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

De Kelders Saturday Flower Walk

Pippa asked me to accompany her to a field day with her Archaeological Society to De Kelders between Stanford and Gansbaai.

View from De Kelders of Walker Bay

Excavations have shown that humans from the Late and Middle Stone Ages have inhabited these seaside caves. Our guide for the day was Graham Avery who has been involved here since 1969.

Graham Avery giving us a history lesson! 

The caves are inside the Walker Bay Nature Reserve. We paid our entrance fee to Cape Nature who look after the reserve and met up with the others of the Society at the parking area where there are good ablution facilities and the first of a series of illustrated information boards. I was glad I went along, not only for the archaeological enlightenment, but also for the flowers!

It's a good time of year, of course with spring flowers, but the profusion and variety was astounding, very different from what we encounter here! Next to the parking place we found these huge orange-coloured Daisies which might be Arctotis hirsuta.

Arctotis hirsuta?

There was a lot of this in flower which might be Othonna dentata:

Othonna dentata

As I have been taught, I took a photo of the back of the flower:

Othonna dentata flower from underneath

Among one of these we found the parasitic Wolwekos (because it looks like red meat), Cats' Claw or Hyobanche sanguinea:

Hyobanche sanguinea

There were others less far advanced:

Hyobanche sanguinea

In another place a similar, but more sprawling less pointed plant:

Unknown plant

It seemed under every rock was a Bloukop Koggelmander or Blue Headed Agama. They are quite accustomed to human activity, one almost ran over my foot! I wish I could have captured this one doing 'press-ups'!

Bloukop Koggelmander, Blue headed Agama

As someone said, 'Another bloody yellow daisy'!

Unknown Daisy

Possibly the same?

Unknown Daisy

Here were Everlastings, in bud:

Everlasting, closed.

.... and where we had lunch, slightly open:

Opening... 

And after a bit of searching, just a few, fully open:

Fully open!

Here was an Orchid about to open!

Orchid

We've never seen Mesembs hanging down like this before. In flower they must be magnificent!

Hanging mesembs

This looks like (the edible) Dune Spinach, Tetragonia decumbens now in flower:

Tetragonia decumbens

At one stage we were treated to some whale activity, on the right in this picture, gradually working to the right. They are huge!

Whale on the right, a Southern Right?

This plant was growing out on a solid rock:

Unknown plant growing flat on rocks

Detail of the tiny white two-petalled flower:

Flower detail

Sour Figs were in full bloom, these pink ones make a nice change from our yellow Carpobrotus edulis. These are either C. acinaciformis or C. mellei.

Carpobrotus acinaciformis or C. mellei

Here's a Pelargonium we're not familiar with:

Pelargonium

First Pippa found one of these Gladiolus cunonius:

Gladiolus cunonius

Flower detail:

Gladiolus cunonius flower

Later we found many more. Here are some Senecio arenarius, not to be confused with the blue-petalled Felicias which were also in abundance.

Senecio arenarius

These little flowers were growing close to the ground:

Unknown flowers

Some stunning Mesembs were already out:

Mesemb flowers

We found a small patch of Albuca, possibly A. juncifolia

Albuca juncifolia? 

Flower detail:

Albuca juncifolia (?) flower

Here's a Bulbine, probably B.annua:

Bulbine annua

Flower detail:

Bulbine annua flower

... and a Sea Pumpkin Arctotheca populifolia:

Arctotheca populifolia

Flower of Arctotheca populifolia

A splash of orange made Pippa go and look at this Hermannia ternifolia:

Hermannia ternifolia

Flower detail:

Hermannia ternifolia flower

This tiny succulent was growing in the middle of the path!

Tiny succulent

Society members inspecting Duiwelsgat, a blow-hole from when the sea level was a couple of metres higher. We are at least a hundred feet above sea level here! It has been walled in for safety.

Duiwelsgat blow-hole

Finally, here's a cave-man's view of Die Plaat, a 12-mile stretch of unspoiled beach, although we were told the sea level would have been much lower back then!

Die Plaat, framed by the cave entrance