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

Dilatris Sunday Flower Walk

We've been watching for Dilatris pillansii up in the place we call 'the Gulley' for years. They seem to flower quickly and they're all over before we get back there next time. Today I happened on two plants in a completely different place, one in full bloom!

Dilatris pillansii

These weren't fully open, but one of them on the second plant was!

Dilatris pillansii flower

Closer.....

Flower detail of Dilatris pillansii

Without the flowers, we forget which plants are D. pillansii, so we noted the leaf carefully. Flat, pointed and about four lines, not ribs, just visible:

Leaf detail of Dilatris pillansii

I had been wandering well off the track while Pippa sketched the red-tipped leaves of a Leucadendron:

Leucadendron with red-tipped leaves

Very close to the Dilatris, Pippa spotted a Stargrass Ficinia radiata, which we last saw in the forest and haven't noticed in the open before:

Stargrass Ficinia radiata

Again in this immediate vicinity, we found tufts of grass (?) with flowers (again!), and we're still not sure whether the flowers belong to the grass, or just use them as a host. There were no similar flowers in any other plants close by:

Unknown grass (?) with flowers

Most of these flowers were partly closed, but we found one flower fully open:

Detail of open flower

Four pointed petals behind, four more rounded ones in front......? So that was three 'finds' within a few square metres!

But I'm ahead of myself, on the way past the Railway cottage ruins, the unpleasant smell of the Helichrysum foetidum is quite strong!

Helichrysum foetidum

It really smells as if something's dead :-( But the flowers are pretty!

Helichrysum foetidum flowers

There are still many flowers out on the Sundews Drosera trinervia (?) and more buds to come behind!

Sundew Drosera trinervia (?)

Watch out, insects!

'Forest' of Sundews Drosera trinervia (?)

Just beginning to open, Sentry in a Box Albuca canadensis:

Albuca canadensis

Flower detail:

Albuca canadensis flower

The seed pods of the Wachendorfia paniculata lower down, which flowered early, are changing colour to their characteristic orange 'turbans':

Wachendorfia paniculata seed pods turning orange

Yesterday, on the way home from the Villiersdorp Agri & Arts Festival, I just had to pull the old truck off the road and take a photo of a whole hillside covered in Wachendorfias! As can be seen, there has been a fire here recently.

Wachendorfia paniculata covering a hillside on Viljoens Pass

This Orchid was worth stopping for:

Orchid spp.

And a magnificent Wachendorfia with a lot of flowering still to do!

Magnificent Wachendorfia paniculata

Here are the white flowers which have got us guessing. The close bunches of flowers from last week have opened up as their stalks have lengthened, so the florets are further apart.

Unknown plant, possibly Pseudoselago ascendens (?)

Flower detail:

Flower detail

Leaf detail:

Leaf detail

And another plant which seems further advanced, showing the stalks and leaves drying up. Dominic has suggested it may be Pseudoselago ascendens 'as a good guess' - also called Selago incisa.

Plant in advanced stage

We'll be watching them as they dry further, to see if they then look like this picture from Missouri Botanical Herbarium, which gives both names:

Specimen with both possible names in Missouri

The Pelargoniums are looking really good in full bloom:

Pelargonium flower

Pelargoniums on hillside

On the way home we stopped for these Sparaxis bulbifera, which are finished on the other side of the railway line. The backs of the petals are distinctive.

Sparaxis bulbifera

More on Yesterday's Show in Villiersdorp: There really was a lot going on, especially with the Arts combined with a Commercial Show. In one of the halls was a display of wild flowers which are in bloom at the moment, all identified by local Maureen Cumming. I was delighted to find an example of the little pink ball-type flower we have found recently and suspected as being a   Helichrysum:

Specimen at Villiersdorp identified as Anaxeton asperum

The leaves are the same as 'ours':

Leaf detail of specimen

The identification was Anaxeton asperum, which is indeed a Helichrysum. There must have been more than 100 flowers on display, this was only a part!

Part of the wild flower display at Villiersdorp Agri & Arts Festival

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