Toni touches base with the Southern Cape

Written by Jo-Anne King. Photos by Jo-Anne King, Antonia Xaba and Joao De Barros.

On Monday, representatives of the Outramps CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) and BotSoc Garden Route Branch were very excited to host BotSoc General Manager Antonia Xaba and show her a prime example of Southern Cape flora.

Above: Sandra Falanga, Jo-Anne King, Jenny Potgeiter, Antonia Xaba, Di Turner and Pauline Cloete enjoy the Cape Dune Molerat Trail, Wilderness, Garden Route. Photo: Joao De Barros.

The Cape Dune Molerat Trail in Wilderness was selected by Di Turner, Outramps CREW team leader, as it provided both high diversity in flowers and a vigorous bit of exercise in a short time frame. Anyone who knows this CREW group knows that the hustle up the path is also very important!

Top: Gladiolus rogersii in bloom was outstanding all along the trail. Photo: Antonia Xaba. Above: Garden Route Branch Treasurer Pauline Cloete and Chair Jo-Anne King (kneeling) stop to photograph a wild Freesia. Photo: Antonia Xaba.

Buchus on show included Agathosma ovata (False Buchu) and Agathosma apiculata (Garlic Buchu), with beautiful bulbs Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba (White Freesia) and Gladiolus rogersii (Riversdale Bluebell) peppering the entire walk.

Top: The fluffy flowers of Tarchonanthus littoralis. Photo: Antonia Xaba. Above: Hyobanche are endemic to South Africa. Photo: Jo-Anne King.

Whether over the fairylike white bells of Erica formosa, the satin sheen of Struthiola ciliata (Rope Capespray), or the fluffy tufts of Tarchonanthus littoralis (Coastal Camphor Tree) in flower, the members of Outramps CREW never fail to observe and praise the wildflowers they find, diligently photographing the delicate petals for iNaturalist/SANBI. Much excitement was raised by the sight of a neon orange, silky haired Hyobanche, an unusual parasitic plant endemic to South Africa.

Above: Outramps CREW love finding rare plants such as this parasitic Hyobanche. Photo: Antonia Xaba.

Many thanks to Di Turner for faithfully organising every week’s successful Outramps CREW outing – and to the whole group for spreading the love of indigenous wildflowers among the youth of the Garden Route.

Above: The formidable Di Turner takes a break under Erica sessiliflora. Photo: Antonia Xaba.