#ENJOY

Russian succulent specialist Liudmila Ozerova delights in the landscape of the Richtersveld, complete with quiver tree (Aloidendron dichotomum).

To me, Ernst van Jaarsveld is the centre of South Africa’s botanical universe! He curated the Kirstenbosch succulent collections and displays for many years, has written several books and is a teacher, lecturer and organiser of international botanical expeditions to South Africa.

We met in 2008, when my colleagues and I first came on a study trip to South Africa. All my scientific life I had studied succulent daisies (Asteraceae) but had never seen them in the wild. Now, finally, my dream had come true. I was captivated by South Africa’s waterfalls, mountains and amazing plants.

I came for an internship with Ernst to learn about growing succulent plants. I enjoyed working in his succulent collections, learning the secrets of growing the world’s rarest fig-marigolds, or Aizoaceae plants. At Kirstenbosch, Ernst’s wonderful display of tweeblaarkanniedood (Welwitschia mirabilis) clearly showed all stages of development from seedlings to adults with cones. His book about welwitschia, Uncrowned Monarch of the Namib (Penrock), written with Uschi Pond, was published in 2013.

Clockwise from top left: Here’s health to Ernst van Jaarsveld! Ernst sets up a picture of a ribbon plant (Trachyandra) in the Namaqua National Park; Ernst at work in the succulent house at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, with the welwitschia display taking shape to his right; Ernst keeps sharp for a demanding day in the field by doing a vigorous exercise programme, including handstands, and eating mainly fruit and vegetables during the day.

HARD YARDS

The absolute highlight of my study visits has always been travelling thousands of kilometres across expanses of southern Africa on numerous trips between 2008 and 2019, studying plants, collecting herbarium specimens, seeds and plants for the Kirstenbosch collection. I was fortunate to visit during every season of the year and to see all South Africa’s provinces as well as Namibia.

What I had not expected was Ernst’s very athletic and energetic field skills. He did exercises every morning, stood on his hands, climbed rocks and could scramble down any chasm. Foodwise, he followed the diet principles of the Nama people – only vegetables and fruit during the day, and a piece of meat in the evening. Often all we got for breakfast was a cup of coffee with a raw carrot.

GOAL SETTING

On each expedition, Ernst kept a diary in Afrikaans and set a goal.

On one of our expeditions, we were looking for parasitic plants. Ernst has built a unique collection of parasitic plants at Kirstenbosch. I have not seen a similar one in any other botanical garden.

We wanted to find Tapinanthus crassifolius (now known as Agelanthus crassifolius). It is part of the showy mistletoe family (Loranthaceae), grows in the Kruger National Park and parasitises marula (Sclerocarya caffra).

Collecting specimens is not for the faint hearted – Ernst shins up a lofty tree looking for the parasite Agelanthus crassifolius.

(From left) Ernst van Jaarsveld, John Burrows and Claudia Guerredo plan our next move at Buffelskloof private nature reserve.

INSIDE BUFFELSKLOOF

We were fortunate to visit Buffelskloof, which felt like a unique place to me. It is a small private nature reserve of about 1 500 hectares that protects a large area of indigenous forest. The altitude ranges from 1 000 to 1 800 metres.

The reserve is open only to researchers and students, for research projects in natural history, bioconservation or any environmental science. All visits had to be approved in advance by then chief manager John Burrows.

The reserve herbarium (BNRH) contains more than 10 000 specimens and includes an extensive collection of plants found at Buffelskloof and at nearby sites along the northern Drakensberg in Mpumalanga.

East of Epupa falls in Namibia’s Kaokoveld, we surveyed a small population of the endemic Euphorbia leistneri. It is now at risk due to habitat loss but had expanded over the previous three years due to heavy rainfall.

Left: Our team takes a breather in a cave in the Kaokoveld: (from left) Ernst van Jaarsveld, Ricardo Riddles, Gregory Nicolson, Leevi Nanyeni and Wessel Swanepoel. Right: The fundamentals of sleeping in a cave, 21st-century style.

Dr Liudmila Ozerova (lyozerova@yandex.ru) is a specialist at the main botanical garden of the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow. Her research was carried out in accordance with Russian Government order for Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of Russian Academy of Sciences (project No. 122042700002-6. ‘Unique Scientific Installation Fund Greenhouse’).