Agapanthus walshii are Out!

In the last few months we have logged every Agapanthus walshii plant or population we have found, recording GPS co-ordinates and giving them a name. Occasionally in my Fire duties in this sector, which is bigger than the area we walk normally, I have found and recorded more.

The most astonishing population is in an area which was completely forested and near a road we have walked on hundreds of times. If the plants had come up, flowers or not, we would have seen them. With the forest cut down and a fire almost two years ago, the population is the strongest we know of, and incidentally, has come into flower earliest!

This is only a part of this population. The exciting thing is that through doing nothing to those plants we know about, besides plotting them, we know they will survive the next 'crop' of pines now planted in this area, over the coming 20 or more years!

Immediately noticeable is how few flowers are in each bud.

In this immediate area we found for the first time a group of tiny Proteas.

Some have a single flower at the tip.

On others, it looks as if we will be treated to a bunch!

The Purple Powder-puff Pseudoselago serrata which we've been watching develop for months now, are in full flower, and will probably go on flowering for some weeks to come. The purple splashes in the veld are difficult to miss!

The 'puff' up close, as usual, with a bug:

We were walking along the dividing road between 'compartments' of new forest we call 'Therianthus', wondering whether the dry conditions will hold them back, and sure enough, we found some!

This particularly bright, and late-flowering Daisy caused me to get up close!

And on the way I found some Mesembryanthemums also still in flower.

Flower and spent flower detail:

The flowers on the Sour Figs Carpobrotus edulis are over, leaving interesting-looking fruit/seed pods:

Some of the pink-centred Helichrysums have turned black already!

A healthy stand of Rush Iris  Bobartia filiformis:

The Star Grass Ficinia have lost their bright yellow colour, but they are still impressive!

In places, there a good crop of berries on the Teedia (or Oftia?) plants!

We are not sure what this is, a Metalasia, perhaps?

Flowers up close:

We seem to have lost the few specimens of the tall Erica obliqua where we plotted them before the fire. Several hundred metres away, we have found several plants, now about to flower, which we hope might be more.

Bud detail:

:-) Andy

Sea of Yellow Sunday Flower Walk

First, the Sundowners are almost Full Blossom! First to blossom, last to pick!

Yes, still a sea of yellow, mostly Daisies.

Up close!

But that wasn't the only yellow flower! A Pea with needle-like leaves which we haven't been able to track down:

The flower up close:

And the buds:

Last week I mentioned the Lobelias were out, these deep blue ones seem always to be in flower:

Then there's a lighter one:

... and the Lobelia jasionoides:

The Pelargoniums are still in full flower:

More pink from these little pea-types:

Teedias, but they're nearly over:

.... and a lovely Mesemb, just one flower at a time at the moment:

The whole plant, with red edges to the leaves:

Some white, from Helichrysums:

Pseudoselago spuria:

.... and Zantedeschia aethiopica!

A noisy coot on the dam next door, didn't like the dogs wallowing:

The most important part of the Walk was to log the positions, conditions and size of the various Agapanthus walshii plants we know about. In the week, forester Tommy Eckley passed on a mail from Karen Kirkman, MTO's Environmental Specialist. I tried to log the positions with my phone, but it wouldn't work, although I could see where we were on the map. We have anyway started describing where the plants are, in the old fashioned way, on paper! Once all (many of the) the plants are plotted, a plan of action will be formed, either to leave areas unplanted or more sparsely planted, with maybe some from the stronger populations moved, but gradually, into those areas.

On the way home, a Drosera:

.... and a Beetle Lily Baeometra:

:-) Andy

Watsonia schlechteri Sunday Flower Walk

Well, it was difficult to decide which flower was most impressive today, but after keeping us waiting quite a long time in the burnt area, the Watsonia schlechteri are out, with many more on their heels by the look of it!

Watsonia schlechteri with Eikenhof Dam and the Country Club

Here is the flower up close.

Flower detail

Another we found will make a nice advertisement by next week for Oak Valley Flowers, whose hot-houses are in the background!

Watsonia schlechteri about to open

While many of the Corymbium glabrum var. glabrum are over, we're still finding them here and there, this was the most impressive, with buds still to open:

Corymbium glabrum var. glabrum

The five petals can be seen on the flowers here, and the ubiquitous bottle-blue bugs!

Flower and bug

Here is a huge five-toothed Baboon Cabbage Othonna quinquedentata, it's about 6 feet tall and as wide.

Large Othonna quinquedentata

For all that, the flowers are tiny! It can be seen below that it's a Daisy.

.... with tiny flowers!

It was distressing to see that irresponsible four-wheel-drive vehicles have once again gone straight up the hill where late Brian du Toit and I made drainage run-offs to prevent washaways. There is now no control over access to the forest, the gates are left open. I suppose for some people, this is 'just another sand dune to be conquered'? It certainly does nothing to make me support either Westvaal or Isuzu!

Unauthorised driving of 4X4 vehicles :-( 

Not far from the one we found last week, here is another small plant completely covered with these lilac five-petalled flowers. The stigmas are long, forked and 'recurving'. We just can't find a name for it! Could they be the endangered Merciera azurea?

Could this be Merciera azurea?

Another view:

Flower detail

Despite showing this plant on last week's blog, none of you seem to have rushed up there to find something to smoke! Cannabis sativa?

Cannabis sativa? 

Purple Powder-puff Pseudoselago serrata are to be found all over, this was the most impressive!

The most impressive Purple Powder-puff of the day!

This was the only Chincherinchee Ornithogalum thyrsoides I saw, it still has many flowers to open.

'Chink' Ornithogalum thyrsoides

We wanted to go back and check the Curlygrass fern, also called 'Comb fern'. It's easy to see why! Schizaea pectinata.

Curlygrass fern, Comb fern Schizaea pectinata

We don't often stop for a yellow daisy, there are so many. But this was particularly dark and the flowers were closing.

Deep yellow Daisy, closed

From the side:

Flower from the side

And the whole plant. Any guesses?

Whole plant

The plants which are really coming into their own now are the rare Agapanthus walshii!

Agapanthus walshii flowers, polleniser view

More A. walshii

They don't often have as many florets as this, the buds are full!

Abnormally full buds on these!

We've never seen so many! This particular group is close to the 'red road' recently deforested. We would definitely have seen them before, but for the trees having been cut and the fire which followed.

More!

The leaves don't amount to much but the stems are tall. These are more 'normal' flowers

.... and more!

So maybe I should have called this issue after the Aggies? :-) A