South Africa - August 2000 August 30, 2000
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Slept well on the plane ride from JFK to JNB, so well that I woke with a start when the lights first came on for breakfast. My two days at Glaxo Pharmaceutical went well. Students were well prepared and have done brilliant work. Had a nice dinner at a German restaurant with the head man Colin Giltrow. Flight to Port Elizabeth Tuesday night was on time. Maddy Lehmann picked me up at Glaxo at 4pm and drove me to her home which is 10 minutes from the airport. I met her husband Peter and their two children Monica and Daniel. Monica is ready to graduate from high school. Like the Brits the South Africans call this educational stage “Matric” after matriculation. She hopes to go to technicon to study conservation. While at the Lehmann’s home Monica was finishing her maths homework and working on geography maps. She knew on her map right where her mother and I were going.
Maddy brought along a great book - “Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland” edited by A. Barrie Low and A. (Tony) G. Rebelo, ISBN 0-621-17316-9 (C) Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2nd edition February 1998.
August 9 - Women’s Day (SA public holiday) Reed Valley Cottage - Rodney and Tracy Weeks, cottage built in 1900 as a storage room, later expanded and converted to living quarters. Two very large bedrooms with baths, kitchen, and living room, patios. Had a nice breakfast; good strong coffee, scones, cereal, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon, toast. And a nice conversation with Rod and Tracy.
Then off to Alicedale Station to meet Tony Dold and on to Swartwaterspoort. Tony is a botanist at the Selmar Schonland Herbarium at Albany Museum in Grahamstown. Not sure that we found the same place Bruce collected at but did find Haworthia cymbiformis and not-so-cymbiformis in the poort. From Alicedale we went north of toward Reibeek Oos on a dirt road that lead through the Swartwatersberg. The northern end of the poort is the most steep and readily accessible. Tony said the area had been turned over to a conservation venture. Did see one Black Eagle, and numerous Vervet Monkeys, and not much other wildlife other than a variety of birds. We had to cross a few stream along the way. Tony was driving an Isuzu bakkie, I was driving a VW Chico. We got to one crossing that was deeper than I was willing to cross. I parked and Maddy and I jumped in Tony’s truck. A km or so further along we parked and right there on the side of the road where the ridge came down we found Haworthia cymbiformis growing on the cliff face in the deep shade. These two are typical of the plants found lower down near the road.
We decided to climb up the ridge anyway. Tony was looking for a Faucaria nemorosa, a plant described in a recent Faucaria revision as being from a single locality and lost.
Since I climbed the higher part of the ridge I can upon the Faucarias and didn’t think much of them until I remembered Tony saying he was looking for something.
All along the ridge on the cool side were Haworthia cymbiformis in large numbers, some growing in with the Faucaria. The plants higher up the ridge were different than the ones seen at the bottom. The higher I climbed the plants became less flat, not as dark green, and maybe more like cooperi.
It took about 2 hours to climb up, over, and down the ridge. We then crossed to the west side of the road where I climbed a short way up a smaller ridge and found cymbiformis growing in small clumps in cracks in the shear rock face. These plants had longer, thinner, rounder leaves. Not typical boat shaped cymbiformis.
We then drove northeast up the N10 a short while to near Ripon Station and found bolusii var. blackbeardiana growing in shale.
Then back over the dirt roads through the northern end of the Swartwaterpoort when Tony forded the deep stream and dropped Maddy and I at the car. Then back southward to Alicedale and Paterson and Reed Valley Cottage. Hot shower felt great. Dinner with the Weeks was great. I showed them digital pictures of our day’s adventures which pleased them. We talked about dairy farming, changes in society and economy, wandering the world, families, conservation. What a wonderful young couple.
August 10 Howisonspoort just west of Grahamstown and found Haworthia cymbiformis growing out of reach high up on the cliffs. Luckily was able to find a few plants that had fallen laying on the ground. Albany Museum, met Tony Dold and got introduced to the library and herbarium. Not nearly as many Haworthia sheets as Compton, perhaps 300. Needs reorganizing. C.L.Scott donated his literature, photographs and notes. Of particular interest were the G.G. Smith log books. Had lunch at Spur.
