​Two BotSoc Walks in the Kogelberg

 

On a Saturday in October a small group of enthusiasts enjoyed a windy walk through a colourful and well-tended Harold Porter Garden. There were spectacular stands of blue and yellow from Aristea capitata (A. major) and Wachendorfia thyrsiflora. One of the delights was to see flowers of Mimetes sp such as M hottentoticus normally growing only mountain slopes. Along the zig-zag path it was good to see the vigorous resprouting of Proteaceae on the fire-blackened ground. The Buffelstal walk will take place next spring when we’ll have a guide which will mean we can walk up the mountain instead of just on the road.

At the end of October Amida alerted us to the vivid display of post-fire flowers in the Palmiet Valley. Members on the list for ‘Plant Walks’ were contacted and on Saturday November 5th despite wind and rain, nineteen members and their families met at the Kogelberg Reserve Office. Present were Janet Meyer, Carol Barker Johnson, Louise Digby with son-in-law, Vic Smith, Andrea and John Benn, Frik Potgieter, Barbara Jenman with daughter Colette, her husband, Andrew with sons Liam and Connor, Sally McConnel, Judy New, Betsey and Jan Joubert, Miranda Scott from Somerset West, Amida and the writer.

Walking along the jeep track past the Johns’ house, heading up the valley, it was soon apparent that the mass of colour was on the Kleinmond side of the road. Amida explained that the Betty’s Bay side was burnt by the lightning fire in June 2010 which was too late in the season for bulbs to emerge and flower; the vegetation was growing back but with only occasional flowers from bulbs. The opposite side had burnt in the man-made fire (accident or arson?) in March 2011; this meant plants with bulbs or other underground storage organs had flourished. Even with overcast sky, the display was dazzling, dominated by the orange of Pillansia templemannii; yellow came from three Bobartia sp tall B. indica, B. longicyma and B. gladiata (or filiformis?) and Asteraceae; pink from Watsonia borbonica, the shorter W. rogersii and hybrids of the two (distinguishable only by experts). Scattered were the woolly white heads of Lanaria lanata, Tritoniopsis parviflora, Otholobium zeyheri, Dilatris pillansii, and from the same family, Wachendorfia paniculata which had dominated lower in the valley. The glorious blue of Aristea sp was seen on both sides, A. bakeri with branched stems, A. juncilfolia and the familiar tall A.capitata (A.major).

Our excellent guide, Amida, gave a clear account of the geology of the area showing how it affects the distribution of plants. Then we moved off the track, taking care not to create paths by walking spread out instead of following. Here we saw the orange Watsonia zeyheri which is a common roadside plant. The destination was a seep, an area which is a sponge made of a sodden, fibrous mat. Amida was very definite that no on should set foot on the seep as one footprint destroys many plants. It is for this reason that visitors to the Reserve are restricted to the paths. The special plant growing in the seep is Spatalla prolifera a Proteaceae which is on the Red Data list. Being post-fire we saw only 10cm high seedlings; thousands are produced but very many die off. Another Red Data plant in the seep was a yellow Morea sp. At this stage the party split, some returning via the river path where five or six orchids were seen. 

For Amida, the Kogelberg is her back-garden; she knows it intimately and we are very lucky to have her show us round it. Thanks to Barbara and Betsey for contacting members.