Botanising in Boston

The Boston CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) gathered on a rare sunny morning last weekend to explore the grasslands of Sitamani  along the road to Impendle.  David Clulow compiled this account. Photos by David and Barbara Clulow, Christeen Grant and Nikki Brighton.

A wonderful wildflower display for our pleasure!

Grasslands, a rocky hillside, we were only able to fossick a fraction of this enchanting nature’s garden.  The ground orchids, as with many other plants, still to show themselves in bloom.  We did find this Eulophia though.

What we saw kept us clambering – Asclepias albens

They really are spectacular and it is always a thrill to find one in the grassland.

and Scilla (Merwilla) nervosa, Indigofera , Aristea woodii, Rhus discolor, Heliophila, Papaver aculeatum, Pachycarpus natalensis,

Mentha, Zornia capensis, Rhynchosia, Vigna, Hermannia woodii, Tephrosia, Albuca setosa, Commelina, Ledebouria,  Psammatropha mucronata

Streptocarpus, Striga bilabiata, Satureja compactum, Ornnithogalum graminifolium, Argylobium tuberosum, Crassula obovata,

Ajuga, Senecio, Alepidea natalensis, Disa nigrens, Hibiscus aethipicus, Senecio, Lotononis pulchrum, Peucedanum caffrum,

Conjium nigrescens, Indigofera fularis, Lessertia perennans, Thesium pallidium, Oxalis depressa, Pentanisia, Moraea brevistylis,

Pelargonium luridum, Ornithogalum tenuifolium, Hypericum aethiopicum, Asster bakerianus, Eulophia foliosa, Hypericum lalandii

Epilobium capensis, Craterocapsa tarsodes, Psammatropha, Papaver, Pearsonia sessifolia, Haemanthus humulis,

Monopsis, Lobelia, Wahlenbergia, Cucumis, Eriosema distinctum, salignum and kraussianum, Craterocapsa tarsodes

numerous ferns and grasses; Buddleja and Ouhout.

We couldn’t identify everything. Does anyone want to have a go at this one?  Thesium pallidum perhaps?

This bounty of wildflowers demonstrates very well the reward for maintaining a judicious burning programme, careful protection from excessive grazing, leaving the environment to natural selection, the occasional buck, bird or serval.

The reward is the fullsome enjoyment, in which we were privileged to immerse ourselves.

In early 2013, we will be starting a Midlands CREW group to survey patches of natural vegetation in the area for threatened plant species.  Should you be interested in joining this group, please contact Nikki at info@midlandsconservancies.org.za or 083 473 3074   For more information about CREW see: http://www.sanbi.org.za/programmes/threats/crew