Volume 7 • April 2011

CREW –National Overview

he CREW Programme is a is growing each year, not only Tkey component of the South in the number of groups and REW, the Custodians of African National Biodiversity volunteers, but also in the C Rare and Endangered Institute’s (SANBI) Threatened collective knowledge of our flora Wildflowers, is a programme that involves volunteers from Species Programme. The pro- that is being built up bit by bit the public in the monitoring gramme was designed in 2003 as each volunteer improves his/ and conservation of South as a pilot to determine if civil her knowledge of local species. Africa’s threatened plants. society volunteers could help This ever increasing botanical CREW aims to capacitate a provide monitoring data on the capital is paying off in the data network of volunteers from status of South Africa’s plant that is being fed back to the a range of socio-economic CREW nodes to the national species. This kind of informa- backgrounds to monitor threatened species office. tion is vital as it is used to and conserve South Afri- update the Red List of South Currently we are updating ca’s threatened plant spe- Africa’s plants and also feeds the Red List of South Africa’s cies. The programme links into land-use decision making plants in order to release the volunteers with their local and conservation planning. As first online South African Plant conservation agencies and we enter 2011 CREW is in Red List in April of 2011. We particularly with local land its eighth year of implementa- have been struck by the large stewardship initiatives to en- tion. It is appropriate at this number of species that required sure the conservation of key stage to reflect on whether the updating as a result of CREW sites for threatened plant CREW Programme is achieving species. volunteers work—we have over its purpose. 700 threatened species that What is clear from the articles have to be reassessed due to presented in this newsletter fieldwork that has taken place is that over the years the over the past two years. Most programme has developed a encouraging of all is that a strong network of volunteers large number of the species spread across South Africa’s that CREW volunteers have threatened ecosystems, and been monitoring will become that the passion for plant less threatened once they are conservation of each of the updated as many new previously CREW volunteers is extremely undocumented populations have strong. The CREW Programme been observed and documented

www.sanbi.org

1 by CREW volunteers. This by the current poor financial So watch this space—CREW indicates very clearly that the climate and are going ahead is going to continue to expand CREW Programme is achieving with plans to start a CREW and grow as there are many its aims of contributing to the node in the Eastern Cape in more threatened and rare plant monitoring and conservation of 2012. We are actively raising species that need our help. South Africa’s plants. funds for this Eastern Cape Project in which we will pilot Domitilla Raimondo Keeping this amazing network involving community members in (Threatened Plant Programme of volunteers going is a priority collecting plant specimens. Manager) for SANBI’s Threatened Species Programme, however, finding the resources to fund CREW is becoming ever more Contact details for CREW Group champions challenging. In the past year we Cape Floral Region have experienced ongoing loss of funding support that we have Caledon—Adriaan Hanekom come to depended on over the [email protected] last few years. This includes Darling Flora Group—Helene Preston funds from the Norwegian [email protected] ministry of foreign affairs which Friends of the Tygerberg—Hedi Stummer have support us since 2005 [email protected] as well as national government George Outramps—Di Turner funding that we used to receive [email protected] from SANBI. Harmony Flats Working Group—Sabelo Lindani The latter funding cut is being [email protected] experienced by all programmes Jacobsbaai—Koos and Elise Claasens and projects run by SANBI [email protected] as the institute has a large Mamre—Sophie Liedeman and Morgan Sambaba financial deficit that needs to Sophie: 021 576 1266 be cleared. Fortunately the Napier—Cameron and Rhoda McMaster Botanical Society of South [email protected] Africa (BotSoc), a major Nieuwoudtville (Indigo Development and Change)—Bettina Koelle partner in the implementation [email protected] of the CREW Programme, has been extremely supportive of Port Elizabeth—Clayton Weatherall-Thomas [email protected] CREW. In May 2010 BotSoc reconfirmed its commitment to St Francis/Fourcade Botanical group—Caryl Logie CREW by renewing the CREW [email protected] Memorandum of Agreement Stilbaai—Janet Naude with SANBI. BotSoc financially [email protected] supports the operations of Swellendam—Flora Cameron CREW in the summer rainfall [email protected] region and also pays for the salaries for two CREW KwaZulu-Natal coordinators. Boston—Christeen Grant or David and Barbara Clulow [email protected] or [email protected] A further benefit of the Highway—Andrea Abbott partnership with BotSoc is the [email protected] sharing of their enthusiastic administrator, Zikhona, with Mkhambathini—Alison Young the Cape Town office for three [email protected] days a week. In addition to Pondoland—Tony Abbott the support received from [email protected] BotSoc, the CREW Programme Umvoti—Sue Swan is currently actively seeking [email protected] funds particularly for the Underberg—Julie Braby implementation of CREW in [email protected] the Cape Floral Region. We are very confident that our funding Mpumalanga applications will be successful. Mpumalanga Plant Specialist Group—Mervyn Lötterter We have also not been deterred [email protected] 2 CREW—Cape Floral Region

eading through the articles year. This gave us an indication Rsubmitted by the group that there might be many more just gave me so much inspira- species to be found as most of tion and made me realise how the field trips to this area re- fortunate we are to be working sulted in new records of threat- with such a dedicated group of ened species. Our key highlights people. for the season was new popula- One of the most exciting tions of Geissorhiza purpureo- projects for me this year was lutea in Riebeek Kasteel, a new establishing our demographic population of Ferraria parva in monitoring project. We are now Hopefield, a possible new spe- doing demographic monitor- cies of Marasmodes in the upper Breede River valley and Figure 2.—Moraea insolens finally ing for seven threatened plant seen in Caledon. species. The areas we are a new population of Moraea in- working in are Nieuwoudtville solens (a plant that I have been (Bulbinella latifolia var. doleritica wanting to see since I first saw and Euryops virgatus), Paarl it in the Moraea book some 12 (Argyrolobium angustissimum), years ago). Riverlands (Marasmodes de- In 2009 we recorded a new foliata), George (Disa procera population of Moraea vuvuzela. and Nanobubon sp. nov.) and St This species was named in hon- Francis (Brunsvigia littoralis). our of the FIFA Soccer World This has presented us with a Cup that took place in South great opportunity to start col- Africa last year. The name lecting long-term monitoring ‘vuvuzela’ inspired great inter- data to enable us to look at est in this species and the population trends and the im- Figure 3.—The centre of attraction pact of threats on the viability organisation that funded the in Worcester, Moraea vuvuzela. of threatened plant populations. naming of the species has also made additional funds available for a project to contribute to Our C-team focus for 2010 was a project at the Karoo National working in Piketberg and the the conservation of this highly Botanical Garden to build an Riebeek Kasteel/Riebeek West enigmatic species. CREW will ex situ collection of the spe- area. This area has not been be conducting surveys in the cies and develop a threatened well-botanised and our volun- Worcester area this year to try teers managed to record some and locate more populations of plant display in the garden. We interesting species the previous this species and also to initiate will also be engaging volunteers from Worcester and hopefully we will be able to establish an- other CREW group in the area.

We have a new addition to the CREW family. Vathiswa’s beautiful baby girl was born in January and we eagerly await to see her and the baby soon.

It seems we are in for an exciting year. There are many new exciting projects to focus on and I am looking forward to another brilliant year of CREW work. Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers for all the contributions you have made to CREW. Figure 1.—Our interns helping us do demographic monitoring in the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve. Ismail Ebrahim 3 St Francis/Fourcade Botanical Group

ur work since June 2010 Ohas been concentrated on an area north of Humansdorp, mainly on the farm Honeyville. In 1838 James Backhouse camped on Honeyville on his way to Hankey. He recorded 14 species and although we have found some of them, we remain on the lookout for the others. Our approach has changed and instead of looking at selected Figure 1.—Utricularia bisquamata Figure 2.—Insects caught by Dros- 1 ha plots and only recording found at Honeyville farm. era. the species in each site we are now building up a species list for the whole farm. There are various types of vegetation on Honeyville with mainly grassy fynbos dominating the area. The farm is unusual in having large stands of Protea neriifolia. In other Humansdorp grassy fynbos areas P. neriifolia has been burnt out. We are finding the new approach far more interesting as we are covering a larger and more varied area. Our aim is to build up as comprehensive a list of Honeyville plants as we possibly can and of course always to record species of conservation concern. By the end of January 2011 we had recorded nearly 350 species with ten species of conservation concern. It is always exciting at the end of a day to see how many new plants we can add to our list. The owner of the farm, John Barrett, hopes to have Honeyville declared a private nature reserve soon and we are thrilled that our plant lists are so useful to him. Figure 3.—Exploring the coastal thickets with the Fourcade Juniors.

