteria. There's a M. stokoei and a M. bolusii which is listed as 'endangered'. There were many of these on the Pass!

Growing pattern, Muraltia heisteria

The rainwater channel had many Drosera growing in it, with buds almost ready to open, but my photos didn't come out. These are from today on our walk:

Sundew Drosera

Last week, on the way home on the Experimental Farm next door, we spotted a white Erica. It was difficult to get to, so this week we cut through the brambles and clambered across a ditch to get up close:

Erica lutea or E. daphniflora?

We think it might be Erica lutea, but it might also be a white version of E. daphniflora. In the pictures on the web and in the books, the leaves aren't shown very well. I bent this branch down to show what these look like:

Erica lutea or E. daphniflora?

We found the single purple bulb we spotted last week and Pippa held the stem to show what the whole plant looks like. It was growing in and held up by a tuft of grass:

Geissorhiza aspera?

Flower and bud detail, what is it? Geissorhiza aspera?

Geissorhiza aspera flower detail?

Close by was something else, a white bulb

White flower bulb, Hesperantha?

Flower detail, possibly a Hesperantha?

Flower detail, Hesperantha (?)

Another one, with flower not fully open:

Opening flower, Hesperantha (?)

We were disappointed to find this Skaapsteker dead in the road, apparently driven over:

Skaapsteker Psammophylax rhombeatus dead

Psammophylax rhombeatus (Spotted skaapsteker, Rhombic skaapsteker, Spotted grass snake). A few hundred metres away, we found one very much alive. More scared of me than I was of it. We just had to keep the dogs away:

Skaapsteker Psammophylax rhombeatus alive!

The Wachendorfias lower down are flowering and in some cases have spent flowers and the beginning of their characteristic turban-shaped seed pods forming, yet a few hundred metres further up the hill, hardly a bud is coming up!

Wachendorfia paniculata

This grey-green furry-leafed plant had no flowers last week. Now some of the bright yellow pea-type flowers are out:

Liparia vestita?

There are plenty of buds to open still. The closest we get to identifying it is Liparia vestita:

Liparia vestita?

These Everlastings Helichrysum which had pink buds last week are now more open and snow-white:

Everlasting Helichrysum

Here's a 'new' one! The centre flowers are open, surrounded by buds-in-waiting!

Unknown flower and buds

This is how the plant grows:

Unknown plant and flowers

Detail of the sparse leaves. What could it be?

Unknown flower head

The wonders of Nature! How can this Daisy (Euryops?) survive and thrive in this crack in a rock?

Daisy Euryops (?) in crack in rock!

Where before we had one flower per plant open, for many weeks, they're in full bloom now!

Daisy Euryops (?) in road

We had some difficulty finding our single example of what we think is Erica longifolia. The Daisy plants are getting thicker and taller around it.

Erica longifolia (?)

Then I spotted another 'new' plant!

What is this plant?

Flower detail. The petals look papery, and the leaves reminded me of chameleon paws in shape and texture. What might it be?

Flower detail

These flowers look white but are pink, so that should make them Teedias

Teedia with flowers

Here and there a Pelargonium flower is out.

Pelargonium flower

We have been seeing these Gladiolus debilis for a few weeks now. This one is growing in a stand of large Restios:

Gladiolus debilis flower

In one area there is a sea of China Flowers Adenandra uniflora. There are still many buds waiting!

Adenandras!

Flower detail:

Adenandra uniflora flower

Something else 'new'! I found myself almost standing on this plant, covered in buds. Leaves are sparse, short and close to the stem and the flower clusters are at the ends of each branch:

Unknown plant and flowers

Some of the buds are opening as white flowers

Flower / bud detail

Branching detail of flowers

Always worth a detour into the veld, Saltera sarcocolla:

Saltera sarcocolla

The strange plant growing out of corms again, which never seems to do anything! Maybe we'll get a pleasant surprise yet!

Unknown plant growing from corms

This picture shows the size of the Lobelia tomentosa flowers which colour the veld throughout the year, it seems!

Lobelia tomentosa

Finally, this episode is dedicated to Gay Prevôst who passed away in this last week. She was an avid follower of these reports and had opened files for the different plants. We shall miss her!

Andy