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Holiday Highlights
Kouma Trail
The views from the top of the Robinson Pass are always spectacular. Add to that lots of Orchids, Geissorhiza inconspicua and the unusual and strange Thesium euphorbioides and you have a real winner, despite rising Summer temperatures. There was a good turnout with lots of cumulative enthusiasm.
Tonnelbos Circular
The Hillbillies have made a new trail that links with the old Outeniqua Trail and the contour path that goes from the Witfontein plantations to Tierkop. It can be accessed from Ground Zero via Edelweiss, the Indigenous Forest Traverse and then the track that leads up to the railway line, east of Chernobyl and west of Horseshoe Bend.
It is simply magnificent and goes through lovely fynbos, which is typical of the southern Outeniquas. There are also a couple of forested kloofs filled with Cyathea capensis (Cape Tree Fern). After the heavy rains in December, some new slips have appeared on the mountain. They have made one river crossing more difficult and the other has been made easier. So, "What you lose on the roundabouts, you gain on the swings". Some of the going is tricky on crutches and the whole trip from Ground Zero to Ground Zero took us 6 hours.
tanniedi
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Fynbos 5 - December/January
31/12/21-1/1/22
Michiel and I started climbing George Peak at 2pm via the vertical ascent on Day 1, noting Lobelia ardisiandroides (VU), Mimetes pauciflorus (VU) and Erica georgica. We reached the saddle as the sun was setting. The day's list showed numerous orchids, including Disa gladioliflora and Disa cornuta.
The next day we summited Cradock Peak and came down the normal way into Witfontein. We had seen 16 orchid species over two days, including Disperis paludosa, Disa brevicornis, Disa ophrydea, Disa reticulata, Pterygodium acutifolium and Disa vasselotii. Also worth mentioning is the small population of Geissorhiza outeniquensis (NT) growing in a kloof on the way down.
6/1/22
Justin and I woke early and arrived on Montagu Pass accompanied by a friend, Steven Kapp. We started at the Toll House and from there worked our way up towards the train track. On the way, we were stunned by a magnificent specimen of Cyrtanthus elatus (George lily) in full flower near the path, alongside a purple Disa hians. When we reached the Geissorhiza site we stopped for breakfast and assigned site sheets before heading for Cradock Pass.
Here we saw many orchids, including Disa brevicornis - this appears to be the furthest west that it has ever been recorded. We also found a single white Disa racemosa. Coming down the other side we found many more orchids such as Bartholina etheliae and Brachycorythis macowaniana before heading off to Camferskloof to see Disa schlechteriana (VU). We were hospitably received and taken to the site, where we also found Acrolophia capensis. We then returned down Montagu Pass. The total orchid count for the day was 27 in my case and 28 for Justin - he stopped to see Eulophia speciosa on the way home. A very successful outing!
Ludwig
Fynbos 5 - Swartberg Adventure
I planned a two-day adventure to the Swartberg Pass to search for a few targets including, but not limited to Disa multifida, Satyrium eurycalcaratum, Swartberg Leaf Toed Gecko and Cape Rockjumper.
Day 1:
I arrived on top of the Pass just before midday and the searching could begin. It didn’t take long to find my first target, Satyrium eurycalcaratum, which had unfortunately just finished flowering. Also present on top of the Pass were a few Ground Woodpeckers. I spent most of the day exploring the top looking for Disa multifida. A few hours in I stumbled across my first plant. Unfortunately it was already starting to wither and not in the best condition. I was ecstatic when I found a second plant, with its last flower in prime condition! The wind was pumping against it and getting photos was a near impossible task. I decided to head down the south of the Pass a bit, where I found Satyrium rupestre, which was sadly only in seed. After the sun had set, I did a bit of herping, which yielded Swartberg Dwarf Chameleon, Hewitt’s Pygmy Gecko, and Ocellated Gecko.
Day 2:
The next morning before sunrise I was back and managed to find a Cape Eagle Owl before it got light. I also reached Disa multifida ahead of the strong wind and spent nearly an hour photographing it in prime light. Afterwards, I still had several hours to kill before I was picked up, so I went about birding and herping. I was rewarded with incredible sightings of endemic Cape Siskin, Cape Rockjumper, and Ground Woodpecker. I also managed to find another target of mine, the endemic Swartberg Leaf Toed Gecko! So that wrapped up an incredible trip to one of my favorite spots, filled with endemic birds, herps and plants!
Justin
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De Rustica
It was a blistering hot day in the Klein Karoo. At about 2pm the Duster measured 45 degrees in one of the deep kloofs coming off the southern side of Spitskop in the Swartberg. To quote Noel Coward, "Mad dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun".
Rolf Lamprecht is one of our newer members. He runs a busy veterinary practice, so doesn't often have the chance to go out on field trips with the Outramps. This time he organised a memorable field trip that was very special. He knows the owner of De Rustica, which is a large olive farm on the outskirts of De Rust and he was keen to explore Suurkloof, where he had spotted Gladiolus aquamontanus (Vulnerable) on an unclimbable cliff alongside a gushing waterfall.
