Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: A last-gasp walk in 2019 at Jolivet (Monday 30 December 2019)

As we had not previously visited the Sutherland farm in Jolivet in December, we took the opportunity to do so and Lloyd Mhlongo and his sisters Nomende and Sthokozo joined us on a hot and steamy day. When we arrived we elected to enter the grassland conservation area at the bottom gate and immediately stopped at the stream to see what was flowering along the banks.

We found Senecio albanensis var doroniciflorus, Chamaecrista mimosoides, a solitaryTritonia distichia, a group of Crocosmia pottsii overhanging the stream, Albuca virens and Momordica balsamina. In the streamside forest and along the forest fringe we found a Dioscorea that might be D. rupicola, Pilogyne scabra, as well as Ekebergia capensis, Trimeria grandifolia, and Suregada africana, all bearing many fruits. Growing in the water were some Cotula nigellifolia and there were several Rumex dregeanus on the grassy banks.

Senecio albanensis var doroniciflorus

Crocosmia pottsii

Cotula nigellifolia

Acmelia caulirhiza

Albuca virens

Chamaecrista mimosoides

Pilogyne scabra

Momordica balsamina

Ekebergia capensis fruits

Suregada africana

Rumex dregeanus

Trimeria grandifolia fruits

We also found what might be Justicia protracta, but lacking any reference books with us on the trip, positive IDs will have to follow. Two species of Helichrysum had also made their home near the stream, H. appendiculatum and H. cooperi.

The high humidity in the valley and the lack of a breeze soon persuaded us to move on and we drove up the steep rocky road to a grassland knoll.

Justicia cf protracta

Helichrysum appendiculatum

Helichrysum cooperi

With a bit of a cooling breeze to encourage us on the steep slopes we found a sprawling Indigofera cf subulata, some Jamesbrittenia kraussiana, Lippia javanica, Nemesia caerulea, a rather odiferous but unidentified Stachys species, a possible Priva species and quite a few of the nettle, Tragia glabrata. In a small bush clump we found a very dentate- and trifoliolate-leafed shrub which was identified for us by Richard Boon as Smodingium argutum, the pain-bush, so named because of the burns caused by exposure to the sap of this plant.

Smodingium argutum

Indigofera cf subulata

Jamesbrittenia kraussiana

Lippia javanica

Nemesia caerulea

Stachys sp.

Priva sp.

Tragia glabrata

We drove further, enjoying a very prominent Erythrina humeana flowering in the grass below us and stopped at a rocky hilltop. Here we found Brachystelma rubellum, an orchid we think is a Bonatea, and then Lloyd made the find of the day, the Endangered Brachystelma gerrardii.

Erythrina humeana

Brachystelma rubellum

Bonatea boltonii

Brachystelma gerrardii

Suffering from the heat out in the sun, we drove on to one of the few shady areas on the farm and had lunch in a relatively cool forest patch. In this patch we found flowering Pavetta, Canthium ciliatum, a Disperis lindleyana, Combretum kraussii and a Streptocarpus that still has to be identified.

Canthium ciliatum

Disperis lindleyana

Combretum kraussii

Pavetta sp.

Streptocarpus sp.

On the return trip we ventured back out into the sum where we found tall Disa chrysostachya, a few Satyrium longicauda and some patches of Rhynchosia villosa. In the valley the Riocreuxia flanagannii var alexandrina were still flowering profusely and we managed to find some with very small, immature fruits. Also in this rank grass was a Eucomis comosa var comosa.