“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”
John Muir, Our National Parks
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ALBUM 3rd September 2019
For captions or info click on i on the top right-hand side. A good way to go - the slideshow is found at the top of the page on the rt hand side by clicking on the 3 dots. Featured today – Fynbos Forum Field Trip, Wolwedans, Kouga Wildernis, STOP PRESS and Out and About in the Southern Cape.
For names and captions of the photos used on this version of the Diaries - see the Album.
For earlier versions of the Outramps CREW Diaries
https://us17.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=be2accf3de565e1297257f79e&id=8113ba68c6
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Wolwedans
A couple of weeks ago, we joined Stuart Thomson on a walk below the Wolwedans Dam, at the request of the Great Brak River Conservancy. One of our objectives was to photograph the plants and post them on iNaturalist, so that the Conservancy can generate species lists and determine the way forward for the area.
After some to-ing and fro-ing, we found the meeting-place at the start of the hike outside the distinctive Beatnik Leatherworks building. The dry conditions were immediately apparent. The lack of rain in the Southern Cape is severely impacting flowering times and the condition of the plants. Week after week, the depressing sight of struggling plants is beginning to take a mental toll on the Outramps psyche.
The GBR Conservancy has done an admirable job of clearing Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) in the river course, but there is stilll lots of work ahead. Both Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) and the ubiquitous Aussie Invader Tree Fern (Cyathea cooperi) are getting a foothold. Rares seen on the day were Erica unicolor subsp. mutica (Endangered) and Dioscorea sylvatica (Vulnerable). The GBR Conservancy must be commended on their dedication and commitment to conserving the area. They are doing an excellent job under difficult conditions.
Tanniedi
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Fynbos Forum Field Trip
Elim Ferricrete Fynbos
Fynbos Forum Field Trip – 7 August 2019
Sean Privett of Grootbos led the group to Elim’s communal land next to the picturesque settlement. There is less of the endangered Elim Ferricrete Fynbos left than originally thought. It does not help that this endangered vegetation type grows on soil suitable for agriculture. As it is, the Agulhas plain has been transformed by extensive agriculture. There is also the looming presence of a variety of alien invasive plants.
We drove and stopped at three adjacent sites along a track, but the weather scuppered a visit to a fourth site further away, which is apparently quite different and very worthwhile to the Elim land. The veld presents as unassuming, grey, shin-to-knee-high vegetation, with scattered blotches of butter yellow. A delight to explore. It was teeming with new and interesting plants. It was also teeming with an array of plant lovers and botanists! That meant id’s on tap for the most! The sites varied along the track, in the way which is so typical of Fynbos. At the last count I noted 12 redlisted plants. Ooos and aaas marked all the spots where the dainty moederkappie orchid, Disperis capensis var. capensis, grew. It was simply glowing in the face of all the audible admiration. I swear I could see its tiny chuffed smiles - half hidden by the kappie….
Nodding shyly was Erica bruniifolia and then there was a ‘little pink Erica’, cute Clutia tomentosa, fragile Hesperantha fibrosa (VU) and interesting Proteaceae: Protea subulifolia, P. pudens (EN), P. aspera (VU), Leucadendron elimense subsp. elimense, L. modestum (EN), Paranomus abrotanifolius (VU) and Serruria fasciflora (NT). It was a real pity Echiostachys ecklonianus (VU) and Xiphotheca guthriei (VU) were not in flower, as Ismail pointed them out. He handed me the exquisite and pure white flower of Euchaetis schlechteri (VU), but was really on a mission to get to Erica regia subsp. regia (EN). Had I not seen this plant in the veld, I would most certainly have thought it was developed as a horticultural marvel!
Congratulations to Rupert Koopman and his team on a successful 41st Fynbos Forum at Baardskeerdersbos. May the forum theme: ‘ELIMinate barriers to conservation’ become a self-fulfilling prophecy for the Cape Floristic Region.
Sandra
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Kouga Wildernis
I have titled this "The Middle of Nowhere", but I could just as easily have called it , "On a clear Day you can see Forever". This vast untenanted land dwarfs mere humans and firmly puts them back in their place in the universe. The John Muir quote at the start of the Diaries could have been written for Kouga Wildernis.
