Slogging down the Devil's Backbone to the Umtamvuna River (Thursday 31 January 2019)

For this Thursday, we decided that the interesting plants we saw along the Devil's Backbone trail would have had sufficient time to be in flower and warranted a re-visit.. At the reserve we drove some distance onto the grassland to give ourselves a head start on what we expected to be a stiff walk. Around the vehicles we saw Tephrosia polystachya, Rafnia elliptica and Searsia pondoensis, as well as several Indigofera abbottii.

Tephrosia polystachya

Rafnia elliptica

Searsia pondoensis

We headed off down the first slope, encountering a few Searsia carnosula, many Cyanotis speciosus, scattered Aspidoglossum gracile and a slope covered with Cephalaria oblongifolia. There were also several yellow-flowered Gnidia coriacea.

Searsia carnosula

Cephalaria oblongifolia

Aspidoglossum gracile

Cyanotis speciosus

Gnidia coriacea

Another less-obvious grassland plant was Indigofera pondoensis, but towering over the grasses were several Senecio discodregeanus. We also found some small Vaschellia natalitia flowering, despite their modest size.

Indigofera pondoensis

Senecio discodregeanus

Vaschellia natalitia

We followed the forested edge, finding Hyperacanthus amoenus in flower and next to it was a large fruit of Petopentia natalensis. Apart from a small cluster of sterile Tephrosia pondoensis (there was one with a single orange flower), we saw Helixanthera woodii, Indigofera micrantha, Maytenus acuminata and some large flowers on Senecio macroglossus.

Hyperacanthus amoenus

Helixanthera woodii

Indigofera micrantha

Maytenus acuminata

Senecio macroglossus

Out in the open grassland we found Endostemon obtusifolius, a scattering of Eulophia tenella, a single Orthochilus ensatus and many discrete Tephrosia bachmannii peeping through the grass.

Endostemon obtusifolius

Eulophia tenella

Tephrosia bachmannii

Back at the edge of the forest we found Senegalia ataxacantha in flower and Olea capensis subsp. enervis.  Close by was a single Cyphia elata.

Senegalia ataxacantha

Cyphia elata

Olea capensis subsp. enervis

We entered the rather dry forest on the ridge of the Devil's Backbone and started our descent. In the forest we found several Searsia acocksii and in the leaf litter on the ground were many Liparis remota, some in flower. Along the path we were rewarded with some elegant Plectranthus saccatus subsp. pondoensis and the far less common Plectranthus stylesii. Climbing up the shrubbery we found many Ceropegia carnosa and a Ctenomaria capensis. Another small herb on the forest floor was Hypoxis nivea.

Searsia acocksii

Liparis remota

Plectranthus saccatus subsp. pondoensis

Plectranthus stylesii

Ceropegia carnosa

Ctenomeria capensis

Hypoxis nivea

Lower down towards the river there were many Excoecaria simii bearing their three-lobed fruits. Although the path became a little indistinct once we got closer to the river, we eventually found our way onto the river bank where we stopped for well earned rest and some lunch.

Around us we found Argyrolobium tomentosum, numbers of Aneilema aequinoctiale and a single A. dregeana, as well as Englerodaphne pilosa and to our surprise, Indigofera jucunda. While all of us are familiar with this species as a common garden plant, this was the first time any of us had seen it in its natural habitat.

Excoecaria simii

Argyrolobium tuberosum

Aneilema aequinoctiale

Aneilema dregeana

Englerodaphne pilosa

Indigofera jucunda

Looking across the Umtamvuna River from our lunch stop.

We set off back up the steep trail but as the view was limited to the trees around us, we made better progress than expected and within a little over an hour, we were back at the vehicles. On the way we saw two Habenaria species; H. lithophila and H. falcicornis.

Habenaria lithophila

Habenaria falcicornis

Participants: Anne S, Dorothy M, Gail B-W, Graham G, Kate G, Maggie M, Tracy T.