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

Pink Erica Sunday Flower Walk

A strong South-easter was blowing, meaning we had to hold on to the plants to take photos!

Yes, looking through today's photos, it's the pink Ericas which stand out. Erica pulchella; they are all over!

Erica pulchella

We went back to the area where we found the three Erica obliqua plants, to find them still floweing beautifully, after discovering them five weeks ago.

Erica obliqua

This one was easy to walk past assuming it was yet another E. pulchella, but it isn't. The flowers are arranged in tufts along the stalk, wedding-cake style. We found another one later:

Unknown pink Erica

Flower detail:

Flower detail

Here is a tall one we have not noticed before, standing at about 1 metre with woody stems.

Unknown tall light-pink Erica

Up close, the flowers are just pink:

Flower detail

And in another area, we found this one, not noticed before:

Another unknown pink Erica

Flower detail:

Flower detail

What else caught our eyes? The Lobelia tomentosa are all over the place, in bright violet patches. These are growing in front of Cape Snow, Syncarpha vestita:

Lobelia tomentosa and Cape Snow Syncarpha vestita

We know this Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens is bound to have a flower, there are lots of buds on it.

Mountain Dahlia Liparia splendens

Campylostachys cernua, a big bush with quite a few flowers still out:

Campylostachys cernua flower

Interesting spent flowers from the Therianthus, showing the clockwise helix:

Therianthus spent flower

At last! Thanks to Jennetta, we have a name for this shrub, Brachylaena neriifolia or Waterwitels in Afrikaans. It helps to know what the words mean, the Greek means 'short jacket' and the Latin, 'with leaves like an Oleander'. Now we know! It's interesting that we have found the Butterspoon Cunonia capensis or Rooiels in the same area.

Waterwitels Brachylaena neriifolia

Jennetta and Dominic both confirmed that what we suspected to be a Rhus-type shrub last week is Rockwood Heeria argentea. It belongs to the same family as the Rhus and Searsias. Dominic said he finds it in very rocky places, this is no exception. In the wind the backs of the leaves had a silvery look.

Rockwood Heeria argentea

I couldn't resist another look at the large (for us, at least) Leucospermum oleifolium we found last week. The sun was catching the pink new growth at the tips.

Leucospermum oleifolium

Look closely on the ground at the base and the spent and fallen flowers form a mat. What/who will distribute them?

Spent and fallen flowers of Leucospermum oleifolium

Now I've worked out how to photograph Five-toothed Baboon-cabbage Othonna quinquedentata.... against the sky!

Five-toothed Baboon Cabbage Othonna quinquedentata

Here is a flower on the Buchu Agathosma betulina. It's very difficult to pick out the detail.

Buchu Agathosma betulina

There seems to be consensus that this tall Erica is E. plukenetii subsp breviflora. We've been watching it for years and it's the only one we've found in 'our patch'.

Erica plukenetii breviflora

Another little yellow pea!

Unknown small yellow pea-type

We kept seeing this, a little plant about 200mm tall, any ideas?

Unknown small white flower

Something's happening on this Brunia..... last year's flowers can be seen behind.

Brunia in bud

Finally, we're into this time of the year!

Golden Delicious

It's looking good!

:-) A

Butterspoon Sunday Flower Walk

There was a fresh northwester blowing on what would have been a scorcher, so we stayed in the wind.

But first, during the week, I took a short cut through the farms and saw two Blue Cranes strutting down the road in front. I switched the engine off and coasted down, because, between their legs, something else caught my eye, a baby! They struggled to walk through the undergrowth, but the baby had no problem. Down to the water, and away they went. I'm told the babies can swim straight out of the egg!

Mom, Dad and baby Blue Crane

Back to today, the Nymphaea nouchali take their time to open! It looks as though the dragonfly is prying it open!

Nymphaea nouchali and dragonfly

Erica longifolia, spent flowers under the new ones:

Erica longifolia

We followed our patterans to find the little Erica similis, and as expected, the flowers are finished. 

Erica similis

What is this bush with the green berries, turning now to red?

Unknown shrub with berries

Erica pulchella are all over, vividly pink.

Erica pulchella

Erica coccinea in its yellow form

Erica coccinea

This is a different Erica, the pink is lighter, but the flowers are more dense.

Unknown Erica

Also all over, these Lobelia tomentosa make splashes of violet in the veld.

Lobelia tomentosa

The Star-grass Ficinia radiata are turning brown:

Ficinia radiata

The Watsonia schlechteri stand out in the veld like British soldiers in the Boer War!

Watsonia schlechteri

Another Roella incurva!

Roella incurva flower

Jenny says the name comes from the leaves which curve inwards:

Roella incurva stalk

And what is this shrub? There are lots of them. We thought they were Wild Almond Brabejum stellatifolium but the flowers are wrong!

Unknown bush

We did our check of the Agapanthus walshii, all look well. Close to the plant with two flowers picked, I noticed that the Helichrysum bushes had been stripped of flowers, so I suspect it was human activity :-( A bee was busy on these.  

Agapanthus walshii

I found a third Erica obluqua very close to the other two we've found, but combed the area and found no more.

Erica obliqua

Pippa stopped to sketch another pair of A. walshiis, these are much paler than the others. Last year this was forest.

Pippa and Blondie sketching Agapanthus walshii

Meanwhile I went off to check on the Fire lily Cyrtanthus ventricosa in the cycle track. The leaves look fine and the rock we put there is protecting them, but we'll have to wait for their striking flowers yet!

Cyrtanthus ventricosa leaves

The wind was making this bush show the undersides of its leaves, which looked out of place. It was quite far off the road, but it seemed worth going to look:

Butterspoon, Rooi Els, Cunonia capensis

The 'Butterspoon' gave it away immediately! Cunonia capensis! We've seen them growing next to a river, but here in the middle of a dry patch is unusual. It must be about 600mm (2') tall now, and it's surprising we haven't noticed it before.

Detail of the underside of the leaves and spoon-shaped stipule

It has some growing to do to reach the five or ten metres it can grow to!

The dogs were ready for a swim by the time we got back!

:-) A