We were anxious that the continuing drought would leave us with nothing to photograph, but in fact there was plenty, although the veld was looking very dry and brown. The first afternoon we walked up the kloof to the start of the Watervalle. Next morning HAT (Dave, Sebastian and Jo-Anne) set off to the summit on the northern side of the cottage where we stayed. Jen and Sandra went up the steep ridge and then came down the interesting Watervalle track, with ropes strategicallly placed to help hikers over the tricky bits. Bill and I walked to Koos se Bos and back. On Sunday morning, Bill and I followed the same route as SIM had done the day before and Jen and Sandra did Koos se Bos. With all that heen and weering, even I am having difficulty working out who did what.
Koos se Bos
The views were spectacular and the standout plants were Leucospermum cuneiforme in full flower, the delicate pink of Phylica lachneaeoides, tiny little Aristea nana, the pink and white flowers of Erica pectinifolia, a pink Ixia and a white Geissorhiza still to be id'd, the spiky and distinctive Muraltia juniperifolia, Erica andreaei in white, Carpobrotus mellei in palest pink and Erica newdigateae and Diosma hirsuta (I think).
But the undoubted "Star of the Show" was Relhania decussata (Rare). We have previously found this gorgeous plant on the Mast Peak, just west of Mannetjiesberg in the Kammanassie. It is a deep gold colour with an interesting bract arrangement, which is a brilliant, coppery colour. It is stunning!
Koos se Bos is a fabulous hike in magnificent surroundings and well worth the doing..
Summit
Kloof
A scarlet Erica, which keys out to Erica diaphana is causing some discussion on iNat. Kenneth Oberlander has referred it to Nick Helme, so we will see. A young Ilex mitis was growing next to the river. There was a stunning pale-lilac Selago and an Oedera that was much discussed. Pittosporum viridiflorum (Cheesewood) was spectacular, covered in yellow and red fruit and it was great to look at Virgilia divaricata and be sure of the species. The changeover from V. oroboides to divaricata happens in George and the result is often confusing. Pelargonium panduriforme was all over the place, Erica caffra was over our heads on the stream banks and Nuxia floribunda was covered in cream flower-sprays.
Steep Ridge and Watervalle track Circular
The path up the ridge is steep and challenging, but the reward is some stunning Fynbos at the top. The track down the (now almost dry) Waterfall track is definitely not for decrepit geriatrics. Rock-scrambling and using fixed ropes, puts this hike into the category of "Not suitable for Crutches". But it was loads of fun and in stark contrast to the other hikes we did at Kouga Wildernis. The ancients throughly enjoyed themselves.
Not seen elsewhere - Diosma rourkei (a first for all of us and on iNat), Caputia scaposa var. scaposa, Holothrix aspera, Argyrolobium incanum, Protea tenax with very broad leaves, a soft, silver-leafed Aspalathus - probably A. kougaensis, Aspalathus aciphylla, Syncarpha milleflora, Leucospermum wittebergense, Haemanthus albiflos, the delicate Geissorhiza heterostyla, Polygala microlopha, Haworthia mucronata and Dioscorea sylvatica (Vulnerable). In addition there were a whole lot of indigenous trees in the Kloof - too many to itemise.
It would take a book to mention all the plants. Those listed are by no means comprehensive. We had a wonderful 3 days on this remarkable property.
tanniedi
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STOP PRESS
During a recent discussion about iNaturalist's identification algorithm, Tony told us about the iNat app for kids called "Seek" (https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app).
While reading the blurb I had a very vivid flashback to my youth. My most prized possession when I was about 4 was the little book "I-Spy in the Hedgerow" (one of a range of spotter's guide for kids; "I-Spy On the Seashore" was another favourite) - you'd look for things depicted in the book and then tick them off when you found them. The Seek app is totally the next century version and I'm feeling quite envious.
Sally
Some comments on Indigofera sp. 19
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11227523#activity_comment_335590
mr_fab commented - Need to see if ovary is hairy or glabrous, either way its one of the undescribed species
mr_fab commented
Collected this one today and am happy that its new and different from the one in Kouga. Going to probably be Indigofera outrampsii
Brian aka The Boy/Mr Fab
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Out and About in the Southern Cape
Tierkop Peak
There was very little in flower on a freezing cold day with WAGS. But there's always something, even when the drought relentlessly tightens its grip on the Southern Cape. Most spectacular - the bright, golden Wachendorfia thyrsiflora in a seep and Cyclopia subternata on the southern side. A small, compact, white daisy on the track to the summit of Tierkop Peak defeats me. I think this is one for Jan Vlok.
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