More images from the Jeep Track

Posted on October 20, 2016 by roncorylus

It seems a shame not to include some of the other images recorded yesterday on the Jeep Track. I should also mention that we once again were privileged to see a pair of Sentinel Rock Thrushes.

Restios in the wind

Satyrium stenopetalum

Pillansia templemannii buds

Nemesia sp.

Erica cumuliflora

Cyphia phuteuma

Diosma oppositifolia

Lachenalia peersii

Lanaria lanata

Villarsia capensis

Searching

Brunia alopecuroides

Muraltia stokoei

On the path to the Jeep Track

On the Jeep Track in Fernkloof

Posted on October 19, 2016 by roncorylus

There were five of us who hiked up Droekloof and on to the Jeep Track this morning. The wind was strong and on the Dragon’s Back section, we were having to hold on tightly for fear of being blown off the mountain, but once we reached the top, it had abated somewhat. The fynbos was, as ever, looking magnificent , especially in the areas recently burnt, and it wasn’t long before we started to see Orchids.

We managed to identify 17 species: they were; Disa bracteata; D. cylindrica; D. obtusa; D.bolisiana; D.ophrydea; D.cornuta; D. Hallackii; Satyrium lupulinum; S. carneum; S. stenopetalum; S. bicallosum; Disperis paludosa; Pterogodium catholicum; P. acutifolium; Ceratandra atrata; Holothrix cernua and Acrolophia bolusii. We were well pleased, especially since two of them were new to me!

We returned via Adder’s Ladder and the flowers continued to impress the whole way. We walked a total of 11 km and climbed around 450m.

Saltera sarcocolla

Otholobium sp.

Aulax umbellata

Syncarpha gnaphaloides

Helichrysum tinctum

Erica pogonanthera

Massed Erica pogonanthera

Mairia crenata

Disa bolusiana

Disa ophrydea

Bobartia longicyma

Edmondia sessamoides

Gnidia oppositifolia

Utricularia bisquamata

Lanaria lanata

Hesperantha radiata

Ixia sp.

Dilatris pillansii

Senecio hastifolius

Ixia flexuosa

Erica lutea

Geissorhiza aspera

Acrolophia bolusii

Brunia laevis

Ceratandra atrata

Disperis paludosa

Disa bolusiana

Disa brachteata

Disa hallackii

Disa pygmaea

Disperis paludosa

Erica barbigeroides

Erica fastigiata

Erica obliqua

Evotella carnosa

Holothrix cernua

Pterogodium acutifolium

Pterogodium catholicum

Satyrium bicallosum

Wahlenbergia capensis

Some De Kelders flowers

Posted on October 16, 2016 by roncorylus

A short time spent en route to Gansbaai for lunch, revealed abundant Satyrium carneum alongside the road, including a rare white variant. There were also occasional S. coriifolium. When we stopped to photograph a Moraea, we were pleased to find numerous Farraria crispa, with their lurid flowers. Not surprisingly, their common name is Starfish Lily and the are aptly named.

Satyrium carneum

Moraea tripetela

Ferraria crispa

F. crispa detail

Moraea sp.

Edmondia sp.

Hermannia sp.

S. carneum detail

Satyrium coriifolium detail

White S. carneum

Zygophyllum sp.

Houw Hoek Pass

Posted on October 15, 2016 by roncorylus

This morning Renee and I went to look for Orchids in the recently burnt portion of Houw Hoek pass. There were masses of the spectacular Satyrium coriifolium as well as left over S. odorum and the ubiquitous Disa bracteata, but we did not see any others. The area is covered in occasional massed Watsonias and fields of Wachendorfia paniculata. We also found an area covered with hundreds of Moraeas, so we were not disappointed. The area needs to be investigated by a proper team and will, I am sure, yield many more species.

Satyrium coriifolium

Satyrium odorum

Massed Watsonia

Watsonia borbonica

Watsonia sp.

Moraea angusta

Moraea lurida

Wahlenbergia capensis

Cullumia squarrosa

Lebostemum sp.

Lobostemum fructicosis

Tritoniopsis parviflora

Hebenstretia repens

Geissorhiza schinzii

Heliophyla sp.

Ornithagolum thyrsoides

Pelargonium sp.

