Life Wonderings of a Nature Lover: January 16-20 2020 Wildflowers in the Southern Moluti-Drakensberg World Heritage Site
Three intrepid ladies, two from the UK, requested a five day Southern Secrets Hiking and Backpacking Wildflower Hike. We hiked up to Tarn Cave, where we based ourselves for four nights, from Bushmans Nek. Then we explored the Sehlabathebe Rock Gardens, Secret Garden and the area above Tarn Cave. The first two days were very hot and sunny, then an overcast cool and cloudy day coming in for rain, the fourth day was very wet and it started clearing as we made our way back to Bushmans Nek on the last day. The weather didn’t deter Rosie, Alice and Kate, it was an amazing time spent amongst the stunning array of flowers!
These are a few of the 232 different plants species we saw over the five days, including some landscapes to give an idea of the terrain. A full list follows at the end of this blog.
Day 1: Bushmans Nek to Tarn Cave
Schizoglossum stenoglossum
Asclepias macropus
Corycium nigrescens
Cussonia paniculata
Pachycarpus campanulatus subsp. campanulatus
Neobolusia tysonii
Schizochilus bulbinella
Day 2: Tarn Cave to Sehlabathebe Rock Gardens circuit
Kniphofia ritualuis
Albuca fastigiata
Disa versicolor
Rumex woodii
Xysmalobium involucratum
Disa brevicornis
Corycium dracomontanum
Eucomis autumnalis
Schizoglossum elingue
Asclepias humilis
Polygala rhinostigma
Chironia krebsii
Lindernia conferta
Huperzia saururus
Papaver aculeatum
Senecio macrospermus
Disa orephilia
Selago galpinii
Satyrium longicauda
Disa nivea
Craterocapsa tarsodes
Romulea thodei
Dianthus mooiensis
Pimpinella caffra
Eucomis schijffii
Zaluzianskya microsiphon
Day 3: Tarn Cave to Secret Garden circuit
Kniphofia caulescens
Silene bellidoides
Silene burchellii
Manulea crassifolia
Cysticapnos pruinosa
Gnidia compacta
Galium capense subsp. garipense
Nemesia caerulea
Disperis cardiophora
Satyrium microrrhynchum
Rhodohypoxis baurii
Lobelia flaccida
Moraea inclinata
Senecio barbatus
Berkheya rhapontica
Protea subvestita
Berkheya multijuga
Aponogeton ranunculiflorus
Pelargonium alchemilloides
Pterygodium magnum
Alepidea amatymbica
Dracomonticola virginea
Crassula natans
Ornithogalum paludosum
Diascia barberae
Lobelia erinus
Day 4: Fossicking above Tarn Cave in the rain
Disperis renibractea
Schizochilus flexuosus
Disa oreophila subsp. oreophila
Geranium drakensbergense
Holothrix scopularia
Pterygodium hastatum
Habenaria lithophila
Streptocarpus pusillus
Crassula vaginata
Limosella inflata
Passerina montana
Sebaea thomasii
Relhania acerosa
Day 5: Return hike to Bushmans Nek
Satyrium cristatum var. longilabiatum
Satyrium parviflorum
Dierama argyreum
The full list of plants we identified:
Agapanthus campanulatus
Ajuga ophrydis
Albuca fastigiata
Albuca setosa (=pachychlamys)
Alchemilla colura
Alepidea amatymbica
Alepidea natalensis
Aponogeton junceus
Aponogeton ranunculiforus
Arctotis arctotoides
Argyrolobium marginatum
Aristea woodii
Asclepias cucullata
Asclepias humilis
Asclepias macropus
Asplenium monanthes
Aster bakerianus
Aster perfoliatus
Athrixia pinifolia
Athyrium schimperi
Berkheya cirsiifolia
Berkheya multijuga
Berkheya rhapontica
Berkheya setifera
Buchnera simplex
Cerastium arabidis
Cheilanthes quadripinnata
Chironia krebsii
Chlorophytum krookianum
Chrysanthemoides monilifera
Chrysocoma ciliata
Cineraria dieterlenii
Cineraria lyrata
Commelina africana
Corycium dracomontanum
Corycium nigrescens
Cotula socialis
Crassula dependens
Crassula natans
Crassula peploides
Crassula umbraticola
Crassula vaginata
Craterocapsa tarsodes
Cussonia paniculata
Cyathea dregei
Cynoglossum austro-africanum
Cynoglossum spelaeum
Cyperus ruestris
Cyperus schlechteri
Cyperus semitrifidus
Cyperus sphaerocephalus
Cyrtanthus epiphyticus
Cyrtanthus flanaganii
Cysticapnos pruinosa
Delosperma lavisiae
Dianthus basuticus
Dianthus mooiensis
Diascia barberae
Diclis reptans
Diclis rotundifolia
Dierama argyreum
Dierama dissimile
Dierama sp. small, pink flowers like D. pictum
Dimorphotheca jucunda
Disa brevicornis
Disa nivea
Disa oreophila
Disa oreophila subsp. erecta
Disa oreophila subsp. oreophila
Disa stachyoides
Disa versicolor
Disperis cardiophora
Disperis renibractea
Dracomonticola virginea
Drosera natalensis
Elaphoglossum acrostichoides
Elaphoglossum drakensbergense
Epilobium capense
Erica alopecurus
Erica caffrorum
Eriocaulon dregei
Eucomis autumnalis
Eucomis schijffii
Eulophia hians var. hians (=clavicornis)