He came well-prepared with a fishing rod to try and capture a flower and a tube, so that he could get closer to the cliff. But it was Tilla who caught the flower, with the "Catch of the Day", after some rock-climbing exploits beyond the capabilities of most of the party. After the fishing expedition, we were treated to a sumptuous snack lunch by the farm manager Dawie and his wife and daughter Linda and Courtney.
The 4x4's then set off for a brief sortie into Abrahamskloof and finished off with an olive-oil tasting hosted by Nicky. Altogether a very special day and a new locality for Gladiolus aquamontanus. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this such a memorable field trip.
tanniedi
The link to Tilla's fishing exploits captured by Sally. (Tilla is Head of the Threatened Plants Programme at SANBI)
https://youtu.be/yGc7-uwAx4s
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CRITICALLY RARE ORCHID REDISCOVERED IN GARDEN ROUTE
The Cape orchids
When it comes to orchids, the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is a global biodiversity hotspot with more than 240 indigenous species. What makes South African orchids so special is their unique pollination strategies, their morphological intricacy and beauty and the extreme inter-species variation. Because of their unique mutualistic pollination strategies, they also form an important part of local ecosystems.
Unfortunately, the Cape orchids are a threatened group with a large proportion appearing on the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) Red List of Threatened Species as "Of Conservation Concern" – 70 different species ranging from “Near Threatened” to “Critically Endangered”. This is why research and conservation of these plants is of extreme importance and why when a species previously thought to be extinct resurfaces, it becomes a big deal.
Finding a lost treasure
Named after C.B. Newdigate in 1895, who first discovered the species, Disa newdigateae currently holds the status “Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct)” on the SANBI Red List. The last confirmed sighting was in 1935. Now, after more than 80 years of being thought extinct, D. newdigateae has been rediscovered in Nature’s Valley. Members of the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) visited the site in January this year in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the plant and its habitat. Currently the species is known only from this single population where three plants remain making it one of the rarest plants in the world. The rediscovery of this orchid is incredibly thrilling and the implications for research in pollination biology boost the excitement even further.
Another sexy Disa?
When we first examined the plant in detail, we noticed some morphological similarities with Disa forficaria, which has recently made headlines in orchid pollination biology. D. forficaria mimics female longhorn beetles (Chorothyse hessei) so convincingly, with both physical and chemical signals, that it tricks male beetles into mating with the flower, loading its pollinia and effectively pollinating it. The flower itself has a remarkable morphological similarity to the female beetles, and it releases a unique molecule, disalactone, which acts as the chemical attractant. We discussed the possibility of a similar pollination strategy in D. newdigateae with specialists Callan Cohen and Steve Johnson who confirmed that it contains the same chemical.
In order to ascertain the pollination strategy, Cohen and his team will be releasing disalactone into the area where the orchid population is now known to exist to capture longhorn beetles and examine them for the presence of orchid pollinia, a technique that their research group has pioneered. If the same pollination strategy could be confirmed in D. newdigateae, it would be the only other orchid known to sexually deceive beetles. With some help from young citizen scientists in the area, we hope to have the answer soon.
Youth-driven conservation and citizen science
The Fynbos Five is a group of young men, mostly under 18 years, driven by a passion for fynbos and conservation. Also being members of CREW, they are actively involved in the surveying and conservation of plants and other organisms unique to the fynbos biome in the Garden Route. Three members, Justin Ponder, Ludwig Muller and Rendert Hoekstra, were the first to find and perform a detailed analysis of Disa newdigateae. They have played a major role in this rediscovery and will be collaborating with Steve Johnson in his team’s ongoing research on the critically rare orchid’s pollination strategy. Seeing passion for conservation in the youth is a promising sign and represents an important part of the citizen science project and community-based conservation.
Rendert
Footnote
After some research, our proofreaders have found an observation of Disa newdigateae by Malthinus in 2018 on iNaturalist. So this find predates the Fynbos 5 observation by 3 years. As the locality of the Malthinus posting has the locality totally obscured for everyone, we have no idea whether this is the same locality. It looks likely that we are dealing with more than one population of this extremely rare Orchid, which is very exciting news!
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Hot Holiday Heights
Ruitersberg
Ruitersberg off the Robinson Pass was the final 2021 year-end hike for some of our HAT team. It proved to be one of those hot, hot days before the unusually cool and wet December of 2021. The hike involved a steep ascent to the top of Ruitersberg at 1300m including the long, eastern ridgeline. Of course, our higher Outeniquas are covered in fynbos, so there was no shade. Streams on the northern side are mostly found down in the valleys and that only if you are lucky. At least this hike was circular allowing for a deliciously cold mountain-stream dip during the afternoon.
