Here we go again
Outramps CREW Diaries
Tuesday
15th January 2019
|
|
Here is the Album - 15th January 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 this week – Out of Africa, Outramps celebrate, Spioenkop contd, HAT and Blesberg, Jan says (Robinson Pass), Montagu Pass North and Montagu Rail
For names and captions of the photos used on this version of the Reportback - see the Album.
|
|
|
"Ring out the false, ring in the true." |
Alfred Lord Tennyson |
The year ahead shows promise for South Africa, as more and more moves are made to right the wrongs of the past. It is up to all of us to put our shoulders to the wheel in whatever way we can. Let our daily dealings with our fellow-citizens build towards a better future together, so that we can once again be truly called the Rainbow Nation.
The Outramps CREW Group will continue their work of finding, monitoring and cataloguing the Rare and Endangered plants in the Southern Cape and elsewhere. Fossicking in the Lowlands, exploring the middle slopes and scaling the highest mountains in search of new and threatened plants will be our mission for 2019. We will also endeavour to introduce our wonderful flora to young people from all sections of society and imbue them with passion and enthusiasm for our unique floral heritage. We are looking forward to a very exciting year.
Here we go again!
|
|
|
The Outramps Celebrate
It was party-time with a vengeance in early December. We were celebrating a successful Outramps year, a 2018 full of wonderful hikes with WAGS and my 80th birthday with all-comers. Some of my highlights were
- a magnificent Icecream cake with candles
- a cake shaped like Waboomsberg
- 2 beautiful bouquets of flowers
- 8 spectacular btls of wine - 1 for every decade
- And a very elegant hiking shirt (far too elegant for hikes)
I had a simply wonderful birthday with my very good friends.
So thank you, thank you, thank you!
tanniedi
|
|
|
Spioenkop contd
We were thin on the ground in early December, as the demands of the festive season were already apparent. Jen and I arrived at Spioenkop in the Ruigtevlei plantations to complete our post-burn monitoring of the area for 2018. The only unexplored section was the north-western corner of the property.
After showing Jen the Dioscorea burchellii (Vulnerable) near the big Bluegums where we park, we turned north. There was much excitement generated by some plants on a west-facing bank. We saw the stunning little Convolvulus sagittatus for the first time (I think) and there was a strange little Berkheya, which was new to us. Even iNat hasn't been able to come up with an id. In the same section Hilliardiella sp. was growing vigorously. I think this is an Eastern Cape import and we've only seen it at Cloetes Pass before now.
We saved the best for last. On our way back to the vehicle, a single Aspalathus bowieana (Endangered) was in full flower. There wasn't another plant in sight Altogether a rewarding and very pleasant day. Thank you Heine for allowing us to access the Ruigtevlei plantations.
tanniedi
|
|
|
Jan says
"The Robinson Pass is full of Orchids. Well worth a visit!"
When Jan Vlok talks the Outramps listen. Over the years, he has been our mentor and our hero and has given us innumerable id's and lots of pointers to interesting destinations.
We were not disappointed. There were fields of white, lime-green and bright yellow Orchids. Lanaria lanata was striking in white. Wachendorfia paniculata was ubiquitous and its pale yellow flowers were in startling contrast to the magenta of the profusely flowering Corymbium glabrum and africanum. In the drainage lines Wachendorfia thyrsiflora joined Moraea ramosissima in a magnificent display of yellow and gold. Vivid blue Aristea africana and the tall Aristea bakeri added cool tones to the brilliant colours of the landscape. There was also a stunning golden grass covering sections of the south-facing slopes. The resprouting Mimetes cucullatus was in full flower and proved irresistible to the photographers in the Group.
A little lower down on the southern side of the Pass, we stopped again. This time a massed display of the stunning Cyrtanthus elatus (George Lily) was the star attraction. Growing in amongst this gorgeous Amaryllis was a pale lilac version of Watsonia knysnana.
What a day! Baie dankie Jan
Tanniedi
Some of the Orchids seen
Disa bivalvata
Disa racemosa
Disa cylindrica
Disa reticulata
Satyrium acuminatum
Pterygodium acutifolium
Pterygodium nigrescens
|
|
|
Blesberg
On Tuesday 4th December a party of Evie, Peter, Werner, Kyle and Dave headed out to Blesberg in the far eastern reaches of the Swartberg, a mountain that Outramps haven't visited for many years. We stayed at the Haggas Farm and spent the first evening talking to the friendly farmer (Piper) about the mountain roads and paths.
On the 5th we drove up to about 1800m and then bushwhacked up the ridge to the peak at 2100m. We actually could have driven all the way up, as there is a service road to a radar station on the peak which is maintained by the farmer - but that would have been boring........
The mountain burned about 18 months ago and the fynbos is coming back nicely, despite the dry conditions. Several areas along the ridge were spared by the fire so we got to see some spectacular fynbos including:
Protea montana (VU)
Leucadendron dregei (EN)
Agathosma zwartbergense (VU)
Agathosma venusta (range extension - previously Uniondale eastwards)
Phylica meyeri
Phylica tortuosa
Phylica alba
Cyclopia alopecuroides (EN)
Erica lignosa (Rare)
Gladiolus longicollis
Dave Underwood aka Onderbos
|
|
|
The Inconvenient Plants
Montagu Pass north
Some plants inconveniently insist on flowering in December and early January. This period co-incides with our closed season, when we take a break to concentrate on Christmas, family, visitors and New Year. But just the thought that Disa schlechteriana might be flowering was enough to tempt us on a sortie to the northern side of Montagu Pass on the Day of Reconciliation.
But we had no luck. Disa hians was the only Orchid to brave the heat and scorched earth and even it was cheating in a little patch that had escaped the fire. The regeneration after the October 2018 fires is progressing. But the generally dry conditions are not helping. The northern slopes of the Outeniquas are distressingly dry. Soft soaking rain is our wish for the New Year. One can dream............
Graderia scabra and Hypoxis villosa were bright spots of colour in the sepia landscape. Watsonia angusta was scarlet around the river bank. A minute little Apocynaceae was growing prolifically on the higher reaches and turned out to be Aspidoglossum heterophyllum (Thank you iNat) . We have previously only seen this plant at Doringrivier East immediately post-fire, but never managed an id.
Montagu Rail
Another beauty that flowers at this time of the year is Geissorhiza outeniquensis (Near Threatened). Visiting it involves a 8km thereandback along the railway line on the southern side of the Montagu Pass. It was a scorching hot day on Friday and there were frequent stops to stand under the little mini-waterfalls that were tumbling down the mountain after good rains earlier in the week. The walk through the tunnels was a relaxed affair, as the Power Van is not using the route, because about 10% of the sleepers have been burnt in the recent fires. We are really hoping that this line will be repaired, so that tourists can once again enjoy the stunning views that are on offer.
We were anxiously hoping that the Geiss would not be over and we were not disappointed. There were about 30 plants flowering. It looks as if the rest are not going to flower this year, as there were no more buds around and none of them were over. They are being threatened by a vigorous Agapanthus invasion, which is taking over the whole slope above the railway line. Erica stylaris (Vulnerable) was present, but probably flowered in November.
The black slopes were covered with the pioneering Pteridium aquilinum and Blechnum tabulare was lime-green against the blackened soil. The large stand of Leucadendron conicum (Near Threatened) has been wiped out by the fire. Hopefully, we'll soon see the emergence of the first seedlings.
It was great to be out in the field again, but the simmering heat was a timely reminder that we'll have to look for "cool" destinations for the next two months.
tanniedi
|
|
|
|
|