Felicia caespitosa
Felicia petiolata
Ficinia cinammomea
Galium capense
Gazania krebsiana
Geranium drakensbergense
Geranium multisectum
Geranium schechteri
Geranium wakkerstroomianum
Gerbera ambigua
Gerbera piloselloides
Gladiolus parvulus
Gnidia compacta
Gomphostigma viratum
Gunnera perpensa
Habenaria lithophila
Harveya speciosa
Hebenstretia dura
Helichrysum appendiculatum
Helichrysum argentissimum
Helichrysum herbaceum
Helichrysum krookii
Helichrysum pagophilum
Helichrysum spiralepis
Heliophila formosa
Heliophila rigidiuscula
Hermannia cristata
Hermannia woodii
Hesperantha baurii
Hesperantha grandiflora
Holothrix scopularia
Huperzia saururus
Hypericum lalandii
Hypoxis argentea
Hypoxis parvula
Indigofera dimidiata
Jamesbrittenia breviflora
Juncus effusus
Kauhautia amatymbica
Kniphofia brachystachya
Kniphofia caulescens
Kniphofia ritualis
Ledebouria ovatifolia
Lessertia perennans
Leucosidea sericea (no flowers)
Limosella inflata
Lindernia conferta
Lobelia erinus
Lobelia flaccida
Lobelia vanreenensis
Lotononis lotononoides
Lotononis pulchella
Macowania pulvinaris
Manulea crassifolia
Mariscus congestus
Melasma scabrum
Merxmuellera macowanii
Mohira rigida
Mohria vestita
Monocymbium ceresiiforme
Moraea albicuspa
Moraea brevistyla
Moraea inclinata
Myosotis semiamplexicaulis
Nemesia caerulea
Neobolusia tysonii
Ochna arorea (tree – not flowering)
Ornithogalum graminifolium
Ornithogalum juncifolium
Ornithogalum paludosum
Orthochilus (=Eulophia) foliosus
Oxalis depressa
Oxalis obliquifolia
Oxalis smithiana
Pachycarpus campanulatus subsp. campanulatus
Papaver aculeatum
Passerina montana
Pelargonium alchemilloides
Pelargonium ranunculophyllum
Pelargonium schlecteri
Pentanisia prunelloides
Persicaria lapathifolia
Pimpinella caffra
Plectranthus calycina
Polygala gracilenta
Polygala hottentotta
Polygala rhinostigma
Protea dracomontana
Protea roupelliae
Protea subvestita
Psammotropha mucronata
Pteridium aquilinum subsp. aquilinum
Pterygodium hastatum
Pterygodium magnum
Relhania acerosa
Rhodohypoxis baurii
Romulea thodei
Rubus ludwigii
Rubus rigidus
Rumex lanceolatus
Rumex woodii
Satyrium cristatum var. longilabiatum
Satyrium longicauda
Satyrium microrrhynchum
Satyrium neglectum
Satyrium parviflorum
Scabiosa columbaria
Schizochilus bulbinella
Schizochilus flexuosus
Schizoglossum elingue
Schizoglossum stenoglossum
Scirpus ficinoides
Searsia (=Rhus) dentata (fruit)
Searsia (=Rhus) discolor (fruit)
Sebaea natalensis
Sebaea thomasii
Selago galpinii
Senecio achilleifolius
Senecio barbatus
Senecio brevilorus
Senecio discodregeanus
Senecio glaberrimus
Senecio harveianus
Senecio macrocephalus
Senecio macrospermus
Senecio rhomboideus
Senecio subrubriflorus
Silene bellidoides
Silene burchellii
Sopubia cana
Stachys kuntzei
Streptocarpus pusillus
Themeda triandra
Thesium pallidum
Trachyandra asperata
Trifolium burchellianum
Trogoglophytum capillaceum
Urginea macrocentra
Vernonia hirsuta
Vernonia natalensis
Wahlenbergia cuspidata
Wahlenbergia fasciculata
Wahlenbergia huttonii
Wahlenbergia krebsii
Watsonia confusa
Watsonia socium
Xysmalobium involucratum
Zaluzianskya microsiphon
Oh my word! What a spectacular record. Just too wonderful. Am particularly intrigued by Polygala rhinostigma and Disperis renibractea. Such lucky ladies.
It was quite fantastic! So many different species, that’s why it’s taken so long to sort!
Stunning! A very special place and a spectacular record of it! Thank you.
Truly a wonderful place and time spent there!
Just re-read my Peter Taylor bat book. Are you that Christeen Grant?
Yes, I am that Christeen Grant, lol! Illustration is one of my varied freelance activities. I so enjoyed working with Peter on the field guide. Do you know him?
How fantastic to hike over such amazing terrain with spectacular views AND take the time to admire, photograph and identify so many interesting and beautiful flowers. Sounds like the weather was full of variety too! Glad you only got really soggy on the penultimate day. Gorgeous photographs. Thanks for sharing this amazing hike.
Hi Carol, it was one of those rare and special times, plenty of time to simply fossick and enjoy each beautiful find! Really such a pleasure to share! xxx
I am not a good hiker on organised hikes as I always, always get left behind – there is so much to see! – and then I have to spend a lot of time running as I try to catch up! Lovely that your hike could be done at fossicking pace 🙂