HAT Tony photographed plants en route. He arrived back with some good samples collected on the peak and the ridgeline. Outramps can now confirm that Erica outeniquae (VU) has a range right across the Outeniqua Peaks from Cradock Peak to Ruitersberg. We can also confirm that Erica velatiflora (VU) exists on the eastern side of the Robinson Pass, as we have specimens from both Ruitersberg and Engelseberg. AnneLise Vlok confirmed that the unusual purple, unopened Erica on Engelseberg was in fact Erica velatiflora. This indicates a range extension to the east of Robinson Pass.
One of the Erica’s I have been bugging HAT Tony to look out for on the peaks between the Outeniqua Pass N9 and the Robinson Pass has been Erica georgica. It was good to note that Ruitersberg did reveal 2 to 3 new little plants. Currently we only have iNaturalist observations for Erica georgica moving west from Karatara (Eastern Outeniquas) as far as the Robinson Pass area. I am hoping one of the goals for HAT during this new year is to uncover more of both E. georgica and E. outeniquae moving into the Tsitisikamma Mts, where there are no iNaturalist observations to date.
Camferskloof East Ridge
This was only a quick, rather belated visit to confirm my curiosity sparked by an observation done by Outramps Sheelagh recently. I was rather concerned that I had left it too late in the year and that no flowers would be in evidence. Another hot holiday-day in them hills! I persuaded HAT Tony to scale the uneven, rocky Eastern Ridge from the north. Meanwhile I took in the views, a few plants, and mostly the shade of the unused Cape Nature Hikers Hut.
Tony arrived back literally melted. At least there were two wilted, white Psoralea flowers, as well as many warty, green leaves on twigs in his bag. ”What a stumbling impossibility it was to find any in flower”, he said. Wonderful! Indeed, they appear to be Psoralea kougaensis.
Psoralea kougaensis was only thought to exist further east towards the Kouga and Kammanassie Mountains. However, it seems that there have now been a few findings in the Camferskloof and Eseljacht belt. Strangely, this post-fire specimen shows a few leaves with basal paired leaflets. This is normally uncommon in Psoralea, while it is a known feature of P. floccosa. Something to be on the look-out for.
Evie
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EFF visit Gemstone - 21 01 2022
On Friday the Outramps EFF (Eastender Flower Friday) group visited Gemstone, a property bordering the Plettenberg Bay airport. This is owned by one of Nanna’s relatives. Karen Eichholz, visiting from Cape Town, joined us. Patti Kilian welcomed us and led us along the tracks traversing her property. Although dry, we found enough species to keep our cameras clicking and to exercise our memories, rusty from the Christmas break, trying to find names for them all.
I think the highlight for us all was Disa hians scattered over the property, thriving in the January heat. We were also pleased to find a number of Dioscorea burchellii (VU).
By the time we got back to the house, the temperature had risen and the tea, biscuits and watermelon were enjoyed by all before we headed home clutching home-grown cucumbers, promising to revisit this beautiful property in another season.
Before picking up our cars in Knysna, Nanna gave Tessa and me a tour around her interesting garden and introduced us to some of her special fragrances. A lovely way to end our first outing for the year.
Nicky
Go to Gemstone, Roodefontein 440, Portion 35 - Robberg · iNaturalist to see some of the species we found.
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Start-Up Meeting 2022
In the blistering heat on Saturday the Outramps did a 9km hike at Circles in the Forest followed by a planning meeting. The meeting was well attended with 12 members present.
Briefly, our goals of collecting data for CREW were reinforced.
Last year's goal of creating nodes materialized with Nicky starting a Knysna node that meets once a month. It is fondly known as the EFF (Eastender Flower Finders). Also both Dave and Evie have started sub-groups and another sub-group, the SWAGS Hiking Group has already posted a number of observations on iNat. The Fynbos 5 started by Ludwig is doing sterling work amongst our youngsters and HAT (High Altitude Team) is covering the high-lying mountains.
Congratulations to Branden Hair, Ludwig and Ren who re-found Disa newdigateae, which is Red Listed as Critically Endangered and Possibly extinct. A very exciting find.
The organizing of overnighters will be shared between 4 members of the group to spread the load. We hope to do 4 this year.
Marge Webster has stepped down from looking after our finances and Mike Cameron will take her place together with Jen.
The CNC was discussed. Dates 29th April to 2nd May. Di will run the Outramps effort with Jen's backing, liaising with Shaun Swanepoel. Members were encouraged to save the dates and give it their full support. Sandra will run iNat workshops where necessary.
There was an appeal from Rupert for members to join the Botanical Society of South Africa and to keep a look out for a prospective person to start up a Garden Route Branch. The CREW Project is funded by BotSoc.
It was decided to continue with Saturday field trips where possible, as this suited the majority of people.
Thanks go to the team for working so hard last year. It was a very busy and successful one with 5 bioblitzes, a hack and 5 Overnighters.
We look forward to a successful 2022.
Jenny
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