Trachyandra hirsutiflora

Wachendorfia paniculata

Zygophyllum sessilifolium

Trifolium angustifolium

Botanising in the Burn

Posted on October 15, 2016 by roncorylus

A day spent searching in the burnt fynbos below Galpin Hut and across towards, and along the Jeep Track in Fernkloof, proved to be a rewarding experience yesterday, when 7 keen orchid hunters set out in fine weather. Initially our prime focus was on finding, capturing and identifying the pollinator for the Disa pillansii, but, after an hour of waiting for this insect to appear, we gave up! We had the net and all but, sadly, did not need it.

Our walk was very successful, however, as we managed to find and identify no less than 12 Orchids. These were Disa bolusiana; D. pillansii; D. fasciata; D bracteata; D cylindrica; D. cornuta; D. hallackii; D. pygmaea; Evotella carnosum; Satyrium stenopetallum; Ceratandra atrata; and Pterogodium acutifolium. It is amazing to see how a species will suddenly appear one week, when there was no sign of it a week previously, and how short the window is for seeing them flower. The Pterogodium acutifolium was a case in point. Suddenly a particular seep was covered in the plants, and just as suddenly there were almost no Disa fasciata where, on our last visit, there had been dozens.

Disa pillansii

Evotella carnosum

Disa cylindrica

Disa hallackii

Disa bracteata

Satyrium stenopetallum

Disa bolusiana

Ceratandra atrata

Disa ophrydea

Disa pygmaea

Pterogodium acutifolium

Of course, we saw much more than just Orchids, and a number of good birds as well. Included in the latter were Sentinel Rock Thrushes and a Grey Winged Francolin, along with the usual Grassbirds and Orange Breasted Sunbirds

Keenly searching

Gerbera tomentosa

Pentaschistis curvifolia

Syncarpha speciosissima

Anexeton asperum

Corymbium africanum

Indigofera glomerata

Indigofera ionii

Indigofera guthriei

Lobelia chamaepitys

Lobelia sp.

Lobelia jasionoides

Bobartia sp

Utricularia bisquimata

Female Sentinel Rock Thrush

Orchids near the Visitors’ Centre

Posted on October 7, 2016 by roncorylus

This morning we had intended searching for the bee that pollinates the Disa pillansii on the slopes below Galpin Hut, but the weather was too cool, so instead, we searched for Orchids along the path to the waterfall in Fernkloof and were well rewarded. We found abundant Satyrium bicallosum and Disa bracteata, along with Pterogodium catholicum (in bud), Satyrium lupilinum and Holothrix cernua. There were also hundreds of budding Lachenalia peersii as well as many other beautiful plants, including Bobartia, Geissorhiza, and lots more!

Disa bracteata

Holothrix cernua

H. cernua

Moraea lurida

Satyrium bicallosum

Lachenalia peersii

Satyrium lupulinum

Satyrium bicallosum

Satyrium lupulinum

Caledon and Greyton

Posted on October 3, 2016 by roncorylus

Today Renee and I went north from Hermanus to do some botanising . We stopped in at the Caledon Botanical Gardens, but were very disappointed to see how the place has gone to seed. What was once a really beautiful garden is now a series of broken benches and overgrown flower beds and paths. We did see some interesting blooms, but I was unable to identify them.

From Caledon we went on to Greyton. Along the road we were delighted to see a number of Orchids as well as numerous other species. The Satyrium erectum outside Greyton were especially beautiful.

Ixia sp.

Satyrium erectum

Satyrium bicorne

Pterogodium catholicum

Disa bracteata

Satyrium erectum

Babiana sp.

Pterogodium catholicum

Massed Pterogodium catholicum

Babiana sp.

Post Fire Monitoring

Posted on October 1, 2016 by roncorylus

Today we did another Post Fire monitoring walk up to and around Galpin Hut, under the watchful eyes of Sandy, Liz and Margaret. These are some of the sharpest eyes I know and, once again, they did not fail us! Our main interest was Orchids and we found nine species – Disa cornuta; D. cylindrica; D. pillansii; D.ophrydea; D.obtusa subsp. hottentotica; D. bracteata; Satyrium odorum and Evotella carnosa. Of course there were many other plants to see, but the Orchids took centre stage. At one seep area there were literally hundreds of Disa pillansii and we stopped to see if we could identify a pollinator. We were rewarded with a sighting of a smallish bee landing on one of the flowers, but it was too fast for us to get a photograph!

Disa pillansii

We walked 7.8 km, but with 14 people and all the stopping and photography, it took us around 7 hours, starting from the Marais’ house in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. I was particularly pleased to see another Sentinel Rock Thrush near Galpin Hut and we also had good sightings of Cape Grassbirds.