From May Day to Audouinia

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

On May Day, Worker's Day, at Silvermine I caught this quick image. MANY hiking groups, distant pair of high tech base jumpers fledgling mountaineers carrying soft landing cushions. Sandwiched in is Hoerikwagga who spoke to us in Khoi - a language of waterfalls and birdsong, music not words to my unskilled ears. He (dressed in animal skins and feather headdress) was perhaps a herbalist with his apprentice.

Hard to capture Othonna quinquedentata dancing above all else. Second golden daisy Cullumia setosa with prickly leaves.

Green flasks on Erica urna-viridis, sepals with darker green keeled tips. Tiny protea Diastella divaricata, large bearded Protea speciosa.

Two peas, Indigofera cytisoides and Cape satin bush Podalyria sericea. Golden restio Elegia. Red-stemmed Asparagus rubicundus.

Furled Oxalis polyphylla bud. Pink stars on dogface Trichocephalus stipularis. Tuberous climber Kedrostis nana pumpkin family. White bracts with central actual pink flowers Staavia radiata.

May Day flowers at Silvermine

Rare Brachysiphon fucatus, cool sandstone slopes, from his Nursery and Cecilia Ravine hike.

Brachysiphon fucatus in May

Erica pulchella crowded pink urns. Erica ericoides pink, burgundy dangling anthers. Erica plukenetii warm pink, long burgundy anthers dangle. Protea repens sugarbush (suikerbossie).

Athanasia trifurcata (the trident on the leaves). White fluff for bird's nests Tarchonanthus littoralis. Flower buds Searsia tomentosa.

Blue African skies Salvia africana-caerulea. We hiked to the waterfall but poor Silvermine River was dry. Furled buds Zaluzianskya capensis cherry red with white margins. Colours echoed in Pelargonium myrrifolium.

Twining Astephanus triflorus. Milkweed Gomphocarpus cancellatus. Encouraging cluster of mountain cedar Widdringtonia nodiflora saplings emerging after the big fire in March 2015. Early settlers removed large trees for good timber.   

May flowers around Silvermine waterfall

From Clovelly Ridge, his view across False Bay to Cape Hangklip above the winter smog.

View from Clovelly Ridge to Cape Hangklip

Walking along Steenberg Plateau (Silvermine) a blend of pink, straw and ivory Metalasia densa - the varieties sadly not named.

Metalasia densa in pink, straw and ivory in May

Searsia tomentosa showing the velvety underneath. Stoebe cinerea against faded bracken. Diosma oppositifolia fragrant buchu and citrus family.

Dark tips on pink Erica corifolia. Spider with her zigzag stabilimentum. Minute yellow flowers Cliffortia ruscifolia with a signal fly.

Tight pink Protea cynaroides bud. Female cone and golden leaves of Leucadendron laureolum.

Steenberg Plateau flowers in May

He hiked Chapman's Peak via Blackburn Ravine to see Hout Bay harbour and The Sentinel.

Hout Bay from Blackburn

We hiked to Chapman's Neck (not even their tea stop ;~) Curvy leaved Pentameris curvifolia. Bearded Protea lepidocarpodendron. White pompoms Brunia noduliflora.

Furry pink balls Erica hirtiflora. Spiky pompoms Stilbe vestita endemic fynbos family. Something Cyperaceae. One long petal for Selago luxurians.

Purple Lobelia pinifolia. Yallery brown Gladiolus maculata on Renosterveld clay. Rich yellow Aspalathus juniperina. Royal purple and white Muraltia heisteria handle with care!

Weird lobed leaves Gerbera linnaei. Yellow daisies local Capelio tabularis, and canary creeper at the roadside Senecio tamoides introduced from the Eastern Cape. On the sandstone magnesium dendrites.

Chapman's Neck flowers in May

We hiked the ridge above the coastal Shipwreck Trail at Cape Point. Tylecodon grandiflorus (poisonous to livestock for earlier farmers). Berries and white flowers Cassine peragua. Serruria villosa golden spiderhead.

Furry leaves and furled pink flowers Oxalis hirta. Lemon yellow Oxalis luteola. Deep orange Gladiolus priorii.

First blue Aristea africana. Yellow autumn star Empodium plicatum. White bracts and central pink and white flowers, endemic Staavia dodii. Statement furry leaves Capelio tabularis.

Yellow daisies sturdy Othonna arborescens and tiny annual Gymnodiscus capillaris. Last Cape snow Syncarpha vestita. Luminous white Arctotis aspera.

Shipwreck Trail ridge flowers in May

Audouinia capitata rich cherry flowers spikes arranged in Fibonacci spirals, endemic to extreme South-western Cape.

Looking back to Slangkop.

Folded sandstone. Unusual pure white Amphithalea ericifolia, usual pink and purple.

Audouinia and Amphithalea in May

I hike with U3A each week.

Our hikes are listed on my page.

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Pictures by Diana and Jürg Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

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