October and November hikes to Kommetjie, Blackhill, Brakkloofrant, Silvermine and Noordhoek

  

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

Hiking among wildflowers

in the mountains

around Cape Town

 

Still playing catch up from my lost November. Kommetjie on a damp grey day in October.

 

Grey day at Kommetjie

Lyperia lychnidea with its leathery crocodile hide petals . Golden Crassula dichotoma has a central orange star and succulent leaves, not to be confused with so similar Sebaea. Furry caterpillar with eyebrows and attitude Cape lappet moth. Whimbrel on a rock.

 

October at Kommetjie

At Blackhill really tiny, mind you don't trample it, after fire, Pelargonium althaeoides. Another furry caterpillar mountain white spot.

 

Pelargonium althaeoides October at Blackhill

We were in search of an elusive orchid Bartholina burmanniana. We searched across, and up and down. Found two! Then one more! Small and low, filigree patch of fallen sky. Take two steps back and it has vanished again. Low pea was an Otholobium now Psoralea decumbens. Ifloga ambigua wide view of creamy spikes.

 

Bartholina at Blackhill in October

Ursinia anthemoides those creamy seeds tooled with gold like a fine old book. Buchu Agathosma ciliaris has soft anise leaves. No, it's not grass, see the trifoliate leaves Trifolium angustifolium.

 

October flowers at Brakkloofrant

To Brakkloofrant where our target is Satyrium carneum. This is a changing the guard at Buckingham Palace sort of orchid. Ranging across pink tones from pure white to deep cherry.

 

Satyrium carneum October at Brakkloofrant

Silvermine North intricate spikes of grass flowers Pentameris curvifolia. Drosera hilaris is tall with a big flower (doesn't have the dark eye for cistiflora)  Helichrysum foetidum also tall and proud. Dung beetle filling in for dog poo fairies.

 

October flowers from Silvermine North

Silvermine South with thunder which chased us smartly home. Quick tea break on the ridge (sit DOWN Diana, so the lightning doesn't see you). Struck Constantiaberg telcom mast, and also started a tiny fire on the mountain we see from our bay window. Difficult for any other plant to upstage Liparia splendens in its full glory. That dense head of flowers is pea family in blazing gold.

 

Liparia splendens Silvermine in October

Silvermine North in November. Tiny deepest orange Crassula glomerata. Ifloga ambigua flower detail of yet a nother daisy.

 

Crassula and Ifloga Silvermine in November

Twofer first Noordhoek Wetland. Wide pool of deep blue Lobelia erinus. Our target Disa cornuta was less this year. Yellow Monopsis lutea (I keep confusing these with peas but it is related to Lobelia in the Campanula family)

 

Noordhoek Wetland in November

Then to Chapman's Peak nature sanctuary where those handcrafted wooden signs  have been replaced with something more functional. Cape mountain cockroach mama. Most striking this time, perhaps because the seeds held raindrops, were black and white seedheads of Bolandia elongata. Cecil Beaton's costumes for My Fair Lady at Ascot races? We hunted for a flower to ID. Underwhelming.

 

Bolandia elongata at Chapman's Peak nature sanctuary in November

Noordhoek Fire Lookout. Purple pea with tiny pods Psoralea aculeata. A nother pink erica, this one is Erica spumosa.

 

Psoralea aculeata Silvermine in November

We walk to the view back to Slangkop lighthouse at Kommetjie. 

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and us all peace in the year ahead!

 

From Noordhoek Fire Lookout 
to Slangkop Lighthouse at Kommetjie

Our hikes are listed on my page.

 

I invite you to join us at Elephant's Eye on False Bay. Please subscribe as you prefer

via NEW non-Feedburner at  Feedly,

or my Facebook blog page

Pictures by Diana Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

 

Teal blue text is my links.

To read comments if you are in a Reader,

first click thru to the blog)

 

Thanks for comments that add value. Your comment will not appear until I've read it. I welcome comments on posts from the last 2 months.

 

Google and Blogger comments uncooperative? Use Name / URL instead.