Although we do work on other farms, going back to Honeyville when one is down on hands and microscopic water organisms. A helps our team to become knees as happened when we fascinating find! familiar with the plants. We were examining two different never find it boring as there species of Drosera in a damp, Members of our team travelling is so much to see; dainty muddy seepage. The Drosera in the Eastern Cape have come Ixia orientalis and Disa hians plants were fascinating on across species of conservation waving in the wind, hillsides of their own and then suddenly concern such as Apodolirion Watsonia species of various amongst them we noticed the macowanii (Vulnerable), colours and Cyrtanthus obliquus tiny Utricularia bisquamata. This Crinum lineare (Vulnerable), brightening up the veld. Then interesting species has minute Gasteria nitida var. armstrongii 4 there are the sudden surprises utricles on its ‘roots’ to trap (Critically Endangered), Satyrium hallackii subsp. hallackii (Endangered) and Tritonia dubia (Near Threatened). The CREW Threatened Species Observation Forms for recording these are most useful.

The Fourcade Botanical Group has celebrated ten years of monthly rambles and is still going strong with 23 members attending our final outing of 2010 to Witelsbos. The Juniors have enjoyed their activities and trips into the countryside which included Plant Monitoring Day. They are a very enthusiastic group and always eager to learn more about our environment. Figure 4.—Start of Plant Monitoring Day 2010. In 2009 we found, as we thought, Annesorhiza thunbergii which hadn’t been collected since 1773 when Thunberg found it beside the Loerie River. However, it is now thought that our find could be a new species of Chamarea. The other possible new species or new subspecies in our area is a Psoralea that we collected at the St Francis Links golf course. The specimen has been given to Prof. Charles Stirton and we await the news. There are always new, exciting things to be found and our team is as enthusiastic as ever and keen to record, preserve and educate people about our magnificent flora.

Caryl Logie Figure 5.—Potential new species of Psoraleaoraleaa foundfound in St Francis.

Mamre he development of the more input to ensure a moreoree TMamre Donkey Trail has successful product. We ap-p- been a long and challenging proached the Claremont Rotary road. Firstly we engaged the Club to assist us with addition- community that came up with al funds to construct a decent the idea and then proceeded donkey cart, develop a booking to train tour guides and test website and provide additional the product. Our results were training for the tour guides. promising and we were positive that we had a winner. When The Rotary Club kindly funded doing our initial test tours the project and the road to at the Mamre Flower Show sustainability had begun. We Figure 1.—Visitors enjoying a tradi- we realised that we required partnered with Stephen Lamb tional meal. 5 from Touching The Earth Lightly (http://touchingtheearthlightly. com) to assist us with the construction of the donkey cart and design of the website. We conducted two community workshops to train people how to harvest material from the wild sustainably and to put the materials to use in building a proper donkey cart. The donkey cart took the form of a metal frame with wood from alien invasive species used as the ‘body panels’. The tour guides were very excited to be part of the team that actually builds the donkey cart that will be Figure 2.—Tour guides sharing their experiences with the visitors. used for the tour. The donkey cart turned out to be a great success. Every donkey cart events were very successful owner in Mamre was envious of and it gave us a chance to see this ‘high-end luxury’ cart! what the trail would be like if we were taking paying tourists. We then developed a website The tour started at the Mamre (http://www.mamredonkeytrail. Moravian church after which co.za) for the project. The website has information about visitors are taken on a relaxing the historical significance of the ride through the town stopping town, background information at points of interest where the on how the tour started and tour guides would relate stories Figure 3.—Our luxury donkey cart. the contact details for the tour about life in Mamre. Visitors guides so visitors can book are then brought back to the Flower Show and this was a their tours. church for a scrumptious three great addition to the activities course home cooked meal at at the show. We hope that the Once the website was live and the Old Restaurant. After lunch project will be successful and we had fine-tuned the tour visitors are taken on a guided that wee will have mamanyny mormoree we invited people to attend tour of the historical building on people comingcoming to experienceexperience tthehe three launch tours. We invited the church grounds. wonderfulful town ofof Mamre.Mamre. reporters, project partners, community members and other The tour guides presented Ismail Ebrahimbrahimahim andand tour operators. The launch tours at the Mamre Annual Morgan SSambabaambaba

Stilbaai –a tribute to Dr Uys De Villiers ‘Tol’ Pienaar (12 August 1930–2 February 2011)

hen Dr Tol Pienaar retired Hematology of South African he had no needneed to drivedrive aroundaround Wto Still Bay in 1991, he reptiles. After a few years of in a large,ge, fancy 4X4 vehicles–vehicles– did not just sit on his laurels, lecturing in Histology at Wits, he was alwaysalways seen iinn hihisssm smallall as he was well justified to do, he bravely followed his passion Nissan bakkie. after an extraordinary working and started from scratch as career of turning the Kruger junior field ranger in the Kruger We at Still Bay benefited National Park into an interna- Park in 1955. He gradually enormously from his wealth tionally renowned conservation worked his way up to Biologist of knowledge, expertise and icon and ecotourism destina- (1961), Park Warden (1978), vision. Just as he did in the tion. In 1953 he obtained and finally Chief Director of Kruger National Park, although 6 a PhD with a thesis on the SANParks (1987). Refreshingly, on a smaller scale, he had the foresight to establish a Trust fund whose interest would pay the ‘Stilbaai Natuurbewaringswerksgroep’ to sustain alien vegetation eradication projects in the Pauline Bohnen and Skulpiesbaai Nature Reserves and maintain the newly created Nature Areas from Jagersbosch through Palingkloof to the Green belt between Waterkant street and the Goukou River.

