Rossmin

It’s Thursday and so we met like excited children.  Our task of the day was a further investigation of an orchid that Tracy found a few weeks back at the tail end of a botanising excursion.

Nervilea cf kotschyi

Doing our measurements

Nervilia cf kotschyi

Nervilia leaf.

We were then instructed to keep a watch on the leaf after the orchid had flowered.  That may seem quite easy but after a burn when the grass is short and charred its quite different when returning when the grass is knee high and one now has to look for leaves.   It's a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack and one has to have either a GPS recording or landmark the area of observation and of course this requires a passion for doing what one loves doing best in order to find what one is seeking.

Anne and Maggie

Dorothy and Tracy

Tracy

We arrived and got straight to work; the excitement was high as this Nervilia, if it was what it was thought to be against all odds, was only last seen in 1909.  Now one has to remember where we saw this orchid, it is in protected area that was zoned off for conservation  but the surrounding areas are being blasted up for limestone.   One's breath is held as this beautiful earth gets exploited for man's needs and natural areas are further reduced and threatened.  Land is being invaded by man and one has a heart-felt protectiveness knowing how vulnerable these plants are.  One gives thanks to protected areas but there's a threat to how long these areas last before man invades and encroaches further.

Anne

We began our botanising in "Area 1" and when we looked at the Nervilia under observation, I was stuck by the beauty of its strongly veined leaves.  We found that there were between 7 and 9 (mostly 9) veins and then set out to measure the leaves with rulers and tape measures.  I had found an app. of measurement on my I-phone which one should delete as it was not to be trusted.  Out came our rulers and tape measures with everyone being busy.  What was exciting is that we had observed 17 (could have been 19) flowering Nervilia and when it came to seeing what the leaves were doing after plants had finished flowering, we found that in "Area 1" there were about 100 and in "Area 2" about 200.  We felt exuberated with our counts!  There was promise of something for the future.  Again, one didn't know where to tread as one feared squashing something sacred.  We shall return to this area later to see if these leaves have grown more and observe changes.  

Data capturing

Recording the measurements, the devil is in the detail.

The seed capsule that looks like a little bird head with its green wings that are flying in diffent directions.

The back of the leaf.

A few weeks ago, we had sat on rocks eating our lunch and now it had rained and it was totally luscious and if we had sat there this time all that one would have seen would be hats as the grass had grown that tall in just a few weeks of absence.  

The Oxalis were abundant in certain areas and we meandered up the hill and then suddenly we heard a noise and Anne stilled us.  I had thought it could have been an ancient tree water logged and falling down onto the earth but then we heard the crackle of fire and both my car and Anne's was parked under a Mango tree with sugar cane that had been set alight.  The slopes where muddied and the pace had to be slow as Anne and I raced to get to our cars before our vehicles were consumed in fire.  We staggered on knowing it would be a long way to walk back but our cars were safe and the exercise was good.  We continued with our botanizing.

Oxalis smithiana 

Berkheya umbellata

Dalechampia capensis 

Vitex obovata 

The sky was filled with soot, it looked like ravens flying before our scratchy eyes and sneezing and wheezing throats, the soot fell onto cobwebs leaving spiders unimpressed at the capture.

The Raphionacme galpinii were just beautiful and I came across just one Brachycorythis ovata.  It was definitely the time for Brachycorythis ovata to flower and they were setting seed.  These plants are so structural in the grasslands.  

Raphionacme galpinii 

Brachycorythis ovata 

I have a new love for bulbs.  My journey was one that started off with an appreciation for nature/flowers and then not being able to retain one's enthusiasm one puts bulbs second,  as a novice one wants  immediate gratification and so in the nursery world clients want colour not knowing what they are purchasing.   With age one learns and evolves as does one's garden and it changes as one does.   The exotics are replaced by indigenous and bulbs are planted and it's so exciting to see the unexpected flowering in its time.  It's like having unexpected wanted gifts arrive when least expected.

Eucomis autumnalis 

On a steep slope and under an inch of shade we sat and ate our lunch and then meandered on.  Anne and Tracy had ventured down the steep slopes and I changed my lens and then wanting to record what I had seen, discovered I had lost my note book!  It had months of records in it, wobbly in its writing, wrinkled in its pages as rain had un-ironed crisp clean pages and the wind sometimes took hold of the pen.  Anne kindly came up to try and help me in my search after I had taken the photo of the Sisyranthus virgatus admiring its hairs in the tiny flower that was attached to the thinnest of stems. Tracy then ventured up and found my leather-bound book in the grass.  What a relief!  I love how this tribe looks after each other.

Sisyranthus virgatus 

Anne called back to look at Aspidonepsis flava and then we strolled back to our cars.  A butterfly was drunk in sipping nectar from the Xysmalobium undulatum.  Dianthus mooiensis flowered in true girly pink and under the Erythrina caffra, Gloriosa modesta flowered in Buddhist robe hues. 

Aspidonepsis flava

Aspidonepsis flava

Dianthus mooiensis 

Gloriosa modesta

Gloriosa modesta 

We ambled back with "takkies" (twig specimens for later keying out) and quartz stones found on the road, loving our day and so grateful for the people who made the day what it was.  

Xysmalobium undulatum 

Xysmalobium undulatum 

Polygala hottentotta 

Pachycarpus concolor

Pachycarpus asperifolius 

Harveya speciosa

Cyperus obtusiflorus

Who's observing who?

Albuca setosa 

Maggie, Anne, Dorothy, Tracy and Gail - an all lady outing

Special thanks to everyone involved in making this day possible and to confirmation of plants seen, thank you Graham and Kate Grieve, even though in your relocation are part of us.