The Endless Skyscapes
Outramps CREW Diaries
Tuesday
5th February 2019
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Here is the Album 5th 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 – Palmietdrif in Waboomskraal, Bothashoek Jeep Track in the Swartberg, the Snow Protea on Sneeuberg in the Cedarberg, Muraltia knysnaensis lost and found in the Robberg Corridor and Nanobubon sp.in the Diosma Reserve Mossel Bay.
For names and captions of the photos used on this version of the Reportback - see the Album.
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Palmietdrif
LOT had a very pleasant outing to Palmietdrif in Waboomskraal on Thursday. We were met by the farmer, Pieter Terblanche, who joined us for part of the day. He showed us some trails and routes and gave us the history of the property. The farm faces north-east and is on the old Oudtshoorn road and to the west of the road that is currently in use.
We will be returning to cover other sites in the area. Here is a list of some of the plants that we recognised.
Blepharis capensis ( flowering).
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Anacampseros telephiastrum
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Leucospermum cuneiforme
Protea nitida
Pelargonium dipetalum (flowering)
Erica discolor (flowering)
Limeum aethiopicum (flowering)
Selago glomerata (flowering)
Prismatocarpus campanuloides (to be confirmed)
Rusell came home with lots of specimens to press and Prix collected seeds. A good day was had by all. |
Gail
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The Endless Skyscapes
We set off with great enthusiasm towards the Swartberg Pass last Friday. The numbers were such that we had to take 2 vehicles - Jen's smart, newish Fortuner and the aged Bloody Mary. Although you don't need a 4x4 on the Pass, the going is not suitable for an elderly low-slung saloon car like a BMW that is designed for European roads. It was just as we reached the top that the temperature gauge in the BM made a startling leap to the right. We coasted down about 500 meters and parked at the entrance to the Bothashoek Jeep track, leaving Bloody Mary to contemplate her sins for the day.
The Swartberg is unbelievably dry. It has been 3 years since they had significant rain and the vegetation is taking strain. But as always, there was something to Ooh and Ah about. Nicky found an exquisite purple flower on Otholobium swartbergense (Rare) and we saw a Green Protea Beetle on Protea eximia. The crowd pleasers were Tritoniopsis antholyza in orange and Harveya purpurea in pink. Psoralea sp.and Erica curvifolia were happily ensconced in the furrow next to the track, whilst Berkheya cruciata and Pteronia stricta were bright yellow flashes of colour in the dry sepia landscape.
The old path down to the northern side has almost disappeared, which is a huge pity. It was there that we branched off and went exploring on some of the kopjes. And eventually we turned up something exciting. Having had to dredge the name of Dolichothrix ericoides out of the deep sub-conscious, I was feeling chastened. It didn't last long, as on the top of one of the kopjes, we came upon a tiny little treasure trove. A single Phylica nigromontana (Rare) was growing next to a small spiky Aspalathus sp. that we didn't recognise. There were 3 plants. We were delighted with our find and made our way back to the cars glowing with heat and satisfaction.
We filled Bloody Mary with water and she sailed down the Pass, past Oudtshoorn and halfway to George. Suddenly the temperature gauge had another surge to the right and when we opened her up, she was boiling. After a couple of stops, we limped to the driveway of a farm with a security gate. Despite hooting and calling, nobody appeared.
And then our luck changed and a good Samaritan drove by. Fred van der Leeuw had come back from the farmstall where he'd heard the Aunties talking about the situation. He picked us up and took us all the way down the Outeniqua Pass to the Engen garage. He lives on Burnsleigh so it was a very long way out of his way.
By the time we left the farm, the owner Frikkie Jonck had appeared from town. At first he was a bit taken aback and berated me, but soon realised our plight and offered to keep the BM in his yard. My son fetched her the next day. I felt for Peter and Werner in the Cedarberg, who were having similar car problems.
tanniedi
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The Snow Protea on Sneeuberg
With a bit of nagging, Werner and I convinced MO to join us on the MCSA trip to Sneeuberg in the Cederberg. The hardest part of the trip was the driving. My car is in a state where it starts to shake uncontrollably, while Werner's car has issues with the clutch. Not really knowing which one was better, we settled on Werner's car........... This involved a surplus of unplanned stops.
We parked the car at Eikeboom and set off for Sneeuberg hut along a jeep track, passing age-old Protea nitida and a bounty of interesting Phylicas and Ericas, which have yet to be identified. From the hut, Werner and I had a quick run to the Maltese Cross, passing a clump of Widdringtonia wallichii, as well as Protea witzenbergiana, Protea acuminata and Sorocephalus lanatus.
The following day, we had a early start for Sneeuberg (2027m) and soon came across a stand of the famous Protea cryophila (Near Threatened) in full flower. We also saw the shyer Protea recondita (Near Threatened), well past its prime. From the saddle where the Snow Proteas grow, the scrambling and exposure started to get interesting! To quote MO, when I mentioned I'd seen Snow Proteas to the right of the watershed, "That's funny. I kept seeing the abyss to the right of me."
After reaching the summit, Werner and I left the group and made a quick descent back to the car, in 38°. Realising that we had no more brake fluid, we push-started the car in second gear and drove (slowly and without aircon) to Citrusdal, where we sorted out our problems. What a great weekend in the mountains - not only did I get to see a ton of new Proteas, but I also left with excess knowledge on how the clutch system works..
2019-01-(26-27) Sneeuberg For all the observations on iNat
Peter -Stellies Node
Ed - Both old and young Outramps - Stellies Node and SIM - had car problems on Field trips this week. What we need is a benefactor, who will help us to keep our ageing vehicles on the road, or even better, find us one that works.
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STOP PRESS
Mossel Bay’s Diosma Reserve has two Hermannias and one Prismatocarpus sp. considered different to currently described species. Now Nanobubon sp. follows. Dr Pieter Winter commented on an iNat obs that it needs more scrutiny. The plant was recorded last year in May.
Sandra
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In November 2012 the Outramps found a few Muraltia knysnaensis (EN) plants growing in the Fynbos Reserve, one of the properties in the Robberg Coastal Corridor. Although we have searched for it there on numerous subsequent visits to the property, we have not found it again. On Thursday 24th January, I walked in the Reserve, nearly 20 months since it was burnt during the 2017 Knysna wildfires. I was thrilled to find a healthy population of the plants scattered over a larger area than our first sighting.
I also found a large population of what I think is Aspalathus bowieana (EN) growing close to the cliff edge, awaiting confirmation on iNat. These grey Aspalathus plants have not been observed on this property before.
Nicky
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From iNat - a snippet
In one of my post-burn observations, I was moaning about the overwhelming presence of Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken) in the post-burn landscape. Also mentioned was the state of our clothes after scrambling through blackened Proteaceae skeletons. A dialogue with Meneer (aka Dr Tony Rebelo) ensued. He said,
"Well you know what to do!
Eat the Bracken
and don't wear clothes!"
My reply
"You know what you can do and don't you dare flag this comment as inappropriate............... Your little statement is going to appear in the next Diaries. It's too good to pass over. The sight of a whole lot of old women fossicking around the burn with no clothes is too hideous to contemplate".
tanniedi
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