Tol was renowned for his scientific research but he also understood the need for us to re-connect with nature and realise its value for our survival. To promote this love Figure 1.—Tol and Annette at the and respect for our natural Gem Nursery. environment, Tol increased the Figure 2.—One of Tol Pienaar’s im- number of camps, picnic sites, peccable collections in the Stilbaai Just as he inventoried Herbarium. walking trails and entrance plant, fish, reptile, mammal, gates in the Kruger National amphibian, insect and bird Park. In Still Bay he created diversity in the Park, so too did Bay Marine Reserve in 2007, trails through Skulpiesbaai and Tol and Annette collect plants which included the Goukou River the Nature Areas, as well as for a Herbarium which would estuary up to 15 km upstream. indigenous waterwise gardens serve the entire Hessequa. He at Jagersbosch, Palinggat soon realised that this region It was Dr Tol’s dream to have Information Centre, and is relatively under-botanised a well-run Interpretative Soeterus in Melkhoutfontein. and unique. They collected over Centre at the entrance to These trails and gardens 2 000 plant specimens, some the Pauline Bohnen Nature attracted tourists from all as far afield as Van Wyksdorp Reserve, not only to make over the world. For years and Swellendam. Today many this unique Reserve (where Tol and his wife, Annette, of these collection sites where he did most of his collecting) ran the Gem Nursery along interesting plant species were accessible to the public, but to Jongensfontein Road, inspiring found, have been destroyed, showcase our amazing natural local gardeners to plant e.g., Still Bay Heights and inheritance and to adequately such sustainable gardens. Kloofsig are now built-up house the Herbarium. in this Later he focused on turning suburbs, and the Renosterveld way the Herbarium could be the grounds into a haven of Riversdale commonage is a taxi expanded to also include the interesting plants and trees rank. Tol was always willing to new Marine Reserve plants. from all over South Africa, help with plant identification It would create ecotourism including a baobab, marula, and very supportive of CREW. jobs and thereby contribute to mopane, sausage tree and He rejoiced when some of the economy of the region. He showy rockeries of succulents our rare plant species were was so disappointed that an and bulbs. He and Beat mentioned in scientific papers opportunity was lost when the Young, the first honorarium and generously contributed Municipality was unable to move supervisor of the ‘Stilbaai his excellent photographs of the forester’s home here for Natuurbewaringswerksgroep’, our coastal limestone fynbos this purpose early 2010. planted many different plants to the Pauline Bohnen species of indigenous trees Nature Reserve photographic May the Hessequa Municipality along the Nature Area flower guide in order to make honour his memory by walks. This illustrated the botanising a lot more accessible maintaining his legacy which he huge variety available and for the amateur. He remained had the vision to create for the emphasised the role of trees faithful to his trustworthy region and for South Africa and in the sustainability of life. Leica camera and refused to go the international world. He drew our attention to the digital. ancient and giant wild olive Tol would have shared our relief in Melkhoutfontein and the Tol was a driving force behind that Advasol retracted their milkwood trees at Langbos. the proclamation of the Still gas exploration attempt in 7 Blombos. He would also have to the South African Mesembs back in your beloved Kruger welcomed our new Municipal (Cactus & Co, Italy, 2000). It’s National Park on that beautiful Environmental Officer, a pity he won’t be here for the koppie in the company of Col. Shagon Carelse, who is now Fynbos Forum at the end of May Stevenson-Hamilton and the challenged with a backlog of 2011. Fortunately, his exquisite Earth Spirit of the vast open over two years as this is how final book GOUE JARE (Kruger silent plains. long the post has remained National Park) was published in vacant. By re-establishing time and he could experience its We have indeed been blessed the Hessequa Environmental wonderful reception. to have had such a giant in our Advisory Committee, which midst. We miss you. We would Tol had the insight to initiate Thank you, Tol, for all you have like to extend our deepest in 1993 as the Stilbaai done for us and generations to condolences to his family, come. May you rest in peace omgewingsadvieskomitee, friends andd colleagues.colleaguese . knowing that you have truly his task will be lightened and deserved a well-earned rest, Janet Naudéuddé better informed. As Chair of this advisory body, Tol expanded the Pauline Bohnen Nature Reserve in October 2001 so as to create an ecologically significant conservation area which linked up with the coastal Napier CapeNature Geelkrans Nature Reserve. He too was horrified n recent months I have tend- Nerine thatt dayd andd it waswas dif-difdif- to learn last year that the Ied to function on my own, ficult to imagine that this fyn- Municipality had facilitated the preferring to track down rare bos habitat with its poor acidic, development of Plattebosch plants that I had seen before sandy soils could be a suitable 485/51 thereby effectively and making sporadic reports habitat for a such a plant. Not plugging off Skulpiesbaai Nature to CREW as I find them. Since too discouraged, I persuaded Reserve into an ecologically the Red List was published I myself that it was too early for have noted that many of the sterile island. He played them, and I resolved to return bulbs I had observed in my a decisive role in getting another day. A fine consolation extensive exploration of the Skulpiesbaai declared as a were some magnificent blooms Eastern Cape, and latterly of Nature Reserve in April 2000, of Tritoniopsis lata and T. t riticea the Western Cape, are in fact scattered all over the mountain and the adjoining fishtraps a listed under the various threat- slope. National Monument in 1998. He ened categories. The challenge was very keen for all the plants recently has been to go back to I returned on 1 May and after along the Skulpiesbaai Nature the sites where I had previously diligent searching, almost dis- Reserve trail to be labelled. observed them and to report couraged, I at last found two on their current status. I have plants in bud. It was a relief In the Kruger National Park, been successful in tracking to know that the plants were Tol mitigated the worsening down a number of these in the there and I was in the right drought situation; in Still Bay he past year, but there are many place but would have to return continuously called for better more still to cover. later to see them in flower. I management of our Hessequa returned on 20 May and found rivers. He highlighted job Nerine pudica literally hundreds flowering in creation by clearing the alien Nerines number amongst my a narrow band of about 500 m vegetation from our catchment favourites, recording and pho- long on the steep slope be- areas as these plants rapidly tographing wild Nerines has tween 400 and 500 m altitude. deplete the systems of precious been a lifelong passion. Nerine Their magnificent large and water. pudica, listed as Rare in the distinctively wide, trumpet-like Red List, was one I had not yet flowers distinguish them from Tol enjoyed the study of animals, seen in the wild, so last year I all other Nerine species, con- big and small, the marine resolved to find one of the few, firming at last that this popu- environment and coastal fynbos. maybe the only wild population lation is indeed the rare and He also studied, cultivated from in our region. Armed with a enigmatic Nerine pudica. There seed, and photographed vygies description of the general area were none below or above these from all over the land. This where they are found in the altitude limits. There may have effort eventually culminated Riviersonderend Mountain near been other populations further in a beautiful publication, Greyton, I set out on 21 March away along the mountain slope, co-authored with Ernst van last year and climbed up a faint but I spent my time admiring Jaarsveld VYGIES. Gems of the track up the steep slope. Alas, and photographing the blooms 8 veld. A Garden and Field Guide I did not see any signs of this all around me. Figure 1.—The incredibly beautiful Nerine pudica in flower. Figure 2.—Cyrtanthus spiralis found near Perseverance and highly threatened by livestock grazing and urban development. Tritonia dubia Many more rare plants, listed in the Red Book, await my atten- Noting that Tritonia dubia is tion in the Eastern Cape. listed as Near Threatened in I was able to do so on 12 Janu- the Red Data Book, I recalled Cyrtanthus spiralis ary this year. I found a few that years ago when visiting plants growing in the short a sheep farm in the Gamtoos Despite these triumphs, I also thicket in the general area de- Valley near Humansdorp, I had have a sad tale to tell. Cyrtan- scribed to me, some of which observed this small species thus spiralis is a fairly robust were in seed. However, falling flowering in early spring. When member of the genus with in a Municipal area and grazed passing the area on 5 August spirally twisted leaves and last year I deviated from my by cattle communally belonging well adapted to the harsh, dry route to try to find them again. to local residents, the area was thicket habitat where it oc- The area, known as De Mond, is in bad state of degradation. curs. Cyrtanthus spiralis is Red in the fertile flood plain of the There was also evidence that Listed as Endangered with the Gamtoos River Valley. The flood- quarrying had taken place and distribution cited as ‘Uitenhage plain is intensively developed as it is likely that this will continue to Port Elizabeth’. The listing irrigated cropland and pasture. since the population is situ- I recalled that I had previously further states that it has lost ated close to the Perseverance found these plants on the road four of eight historical subpopu- quarries. However, this was not verges on the western side of lations (Despatch, Theescomb, the worst news. the valley where the sandy al- Bethelsdorp and Redhouse) to luvial soil gives way to steep urban expansion over the past Two friendly policemen stopped sandstone slopes. Sure enough, 50 years and it may be about to me to investigate why a the little bulbs were still there lose another population. strange vehicle was parked in and in full flower, making a brave this isolated and, according to display in one of their last re- I recall seeing it regularly flow- them, fairly dangerous area. maining habitats. Clearly an ering bravely in January on the inhabitant of the sandy flood When I explained my mission verges of the N2 highway be- they were very co-operative, plain, which has been totally tween Coega and Colchester. transformed, they survive at but informed me that the area Alas, with the development of the extremity of the plain where was earmarked for township the Coega harbour and widen- it gives way to the steep west- development at some future ern slopes. These plants are ing of the N2 into a double lane time. I believe SANBI, the threatened by habitat destruc- highway, these plants have all Nelson Mandela Metropolitan tion even though they multiply been totally destroyed. and Eastern Cape Nature profusely by offsets and seed. Conservation authorities should My friend, Welland Cowley, Although growing in a largely take action to either preserve told me of a small population summer rainfall region, they the site as a conservation area near Perseverance between are completely dormant in sum- or relocate the 50 or 60 bulbs Redhouse and Despatch and I mer, behaving exactly like winter that still survive here to a safer resolved to check this out and rainfall Tritonias. I was happy place. to make a positive report to make a report to CREW when CREW. next I found myself in the area. Cameron McMaster 9 Swellendam

