Almost all Blue Sunday Flower Walk

We've moved away from the yellows, and much of what we saw today was in various shades of blue, starting with the Roella ciliata:

They seem to be taller than the ones we remember from two years ago, before the big fire in this area. 

We always see Lobelias, those with the bright blue large flowers we think is L. tomentosa:

Although most are past their best, there are still Agapanthus walshii in flower:

This one below had us excited, was it the elusive white one? No, but a very pale blue:

It was pleasing to check that this one had been logged, finding my present position exactly the same as one marked 'AW Lower Rocky Ridge'. 

The deep blue of the Purple Powder Puff Pseudoselago serrata, after an impressive season, is nearly over.

There were even still a few flowers on occasional Psoralea pinnata:

Pinks, oranges and reds seemed to be the other colour of the day. Although many of these Watsonia schlechteri have gone to seed, there are still many in bud, so we'll be seeing them for a while yet.

Before the fire, we pinpointed what we thought were Erica obliqua. We have searched that location carefully since without success. About 100 metres away we have found a strong population, perhaps 20 plants so far, of what we hope is the same:

Welcome back!

Also pleasing to see in that vicinity, another old favourite (the Ericas seem to have recovered the slowest!) Erica pulchella:

We specially went back to look at a Protea-type which we've been watching for weeks now. Only one tiny flower opened in the middle of December, and we found it today, actually loose from the plant, but held in place by branches of new growth. We left it there, to mature fully and disperse seeds. 

There are about eight plants in a small area. The closest we get to identifying it from the books is Leucospermum bolusii, but if it is, it's way out of its area, supposed to be the slopes above Gordon's Bay. The tips of the new growth are pinkish:

What can it be?

It's nice to see the Brachylaena neriifolia in flower again! The shrubs have a lot of growing to do to reach the size of some of those which were burnt!

It's always nice to go home past the Prickly Pear Opuntia in the garden of the ruins of the Railway Foreman's house:

:-) Andy

Roellas are back! Sunday Flower walk

So are we, after a long break, partly caused by the weather being either too hot or too wet, also by a bereavement in the family. Today we went out not expecting to see much, but as usual, once you look carefully, the gems are there!

After not finding Roellas last year at all, it seemed, now we are finding them again, and some of the flowers are huge!

Roella ciliata (?)

There are two types, the flowers as well as the leaves differ. Those with the black patches on the petals have stems with dense leaves We think this is R. ciliata.

View of the whole plant

The pale-flowered one has pointed petals and is possibly R. incurva.

Roella incurva or dregeana?

Or is it R. dregeana?

View from the top

But first, back to the beginning! The dam on the Experimental Farm has two kinds of Nymphaea growing and flowering at the same time. I can't remember this happening before.

Nymphaea indica:

Nymphaea indica

A whole patch far out in the water

And Nymphaea nouchali:

Nymphaea nouchali

There are less of them

Since the fire, now nearly a year ago, the deep blue Lobelia seem darker, with bigger flowers and certainly more of them!

Is this Lobelia coronopifolia?

Could they be L. coronopifolia?

The whole plant

We expected to find all the Agapanthus walshii over and hopefully full of seeds. Here was one still opening!

Agapanthus walshii still opening

There is a good crop of seeds on others:

Plenty of seeds!

We were surprised and very pleased to still find some Watsonia schlechteri in flower, although most have finished flowering:

Watsonia schlechteri

This looks like an Aristea:

An Aristea?

Close by, we found a Tritoniopsis lata, we think:

Tritoniopsis lata (?)

Flower detail

This one is almost swallowed up by an Othonna quinquedentata:

Another one

That is certainly something which has reacted well to the fire, here's another, completely covered by tiny flowers:

Huge Othonna quinquedentata

On the way home we had a look for flowers on the Buchu Agathosma crenulata. Not many, but the offspring growing all around it means that there are lots of seeds around!

Agathosma ciliata flower

In the road we found many of these little yellow flowers:

What is this?

Three petals plus one... another pea?

So, it was a very rewarding walk after all!

:-) A

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