Then headed south to Kenton-on-Sea. Found Haworthia coarctata. Looked for access to Boesmansrivier but din’t get very close so didn’t find any cymbiformis. Saw the ocean, looked like a lot of fun, big dunes, lots of surf. Drive Northwest of Kenton-on-Sea through Hopewell and Southwell.
Met Hannelie van der Merwe for dinner with the Weeks. Interesting lady, she is radically close to mother earth and all her children. Lost power from 7:15 until 10:40pm. Had dinner by candle light.
August 11; Went for a walk with Tracy Weeks and the kids through their farm. Saw various bulbs and shrubby mesembs. Spent from 10:30 till 3:30 with Hannelie on Shamwari. We found Haworthia coarctata in large numbers in a small 150′ by 50′ area on a ridge overlooking the Bushmans River. Plants had fewer spots then plants seen on Thursday. At another location we saw small Aloe humilis in flower along with Faucaria felina. We were very close to elephant, and could smell them, hear them trumpet, and snap branches. Felt nervous taking pictures, good thing Hannelie was watching over us.
On August 12th Trace and Rod Weeks took us for a game drive through a part of the Amakhala Game Reserve, we stopped at the Woodbury Chalets and made a climb up the ridge to find cymbiformis and a beautiful view, overlooking the chalets, waterfall, krantz, zebra, springbok.
Zuurberg Pass - took little six year old Damon Weeks, long and winding road. Haworthia glauca, massive fire, huge numbers of plants, mostly toast, but some with green hearts, a few patches miraculously unscathed.
I stopped at a rocky hillside, a chance to rest from the rattle of the washboard and obstructions of a tiny dirt road. I was hoping to find Haworthia angustifolia. Instead after having traversed the length of the hillside back and forth at three elevations I was turning back when Maddy called out, in a tone of voice I hadn’t heard before, something between wonder and doubt. She had found a Haworthia flower, but hadn’t yet found the plant. I came running. There at the bottom of the flower stalk was Haworthia cooperi. Maddy found her first Haworthia! I’m glad I stopped at this spot and I’m glad Maddy asked to join me on this trip. The cooperi would have been impossible to find had in not been for the flowers and Maddy’s sharp eye.
South Africa - October 2000 October 30, 2000
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Second trip to PE - Grahamstown area in 2000.
Met Tony Dold and David Cumming at the Pig and Whistle in Bathurst where we had coffee and made a plan for the day. Tony wanted to head toward East London to photograph some non Haworthia. David was ready to guide or follow along. So we went to Tony’s new site while David and I planned to spend the afternoon at a few cymbiformis sites in the Port Alfred area.
Kiwane is west of East London on the coast. Here we found Haworthia cooperi var. leightonii growing in the hot sun in baked mud flats
Along the way we stopped at Chalumna, west of East London to see Haworthia cymbiformis var cymbiformis.
On our way back west we stopped at an interesting looking rock slade near the Tyolomnqa Bridge and found a tiny and very tooth Haworthia. I was stumped as to which variety.
Later in the day David and I went around the Bathurst area stopping to see Haworthia venusta (a hairy cooperi).
South of Adelide we found a more typical cooperi in flower.
South Africa - November 2000 November 30, 2000
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My 3rd trip to the Port Elizabeth - Grahamstown area in 2000 started with a visit to Hannelie van der Merwe and her Shamwari Succulents.
Some Shamwari Succulents
Most people go to Shamwari to view the game or relax in luxury. I went hunting succulent plants. The Shamwari Game Reserve is located at the western end of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown just northeast of the N2 and N10 junction, an easy hour’s drive from the Port Elizabeth airport. The reserve is quite large at 45,000 acres or some 70 square miles.
I met Hannelie van der Merwe first through email after having posted a notice on one of the on-line plant discussion groups asking for suggestions on places to stay in the Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown area. Hannelie sent me an email and introduced herself andtold me all about where she lives and works, Shamwari. Hannelie is a conservation wildlife assistant for Shamwari’s student wildlife management and education program. In August 2000 I made my way back to South Africa and met Hannelie at Shamwari, she wanted to show me her Shamwari Haworthia! Then in November I visited Hannelie again, this time to look at another Haworthia that she had recently discovered.