espite the drought, 2010 Dwas an exciting year in the Swellendam and Barrydale area. On 30 March a controlled burn was exercised in the Bontebok National Park including the section with the population of Erica filamentosa (Vulnerable). The regeneration of the veld Figure 1.—Diosma fallax in the Bon- Figure 2.—Boophone disticha bulbs is being closely monitored by tebok National Park. that survived the harsh fire. the rangers as inappropriate burning may have led to the decline of this species. The burn would also have impacted on part of the Protea decurrens (Endangered) population as well as Agathosma foetedissima (Near Threatened) and Acmadenia laxa (Endangered). It was interesting to have the veld on the farm Riet Vallei as a comparison. It has the only other known population of E. filamentosa and a healthy population of P. decurrens. This veld urgently needs to burn as, Figure 3.—Wurmbea compacta, a surprising find in the Sanbona Wildlife apparently, the last time it did Reserve. was more than 20 years ago. It is now overgrown and moribund making it increasingly difficult It is exciting to have Christi that has not been surveyed for the populations of Babiana Kloppers, resident in before. Confronted with a lot patula (Declining), Freesia Swellendam, on the CREW team of emerging leaves, it has been caryophyllacea (Declining) and although his time is consumed interesting to observe how the F. fergusoniae (Vulnerable) to by establishing his home and veld seems to be recovering. remain healthy. The landowner spending time with his two is unlikely to burn the site—it young sons. However, he will Two populations of Brunsvigia will have to be a natural fire. certainly make sure that the josephinae (Vulnerable) have local landowners are aware been recorded; one in the valley The only known population of and one at about 900 metres of the need for conservation. Diosma fallax in the Bontebok above sea level. Wurmbea He will also be spending more National Park has been located compacta (Vulnerable), a time at Rietjiesbos where and appears to be healthy Montagu endemic, has been we recorded populations and consisting of about 30 spotted (also in the veld closer of Gladiolus emiliae (Near plants. A survey was done in to Barrydale) and Boophone the adjacent veld belonging to Threatened) and Gladiolus disticha (Declining) has survived Appelsbos to encourage the engysiphon (Vulnerable) as the burn in the most amazing landowner to conserve the well as one Cyrtanthus odorus fashion. It has been interesting area. Phylica velutina (Near (Endangered) plant in April to see the many species of Threatened), Acrodon subulatus 2010. Pteronia and Merxmuellera (Endangered), Stoebe rugulosa grass coming up after the fire. Over the mountains in the (Endangered) and Babiana patula We were rather disappointed Karoo, the South West section (Declining) were found amongst that Moraea unguiculata is as of the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve other usual plants of this widespread because it has a region. There was no sign of burnt after a lightning strike very special look about it. any D. fallax plants although the on 23 March 2010. The veld type is the same and it has affected area is thought to be Most useful for us is that at 10 been less frequently burnt. about 5 000 hectares of veld last we have our own field guide, Plants of the Klein Karoo, that Erica barrydalensis (Rare) in Having had all this experience already looks well used. We flower. on Paarl Mountain burn site would like to thank the Vloks made us venture closer to home for publishing this wonderful Disa hunting with Hildegard has and do a similar exercise in book. Apart from many others, taken us to different localities. the Tygerberg Nature Reserve the strange plant we had seen It is always refreshing to be in (TNR). Three different sites had on our walks around Barrydale the seeps in mid-summer. been burnt through control- could at last be identified as led fires in the last two years. Syringodia longituba. It was with a pleasant surprise We visited these sites several that we realised that the times throughout the year and Jill Blignaut from Stonehaven farmers in the stewardship now have a better insight of Private Nature Reserve programme really miss seeing what comes up after a burn. continues to build on her us around. Long live Odette and Oxalis strigosa (Endangered) incredible collection of plants the stewardship programme! turned up unexpectedly on a pressed and photographed from This year we will plan to fit in patchp close to the De Gren- this section of the Langeberg. more visits. deld fence on the saddle of the After a long search she has hill.h Aspalathus puberula (Criti- finally collected a specimen of Flora Cameronn callyc Endangered) was growing profuselyp everywhere. Moraea elsiaee (Vulnerable) appeared ono the eastern slope. Gladiolus recurvusr (Vulnerable) was dis- covered by Abraham Saaiman of Friends of the Tygerberg TNR growing next to the path on the saddle. When we took his has been such a busy assisting Karen Marais with GPS readings for those, we Tyear. This past year we have her studies on the burn site found more growing under the been to 17 different sites, but also checking on the Argy- pine trees close to the Kristo eight of which were completely rolobium angustissimum (Criti- Pienaar Environmental Educa- new to us, comprising Swart- cally Endangered) plants we had tion Centre. land Silcrete Renosterveld, found the previous year. The Swartland Shale Renosterveld, species’ identity has now defi- We were asked by the City of Swartland Granite Renos- nitely been confirmed. This was Cape Town’s Biodiversity Man- terveld, Atlantis Sand Fynbos, thought to be a good opportu- agement Branch to accompany Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and nity for some demographic mon- their officers to various new Boland Granite Fynbos vegeta- itoring, duly accomplished in a sites in the vicinity to check the tion types. Quite exhausting subsequent visit together with vegetation for Red Data spe- and challenging! Ismail Ebrahim and his team. cies and to compile plant spe- We managed to tag 25 plants cies lists. At Botterblom Park We continued our work on Paarl and recorded baseline data for at Vierlanden, Durbanville we Mountain Nature Reserve, those individuals. found a new locality for Poda-

Figure 2.—Argyrolobium angustissi- mum rediscovered at Paarl Moun- Figure 1.—Podalyria microphylla from the Contermanskloof area. tain. 11 lyria microphylla (Critically En- We subsequently searched the dangered) and we recorded an Plattekloof Heritage Site nearby additional 13 threatened spe- and found Phylica thunbergiana Darling cies. So far, only four threat- (Endangered) as well as Serruria ened species are recorded for aemula (Critically Endangered) Jack Muller Park in Boston, and Diastella proteioides (Criti- Flora Group Bellville. However, we have just cally Endangered). started in this area—in the he Darling Flora Group heat of summer—and will see Accompanying Cliff Dorse and Tstarted the year with every what awaits us there in spring. Penny Glanville to a site in the intention of doing serious Tydstroom farm (near Phila- Contermanskloof area we found monitoring of the really special delphia) boasts 22 threatened rich pickings indeed. A new geophytes that occur in our plants, which were recorded on record of Podalyria microphylla area. However, due to unfore- our first visit to the site. Nir- (Critically Endangered), Ruschia seen circumstances this did vana (close to Malmesbury) with geminiflora (Vulnerable) and not happen. similar vegetation to Riverlands Xipotheca lanceolata (Endan- We continued to monitor is a gem with 21 threatened gered) amongst a host of oth- our regular sites to assess plants discovered to date. The ers. populations of threatened City of Cape Town is currently plants, especially early in the negotiating a Stewardship Con- The most encouraging find this season. One of the biggest tract with the landowner. The year was two new species at surprises for the year was conservation of this site will Klipheuwel Radio Telkom Site. An Babiana pygmaea flowering be an amazing achievement be- undescribed Aspalathus species in greater profusion on both cause of its high concentration and an Otholobium species. The known sites. We wondered of threatened plants and good Otholobium has subsequently what the reason for this quality vegetation. been named Otholobium crewii– phenomenon was and thought we are thrilled! Klipheuwel is a it was either that they liked Closer to home we visited a fantastic site with an amazing to be really trampled by cattle very small site in Bothasig. This variety of plants, especially in during the hot summer, or area contains a small remnant the Aspalathus genus. So far we they are evolving to cope with of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. It have recorded 31 threatened has now been cleared of most climate change. Both sites plants from this site. It has of the alien vegetation and we were completely flooded during never failed to surprise us with have been met with some sur- the previous winter followed something new and requires prising finds like Phylica thunber- by a very hot and dry summer. further study. giana (Endangered), Aspalathus The following winter they were albens (Vulnerable) and Aspal- With so much diversity and so standing knee-deep in water athus tylodes (Endangered). many sites on offer there is again! This was a spectacular always one step further to go. sight and the good news is that Our herbarium has been en- the Oudepost population seems riched with many more pressed to be expanding after the specimens. The specimens have clearing of Port Jackson willows all been mounted now. (Acacia saligna) from the site. We counted more than 500 Many thanks indeed to all the plants along a 50 m stretch of Friends of the Tygerberg Hills roadside! CREW members, you are ab- solutely fantastic. Being part The conservation officer of of such a team is so inspiring! Burgers Post farm, Jacques Sadly we have lost our cham- van der Merwe, found a new pion, Karen Marais, to Australia population of B. pygmaea as but I do hope Karen will come well as a few individuals of a back one day and continue her hybrid between B. pygmaea and brilliant work. Thank you also to B. leipoldtii. This was a fantastic discovery as we were concerned Ismail Ebrahim, his CREW team about the existing populations. and all the scientists that sup- Jacques also managed to find port us so well. Happy botanis- a new population of Hessea ing to all! cinnamomea, not far from the Figure 3.—Phylica thunbergiana Karen Marais and known location at Riverlands 12 from the Bothasig site. Hedi Stummer Nature Reserve. Figure 1.—Gladiolus griseus (Criti- Figure 2.—Ixia purpureorosea (Endangered) found on the walk in Postberg. cally Endangered) in a garden at Yzerfontein.