So far we’ve botanized four sites in the reserve. In August we took a walk along a dry section of Bushman’s River and up a ridge to find Haworthia coarctata, next we drove to an exposed bank to find Aloe humilis and Faucaria felina. Then in November we went in search of Haworthia cooperi at two sites, one near a water hole, the second high up on a ridge with a wonderful view of the savannah below.
I’m very fortunate to have made such a good friend, very few Shamwari guests get to walk around the reserve.
Haworthia coarctata is a beautiful plant. It is surprising that it’s not found more often in gardens as it can spread slowly and makes nice mats. The name coarctata means ‘leaves pressed together’. This species is found west of the Fish River north of Grahamstown over to near Port Elizabeth. It is often confused with Haworthia reinwardtii which is found further to the east. Coarctata leaves tend to be thicker and less densely packed around the stem. Both species have tubercles on the leaf surfaces. Reinwardtii tubercles tend to be larger, flatter, and whiter than coarctata’s.There is a lot of variation between populations and habitats. Plants from near Salem have many more tubercles. Plants near Howiesonspoort have almost none. Plants in full sun get red and purplish, while plants in deep shade remain green as can be seen here.
Notice the Sansevieria next to the coarctata in the fourth picture below, another interesting Shamwari succulent.
Amongst the numerous genera of the Mesembryanthemum the Faucaria are distinctive and easily recognized. The name Faucaria comes from the Latin faux, meaning ‘jaw’, and faucaria means a collection of jaws. With a little imagination the toothed edges of the opposing leaves give the appearance of an animal’s open jaws. Faucaria felina is one of six varieties and is wide spread in the western parts of Eastern Cape, distributed between Oudtshoorn, Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, Bedford, Grahamstown, and Port Elizabeth. They are found in open Grassland, Karoo and Valley Bushveld vegetation, in generally flat terrain, on north facing foothills, in gravel and sand between stones on slopes.
Aloe humilis is a dwarf aloe widely distributed from Mossel Bay in the west to near Grahamstown in the east, and north to Somerset East and Graff-Reinet. This small aloe is stemless, usually forming clusters with two or three rosettes, and occasionally dense clusters up to 500 mm wide. The leaves are grey-green and up to 100 mm long and 15 mm wide. Both surfaces have soft white spines. The flowers are rather large compared to the size of the plant, and are scarlet or sometimes orange or yellow. Flowering occurs in August and September. The name humilis means ‘low growing’.The plants are found scattered about in small numbers, never in large dense groups as do many other aloe. They grow on flat stony or sandy area or on gentle slopes. They are not easy to spot unless in flower.Despite its wide distribution the species in considered vulnerable due to habitat degradation as a result of over grazing. This species, when not in flower is easily confused with Aloe longistyla which shares about the same geographical distribution. The scientific name longistyla refers to the long style which protrude from the mouth of the flower.
Haworthia cooperi forma pilifera is a cryptic beauty. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape Province, where it grows mainly in short grassland and is sometimes found in open Acacia savanna. In exposed aspects and in dry times of the year the plant pulls itself into the ground, sometime completely hiding itself. Then after the rains come the leaves will plump up and show themselves. These plants are almost impossible to find when not in flower. There are a number of varieties of cooperi; forma cooperi has longer pointed tip leaves, pilifera tend to have round or even flat leaf ends, while forma leightonii forms dense mats, its deeply purplish leaves are long and thin, and forma venusta has coarse white hairs covering its leaves. Cooperi are named for Thomas Cooper, pilifera means ‘with hairs’, referring to a pronounced point on the end of the leaf. Although the plants illustrated here don’t show the leaf hair we did see plants with this characteristic. Plants exposed to direct sun light, like these are, have withered necrotic or truncate leaf tips. The new leaves at the center of the rosette will display the leaf tip hair until the dry times come. Look closely at the pictures and you’ll see some of the hairs.
Given the size and the different ecosystems at Shamwari other Haworthia are likely present; cymbiformis and angustifolia for example.
Nearby is Amakhala Game Reserve and The Cottage at Reed Valley, my favorite place to stay when I’m in the Shamwari area. Rod and Tracy Weeks are great hosts.
I made a second visit to Swartwaterpoort. This is such a magical place, maybe a kilometer from end to end you could spend weeks there and not see all of it. The climbing is a bit rough.