We noticed fewer Gladiolus Finally, there have been some griseus plants at Yzerfontein new developments regarding compared to previous years the Conservation Centre which but we did manage to find the Darling Wildflower Society two new populations—one wants to build on the outskirts to the south of the town of the town. We have been boundary and another near given authorisation by the Silverstroomstrand off the R27. Department of Environmental Affairs and Development We are now living in Langebaan Planning to continue with the where we found both G. griseus process adhering to some and G. caeruleus in abundance. guidelines. The local authority This area will be searched and has to secure tenure of monitored from this year on the proposed land for the Figure 3.—Babiana melanops (Vul- as we have permission from construction of the building. nerable) once very common around the landowner to do so. We There are still some ongoing Darling, now only found in a few areas. are looking forward to some stewardship matters which we interesting discoveries. hope to discuss and resolve with CapeNature this year. in the indigenous garden that Our Geissorhiza darlingensis The major challenge for 2011 we envisage to be established at the Tienie Versfeld Reserve will be to raise sufficient around the building. Hopefully were out in profusion this year funds for the building. We do by next year there will be more as well as the population at not want to use all the funds definite news to report on. Baarhuis some 15 kilometres raised to date as that is set Once again a huge thank you north of Darling. Unfortunately, aside for the operational costs to everyone at CREW, the we missed all the late flowering of the centre throughout the members of our group and the specials as I was away on a year. We are looking to employ landowners of Darling. trip to Spain where we found someone for the office, guides Plumbago and Cape honeysuckle! in the reserves and assistants Helene Preston 13 Jacobsbaai

010 started very well for 2the Jacobsbaai Group. Our first achievement for the year was finding Strumaria chapli- nii on the limestones west of Vredenburg. This was a very strange discovery as the other known populations of this spe- cies occur in cracks and de- pressions on granite boulders. In 2009 Nick Helme found the first population on limestone in the Yzerfontein area. This got us thinking that Strumaria chaplinii might occur in other areas and this year we will be searching in some of the areas around Jacobsbaai and Saldan- ha to try and find more popula- tions of this highly threatened species. In August we kept John Manning and Peter Goldblatt extremely busy. John came to see a new species of Moraea (most similar to Moraea tripetala) when we showed him Figure 1.—A new species of Moraea found in Jacobsbaai. two other species that had been bothering us. On the granite around Jacobsbaai we found another Moraea which is very similar to Moraea inconspicua and John and Peter agreed that this was a new species and I dubbed the new species Moraea conspicua!

Then we showed John a few patches of rather strange looking Tripteris calcicola. At first John thought it might be that they occur on slightly different soil or might experience different micro climatic conditions but a closer look confirmed that this too was a new species of Tripteris. Only in Jacobsbaai can you find three new species in one day!

We focused our attention on the Postberg section of the West Coast National Park during spring. It was fantastic to be able to access the area and many thanks to SANParks for organising Figure 2.—A new species of access and granting us permission to visit the area. 2010 was not Tripteris with hairy stems and the best year for viewing flowers in the reserve but we did manage leaves. to monitor Spiloxene linearis, Sparaxis calcicola, Tripteris calcicola and many other limestone and granite specials. Our most exciting find was a new population of Ferraria parva sp. nov.

In October we had a fantastic find. Indigofera platypoda, which is a cryptic species occurring on the limestone rocks. It is an absolute miracle that we found this species as it has thin grey stems and without flowers they are nearly impossible to spot.

We look forward to finding more special plants in our area this year. We have monitored most of the target species that CREW has set for us and we continue to enjoy working in the field. Figure 3.—The cryptic Indigofera 14 Koos Claassens and Ismail Ebrahim platypoda. Nieuwoudtville (Indigo Development and Change)

Long-term monitoring of in Nieuwoudtville. Most of the special plants children here don’t have the op- portunity to go out. The aim of CREW and Indigo Development the Nieuwoudtville Eco Club is and Change have established to create nature experiences some long-term monitoring involving children of all ages. The sites in partnership with the Eco Club is not only a place to Hantam National Botanical Gar- teach children but serves to den. This project endeavours to exchange knowledge and learn document long-term population from each other. In order to co- trends and changes. Two spe- ordinate biodiversity activities cies were identified for monitor- in and around Nieuwoudtville, ing namely Euryops virgatus and the Nieuwoudtville Biodiversity Bulbinella latifolia var. doleritica. Support Group has been an important platform for local ac- The steps we take to monitor tion with the aim of learning, these species are as follows: sharing and biodiversity con- servation. The Nieuwoudtville Figure 1.—Donna and Essie moni- • Determine the plant age CREW activities are supported toring Bulbinella latifolia var. doler- (adult, juvenile or seedling). by a range of stakeholders itica. • Measure the base of the ranging from visiting scientists, interested locals, conservation stem of the plant with a cal- Ice and rock adventure liper. agencies, local NGOs and busi- nesses. This was one of the highlights of • Measure the height of the plant from the bottom to It has by now become an insti- the week. We departed with 20 the top of the plant. tution in Nieuwoudtville: every learners early in the morning to first week of the summer and be in the wild for the day! Just • Measure the length of the winter school holidays the Nieu- 7 km outside Nieuwoudtville, flower. woudtville CREW Group offers a we stopped at the Glacial Pave- ment close to Oorlogskloof • Count number of leaves. range of activities for children. Activities are coordinated by farm. A visiting student gave a • Take a GPS point (latitude Indigo—the local NGO associat- presentation about the glacial and longitude). ed with the CREW Programme origins of the scrape marks and supported by local individu- that can be observed on the • Make notes of anything that als, researchers and the CREW bedrock. 300 million years ago you observe. team from Kirstenbosch. glaciers several kilometres thick • Write all the information on covered this area and moved a data sheet. The activities draw in learners some very large boulders over from the local primary and high bedrock leaving the traces we The data will be collected and schools. The learning aim is not can still see today. sent to CREW to ensure that only to generate an educational the long-term monitoring is outdoor experience, but also We continued to the farm Pap- possible. The monitoring is sup- to expose learners to scientific kuilsfontein, where we embarked ported by the Nieuwoudtville methods of monitoring using on a long hike to the edge of a Eco Club, and thus the young digital cameras and GPS de- deep gorge. Although Papkuils- generation can be involved in vices. Most importantly, it is fontein is only approximately monitoring to gain a better crucial to create a space where 30 km south of Nieuwoudtville, understand of ecological re- the children and young adults for many learners this was their quirements and responses to can feel creative, happy and first experience and opportu- climate change. safe. Some of the winter school nity to learn about special rock highlights are detailed below formations and plants in this Winter and Summer and included: area. We explored some ancient School—Eco Club in ac- • Ice and rock adventure. and rare specimens of the ster- tion boom (Cliffortia arboretum) and • Make your own movie. mapped the population occur- The Nieuwoudtville Eco Club has • What does biodiversity ring on the farm along the cliff become an important resource mean? edge. Needless to say, there 15 Piketberg

REW visited Piketberg CMountain during 2008 and 2009 and their visits prompted a group of us to start looking at a number of endangered species we have in our immedi- ate vicinity. This started an interest in find- ing out more of the flora on our mountain. Our first outing was in February 2009 with four people. We now walk the second Saturday of every month and we sometimes number more than 20 with an average of about 12 regulars. Our outings, at this Figure 2.—Nieuwoudtville winter school participants fine tuning stage, are more of a ‘nature their movies. ramble’ as we lack members with a professional botanical background to help us identify was lots of excitement! A long to get familiar with filming and and explain some of the things hike provided smaller groups to the camera. The topic of the discuss special observations we see. When it comes to flow- movie was freely decided by the ers, our limited diagnostic skills ranging from special insects children and they proceeded to have sometimes convinced us and pollinators to questions develop their own storyboards that we have found lots of new on groundwater and climate and planned how they were species as we can’t locate change. going to do the filming on the pictures of them in our books! We ended the day with a next day. We have a strong emphasis on meal at the Pakuilsfontein the social aspect of the ramble At the end of the second day Restaurant and for many and insist that we have a stop both groups produced a short children this was their first for snacks and a chat. We try movie each with a powerful restaurant experience. We had and visit a different farm every story that was shared with all month and we’ve been amazed a joint reflection, evaluation at the different microclimates and the legendary lucky draw children in the summer school within such a small area. This of biodiversity books and at the closing session. There year outings have included visits stationery. was great applause for the new video artists! Make your own movie What does biodiversity This activity was offered by mean? Shannon and Donna from Indigo. The idea behind ‘making This was an activity facilitated your own movie’, was to give by the CREW team from the children a chance to tell Kirstenbosch. A choice of their own stories using a different activities was offered: participatory video technique. Bio-puzzle Race, Back to the The group was split into two Future, Biodiversity Mind Map groups of four and five. The and the Fast and the Furious. facilitator then introduced the The learners worked in groups equipment to the first learner, and experienced that learning to make sure he or she knows about biodiversity can be fun. how to operate the camera. A big thank you to the CREW This learner then explained it team from Kirstenbosch! to the next participant and so on. The introduction also Bettina Koelle, Donna Kotze and Figure 1.—The magnificent flowers 16 included practical exercises Shannon Parring of Gladiolus insolens. to a yellowwood forest and rock paintings. One of our biggest questions this year was why Erica piketbergensis flowers in June and October. We now sus- pect these might be two differ- ent Erica species that are very similar and grow in the same areas.

Exciting finds which we have had diagnosed with the help of outsiders are Gladiolus insolens and Pelargonium longicaule var. augustipetalum which, appar- ently, has the largest flower in the Geraniaceae. Our other flower photographs will have to be identified when Ismail and Va- thiswa come and visit with their superb diagnostic skills.

Angela Langton Figure 2.—Large flowering Pelargonium longicaule var. angustipetalum.

George Outramps

010 has been our most suc- invaluable and the plant family 2cessful year ever. Our goals specialisation within the group were tough and stretched us started to bear fruit. to the limit. Our objectives for the year were: We did about 12 field trips in- volving the rangers from the • To plot 30 Species of Con- Swartberg, Outeniqua, Kam- servation Concern (SCC) new manassie, Goukamma and SAN- to us. Parks reserves. Achieving our Figure 1.—Bobartia paniculata in full • To increase our botanical goal of monitoring 54 SCCs new flower. knowledge. to us was hard work. It involved • To involving the rangers on ten overnight trips of three or the most beautiful of them was the nature reserves more. more days and 35 day field trips Bobartia paniculata. We missed in 2010. out on climbing Mannetjiesberg We were successful and because the mist and rain was achieved a number of goals: Our journey through the year on the deck. started in February when we • We plotted 54 SCCs new to spent three days in the Na- In April we went to Williamsburg us. ture’s Valley area. We hiked on the De Vlugt Road off the • Our botanical knowledge Kranshoek, the long Salt River Prince Alfred Pass. This trip increased exponentially. hike and did the Robberg hike was initiated by Pam Booth • We doubled our involvement on the way home. Rare plants of Eden to Addo. Gail spotted with the rangers. found included Muraltia knys- Pelargonium denticulatum which naensis and Acmadenia alterni- was a new rare plant for our Our knowledge took a big step folia. list. We were introduced to the forward because of several fac- Haworthia plants and we re- tors. Jan and Anne Lise Vlok March saw us in the eastern cruited our youngest member, were always there with help and Kammanassie Mountains with Ashleigh Harvey, to the Out- encouragement. Their wonderful Johnny and Jonas. We had rath- ramps. This would prove to be book Plants of the Klein Karoo er iffy weather, but neverthe- one of our best moves ever. was published in 2010. This has less had a spectacularly suc- given us a huge ‘hupstoot’ for- cessful trip with many new rare In May, Ismail, Vathiswa and ward. The microscope proved plants added to our list. One of the Swartberg Rangers joined 17 Figure 3.—Gladiolus fourcadei with Rusell and Marge.

Figure 2.—CREW and the Swartberg Rangers.

us on a climb up Waboomsberg September saw our most excit- above the pass on the Central ing find of the year. Rusell was Swartberg. As always, it was walking her dogs on a piece of Figure 4.—Gladiolus fourcadei from freezing and some of the party wasteland close to the Garden De Vlugt Jackalskraal. retreated after reaching the Route Dam. This area used to nek. Most of us pressed on be a pine plantation and had and were picked up on the Die recently burnt. She spotted a zwartbergense on the summit of Hel road on the northern side. Gladiolus and asked Marge (our Mannetjiesberg and Geissorhiza Berkheya francisci was an excit- Iridaceae specialist) to identify elsiae which hasn’t been found ing new find. it. There was huge excitement since 1987. when Marge pronounced it to June was the month of the be Gladiolus fourcadei, later We also visited Ouposberg and Haworthia species. Bruce and confirmed by John Manning and Naartjiesberg in the Uniondale Daphne Bayer joined us on trips Jan Vlok. This plant is Critically district. Erica flocciflora was all to Groot Brak and Williamsburg. Rare and at the time there was over the place and we saw a lot We learnt a huge amount from only one other known popula- of Leucadendron pubibracteola- Bruce about Haworthia and tion in existence. A picture was tum too. Asparagus. In 2011, we want sent to Ashleigh at Jackalskraal to expand our knowledge of We finished the year on a real in De Vlugt, who confirmed that the very interesting and highly she had found another couple of high on the Sleeping Beauty hike threatened genus Haworthia. individuals on their farm. There close to Garcia Pass. Rudi is one of our new recruits and at Bonniedale in the Attakwaskloof seems to be no replacement for the age of 23 has strong legs Mountains was our July objec- being in the field at the right which have proved very use- tive. Once again the mist was place on the right time. ful. He found Erica dysantha on on the deck, which meant that the summit of Sleeping Beauty. we couldn’t climb Spitskop. Pro- In spring (October), we returned tea decurrens and Paranomus to Kammanassie and couldn’t This Erica only occurs on two longicaulis were two exciting believe our luck as we found a summits 6.5 km apart. Phylica finds. few plants of Gladiolus fourcadei brachcephala was found on the about 50 m from our camping path to the nek and was last In August, I deserted the Group shelter. Quite amazing! This collected in the early 1900s. and went hiking in the Alps second visit to Mannetjiesberg We were extremely excited around the Eiger and the Mat- was hugely successful. We about this discovery. We were terhorn. Beautiful Alpine mead- found at least eight rare spe- also able to collect DNA mate- ows were a far cry from home, cies new to us. Amongst the rial of Gladiolus crispulatus for 18 but it was a wonderful trip. most beautiful was Agathosma John Manning. Figure 5.—Outramps having a plant identification session at Mannetjies- berg.