South Africa - January 2001 January 30, 2001
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South Africa - January 2001
4th trip to Port Elizabeth - Grahamstown area in 2000/2001. January 8 to 16, 2001Reed Valley - Tyolomnqa River Bridge west of East London along R72 found the tiny hairy Haworthia again.
Drove the dirts roads between Southwell, Bathurst, & Alexandria looking for rocky ridges along the several rivers that run through - the Kowie, Bushmans.Grahamstown - Hellspoort, no one home at the farm at the northern end of the poort, so didn’t hop any fences. A wonderful place with lots of interesting crassula and mesembs. Spent the afternoon at the beach at Port Alfred befor heading back to Grahamstown and north again to Fort Brown.
Bucklands
Buckland Farm - searched for Haworthia Lepida at Kwandwe (The Fort) along the Groot Vish Rivier. Didn’t find any haworthia but did find Astroloba, Aloe, and Gasteria. We saw zebra, impala, wildebeest, springbok. And a awful infestation of Opuntia growig on the cliffs of the Great Fish River.
Kwandwe was just a run down collection of farms to the west of the national road and south of the Great Fish River, Now it is an exclusive private game reserve. Can’t go walking were Lynn Phillips and I went because there are lion, and rhino there now. Whatever Haworthia grow there are now safe from development, farming, and poachers. Too bad I wasn’t able to locate anything remotely like the Haworthia lepida we have in our collections.
Valley View B&B in Addo on Sundays River. Paardepoort, Jansenville, Stytlerville, and rain. Then back to PE for the flight to Cape Town and on to the States.
South Africa - September 25, 2002 September 25, 2002
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After numerous lonely solo scavaging treks my daughter Gretchen and I joined a group tour with Kotie Retif, Gerhard Marx, Harry Mays, Mary Stone, and Dr. Hayashi for ten days in the Eastern and Western Cape in late September 2002. Botanical guide for the trip was Gerhard Marx, devoted student of the succulents of the area. Gerhard lived in Grahamstown for many years and has studied the succulent flora of the Eastern Cape and the Little Karoo extensively, and has a passion for the area.
Wednesday 25 September we departed New Britain (Bradley Hartford) for Atlanta and Capetown. Flight to Cape Town left Atlanta 3 hours late. Felt like a nursery room with kids whining the whole time – one poor woman with 3 in diapers all by herself. Seats too close, closer than before. On Demand Video is an improvement. Relatively painless flight, slept maybe 5 hours of the 14 despite the kids and the folks behind me banging my seat every time they got up.
Drove up to the Table Mountain cableway, too crowded, so Gretchen and I drove around to Camps Bay and then back to Sea Point. A relaxing first day. Winchester Mansions under construction – noisy during the day, lovely rooms. Sushi for lunch at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Italian at Hildebrands for dinner. Went to see the seals sleeping on the docks – sea dogs.
Friday, slept late, slept well. Foggy morning drive to Cape Point. (Friends Kobus on vacation to Rictersveld, and Bruce in Kwazulu Natal). We saw penguin at Boulders in Simonstown. Then at Cape of Good Hope we saw baboon, collected sponges, but didn’t see any marine mammals except a seal carcass. Later that night we had a nice fish dinner at Cape Town Fish Market at the Victoria and Alfred Mall.
| Winchester Mansions Beach Road, Sea Point Tel: ++27 21 434 2351 sales@winchester.co.za http://www.kapstadt.de/winchester/ |
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Saturday 28 September flew from Capetown to Port Elizabeth
Flight to PE was uneventful, weather overcast. Drove to Gamtoos River and found Haworthia on the cliffs near the bridge – long thin toothed things. Drove on to Gamtoosriviermond – rustic, quiet, wonder why it’s not more developed. Drove RT102 and RT75 back to PE through Uitenhage, had lunch, then took a hike in the Baakens River Valley to see the cymbiformis.
Got to Lemon Tree Lane Guest House around 3:30. Harry Mays arrived at 5:30. Return the car at 6:45 and then to dinner with the group for the first time. Surprise, Dr. Hiashi joined the trip in place of Kanoh Kazumi.
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Lemon Tree Lane Guest House Port Elizabeth Tel: ++27 41 373 4103 Fax: ++27 41 373 1015 lemontree@intekom.co.za http://www.lemontreelane.co.za |