We have set ourselves tough Figure 1.—The rediscovered Aspal- goals for 2011. Perhaps the athus cliffortifolia from Humewood. most important of them is that we will plot 40 species new to the Outramps and find an search for species of conser- undescribed species. To do this vation concern (SCCs) in the we will have to climb higher and Baakens River catchment area. explore further in our quest for This project forms part of the success. We look forward to greater Baakens Valley Recov- another brilliant year in 2011. ery Programme funded by the Table Mountain Fund and admin- Di Turner Figure 6.—Gladiolus crispulatusatus. istrated by WESSA. To date, 16 SCCs have been recorded, including three Critically Endan- gered (Agathosma gonaquensis, Corpuscularia lehmannii and Cy- clopia pubescens), three Endan- Port Elizabeth geredg (Cyrtanthus spiralis, Disa lugens var. lugens and Senecio t was a good year for the rediscovery almost a centurycentu scaposus var. addoensis), four IPort Elizabeth CREW Group– later it proved the highlightghl of Vulnerable (Apodolirion macowa- we managed to increase our the year! Both these species nii, Crinum lineare, Erica zeyhe- membership, as well as the were later found at Schoen- riana and Gymnosporia elliptica) number of rediscovered plant makerskop as well, a consider- and two Near Threatened (Aloe species. Our plan to have able distance further along the micracantha and Haworthia monthly trips has proven to coast. fasciata) species. Pelargonium be successful with a regular reniforme subsp. reniforme was core group of volunteers and a Another exciting discovery the only Data Deficient species couple of visitors attending and was Othonna membranifolia. A recorded in the Valley, with a accompanying us on our out- trip with Ismail to Rooikrans in further three species listed as ings. Groendal Wilderness Area, led Declining (Boophone disticha, to the rediscovery of this Data Cyrtanthus obliquus and Eucomis Our first rediscovery was Aspal- Deficient species, last collected autumnalis subsp. autumnalis). athus cliffortiifolia, a low growing in the area in 1932. Future Many of these species are re- species Red Listed as Critically searches for O. membranifolia stricted to specific habitats Endangered, Presumed Extinct. will include the Elands and Van and the Baakens River Valley It was initially found growing Stadens River Valleys, as these may well be one of the last close to a previously rediscov- areas should provide similar remaining areas to support vi- ered population of Critically habitats of rocky river edges, able populations in the metro. Endangered Aspalathus recur- to that of the O. membranifolia Some of the more exciting finds vispina in Summerstrand. This population in Groendal. include more localities of the species was only known from Critically Endangered Cyclopia the type specimen collected in We have also been assisting a pubescens and Agathosma go- Humewood in 1911. With this local Masters student in his naquensis in the upper catch- 19 circioides and Euryops ursinoides were counted at Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve, where they were known to occur. Our final trip was to a newly established nature reserve to the west of Port Elizabeth, Hopewell Reserve, and we’ll be visited regularly this year, and beyond. We visited the reserve in February, but with the area very dry we could only locate Declining Boophone disticha and Near Threatened Aloe micracantha so far. The reserve hosts grassy fynbos on the hilltops and thicket on the steep slopes and valley bottoms. This habitat should provide for some interesting botanising and more flowering SCCs (hold thumbs!) after the autumn rains.

Figure 2.—Othonna membraniifolia found in the Groendal Wilderness Area. Future focus areas include the areas of Heatherbank, a fynbos- ment area near the western thosma gonaquensis (Gonaqua dominated area that is set entrance of Port Elizabeth. buchu) is welcomed. aside for urban developments, However, this land is earmarked as well as the succulent-rich for development, which will de- Final highlights included re- thicket area between Booysens stroy a substantial population counting the population Park and Kwanobuhle where of Agathosma gonaquensis and of Endangered Cotyledon township development is Corpuscularia lehmannii. The adscendens at Bluewater Bay, planned. which was found to be in good development will also fence in A huge thank you goes out to all a population of Cyclopia pubes- health and recruiting! More the faithful volunteers who sac- cens, a fire-dependent species populations were found in the rifice their Saturday mornings only found in the immediate Addo Elephant National Park, for a good cause.use area. Any suggestions on how close to the Sundays River to successfully translocate Aga- mouth. Vulnerable Cullumia Clayton Weatherall-Thomaseatthherall-Thomasll Th

CREW—KwaZulu-Natal

can’t believe that the past to listen to some plant experts, through Codd’sdd’ kkey. ThThisisi kkeyey Iyear has gone by so quickly! was a great success. We look was suddenly made easy withith After a three month winter forward to the next one in Sid’s insight into Codd’s think- ing! ‘break’ for thesis work, I re- Mpumalanga. Following close on joined CREW in September the workshop was Suvarna’s Of course, we’ve also had some last year–straight into plan- wedding—a splendid and colour- amazing field trips. Standing ning meetings. Suvarna and I ful affair which I was privileged out are a few days at Lupatana haven’t stopped since. The very to attend. in the Eastern Cape, packed late rains (the end of October) with Pondoland endemics— We’ve had some great plant and consequent late, or in thanks Alison Lettenga! Anoth- identification courses this sea- some cases lack of, flowering er fantastic weekend was spent son; Andrew Hankey’s brilliant really messed up our planned at Ntsikeni Nature Reserve and funny ‘Plant families’ at the field trip dates. (see Tony Abbott’s article). We workshop and, more recently, are eternally grateful to the The November workshop at Sid Ramdhani’s fantastic day of Botanical Society for the loan Sani, where CREW volunteers Kniphofias, including the genus’s of the Mazda 4×4, which makes again had the opportunity to biogeography, systematics and our trips to these remote ar- 20 catch up with each other and a wonderful hands-on guide eas possible. Umvoti he season began with a Tplanning meeting held at the home of Sue Swan. Attending and advising the group were Vic Schutte, Jacqui Shuttle- worth and Sue Swan of the Umvoti Group along with Isabel Johnson and Suvarna Parbhoo from CREW (SANBI). Plans were made to visit as many of the potential sites in the area as possible, but what we didn’t reckon on was the very hot spring with no rainfall, causing very late flowering in most spe- cies After that the rains never seemed to end! Figure 1.—CREW folk attending the Kniphofia identification course. However, at the end of Sep- tember we revisited the Green- wich/Balmoral farms at Rietvlei where we had the exciting find of the previous season, the Critically Endangered Asclepias bicuspis. This visit revealed some 30 plants which were photographed and marked using a GPS but with only a few flow- ers present we decided to re- turn in mid-October. How disap- pointed can one be? Despite the use of the GPS, we couldn’t find the plants—they simply didn’t exist! Eventually, after retrac- ing our steps, we found four plants, one with chewed leaves Figure 2.—CREW in the magical milkwood forest at Lupatana. but no seed. Nor did we find any Asclepias woodii (seen here last We continue to work very doesn’t have a specific area, season) on either occasion. This closely with, and provide botani- but visit sites which don’t fall area consists mostly of com- cal eco-advice to, the KwaZulu- within an existing group’s re- munal land, fairly extensively Natal Biodiversity Stewardship gion, although there is obviously grazed by cattle and goats. We Programme (BSP). As you will some overlap. The A-team often plan to re-visit in late Septem- see in the group reports, CREW join in on other groups’ field ber 2011 to check if A. biscus- volunteer groups are assisting trips. Some interesting outings pis has re-appeared. by visiting BSP sites in their were to Bizana looking for (but area on a regular basis and re- not finding) Asclepias schlechteri In mid-October 2010 we visited in December, and a more suc- cording the plant species found. a new site on Mondi’s property, cessful search for the Critically Inverness, where the resident CREW KwaZulu-Natal has Endangered and very attractive forester claimed to have seen grown over the past year with Helichrysum citricephalum near Gerbera aurantiaca in flower the addition of a new Highway Ixopo in March this year. on one of the grassland strips. Group in the Kranzkloof area Thanks to all CREW volunteers Again the dry season had taken of Durban, as well as a newly for your unfailing enthusiasm its toll and other than finding a emerging group in Zululand. This at hunting down special plants fine display of Dieramas which season we formed a group with over the past season! had enjoyed protection on a mainly Pietermaritzburg-based rocky outcrop from the cattle folk, the A-team, This team Isabel Johnson grazing in the area, there was 21 little in flower. The forester has Added excitement—on 19 been asked to GPS the plants December, local botanist David next time he sees them. We Styles requested help from then moved to the neighbour- CREW to survey a population of ing Nomalanga, a privately what may be a new species of owned farm stretching from the Asclepias (related to Asclepias Mistbelt Grassland at Umvoti dregeana) at Lake Merthley. Heights into Valley Bushveld, In spite of overcast weather, currently being considered for almost 20 CREW folk turned a Biodiversity Stewardship site up to help, including Ashley where CREW are compiling a Nicholas, the expert on this species list. Again the effects group. A walk through the of drought and fire were evi- grassland revealed at least dent, but we explored quite a 50 plants, as well as some large area and we achieved our unseasonal late-flowering Hilton objectives of meeting the own- daisies. ers and acquainting ourselves with the area prior to further Figure 1.—Asclepias sp. nov. aff. Our goals, or perhaps I should investigations over the next few dregeana. say our challenges, are months. obviously to seek out the rare and endangered plants of our A search later in October that the location would be kept area, but we are seriously to the site of Sarie Marais’s secret and that no plants would challenged by the number of grave (yes, the one of the song) be dug out (by a very persua- species we need to or would for Tephrosia pseudocapitata, sive Ismail who was with us)—it seems we CREW are not to be like to find, and so few people threatened by the extreme trusted! who are willing to be involved. fragmentation of the area from Equally we are concerned timber plantations and rural In mid-November Vic, Isabel about habitat loss caused by settlements, was unsuccess- and Neil Crouch visited the ful. A local had reported see- an increase in timber farming, Kranskop district to search for along with sugar cane and other ing plants nearby but no plants Streptocarpus floribundus col- commercial crops, coupled were found when we visited. In lected by Olive Hilliard in mid- with this is the irresponsible early November, the farm Came November 1963, but not found use of pesticides. There is in the Seven Oaks area was vis- since. We were fortunate to be also a serious need to educate ited to look for further popula- accompanied by security guards the public as to why and what tions of Kniphofia latifolia. Other provided by Mondi, as this area than the already known popula- is notoriously unsafe, and made needs to be protected. tion close to the Greytown- full use of this to search as Nevertheless, we enjoy a very Pietermaritzburg road, a fur- many doleritic outcrops close diverse area—thornveld and ther population in excess of to the original collection site valley bushveld in the Muden 200 plants was found about as possible. In spite of this we and Tugela Ferry areas, and 2 km upstream, below a dam did not even find a rosulate Mistbelt grasslands around the wall. This population still has Streptocarpus plant, let alone S. Greytown/New Hanover areas. to be marked with a GPS and floribundus. The mystery contin- an accurate estimate of the ues… Vic Schutte number of plants done, but due to heavy infestations of bram- bles this may be impossible.

On 9 November a follow-up visit to the York Commonage took place. The object was to meet with a farmer on whose proper- ty we believe a population of the rare and endangered Leucosper- mum gerrardi exists. Only two populations are known in Kwa- Zulu-Natal. Previous attempts to get the farmer to disclose the location were unsuccessful, as was the case on this occa- Figure 2.—CREW members looking for Asclepias sp. nov. aff. dregeana at 22 sion, in spite of undertakings Lake Merthley. Mkhambathini Boston

he season started in October when our GPS arrived and we he weather was dismal Tcould start pinpointing our target plants. We started by saving Tfor wildflower growth in GPS points of the plants we had first seen and learned about on the early summer. The visit Mally Stainbank’s farm. to Wahroonga and Sterling We recorded several Gladiolus inandensis plants endemic to this was aborted owing to drought area, but with only a few records existing. Other finds in Octo- conditions, while the Impendle ber were Woodia verruculosa (Larkview Farm) and Brachystelma Nature Reserve outing was pulchellum (Jack Stead’s farm). At the end of October, we went also dropped when the heavens to Justin Platt’s farm to map the Helichrysum pannosum popula- opened and it rained all day. tion again. While we were there, we found a harebell—Dierama The first visit to Boston View, argyreum (endemic to southern KwaZulu-Natal), as well as a huge where a section has been ear- population of Hypoxis hemerocallidea. Hypoxis hemerocallidea, or marked for a so-called biodi- African potato, is a popular muti bulb which is under threat due versity contract conservation to the sheer volume of bulbs harvested and used. CREW members area, had few flowers and noth- have been asked to monitor the populations. ing of significance was found. The portion is dry and heavily In late November we went to Mally Stainbank’s farm to look for grazed due to the lack of rain. orchids again as we were too late the previous season. This was a A second visit to this area is very successful outing with the following interesting plants found: planned for later this year. Crassula acinaciformis (new distribution record), Argyrolobium longi- folium, Helichrysum woodii (a rare, cliff-dwelling everlasting) and the It was very pleasing spectacular orange orchid Satyrium neglectum var. woodii (which when Mount Ashley, near many people believe should be a separate species, Satyrium woo- Mpophomeni, was kinder. We dii). However, from November the rains got the better of us. Most tackled the northern slopes on lands became inaccessible because of the mud and we hardly saw a this occasion. The lower-lying dry or sunny day for nearly four months. areas were overgrazed and We were very privileged to have Peter Wragg on our last CREW degraded, but as we ascended walk of the season in February. He knows the plants exceptionally it improved drastically and well. Mally burned the field where the orchid Disa nervosa occurs. we had plenty of wildflowers This interesting orchid imitates the colour and shape of certain to enjoy. Asclepias woodii Watsonia species in order to make use of the same pollinators. was found quite commonly, We were also able to record a new locality, the most southern but the Schizoglossum bidens recorded, for Hesperantha lactea (yellow evening flower). subsp. hirtum (Data Deficient– Insufficiently Known), which had Alison Young been found on the southern slopes the previous year, eluded

Figure 1.—Isabel and Malcolm look- Figure 1.—Asclepias woodii (Pho- ing at Satyrium woodii. Figure 2.—Satyrium woodii. tographer: Barbara Clulow). 23 us. It was gratifying to find Miraglossum pilosum in a rocky nook on a drizzly summit.

In December, on ‘Edgeware’ hillock in Boston itself, success was happily achieved when, at the very summit, three plants of Schizoglossum bidens subsp. hirtum were found. This was our first visit to this site. To crown this success, four Asclepias bicuspis (Critically Endangered) plants were also found—this is now the third known locality for this species. The ‘Edgeware’ area certainly has major poten- tial for future outings.

On 9 January 2011 the new Figure 2.—Miraglossum pilosum (Photographer: Barbara Clulow). year started well with a lovely day out in the special fenced area at ‘Palmer Four’ farm. The present or absent, were influ- last seven years is at least 210 area boasts grassland, river, enced by the unusual weather different species. Having found mountain slopes and cliffs in during November and Decem- a single Disa scullyi last year, we went in search of more, but various directions and there- ber of 2010. The day revealed failed to find even one...such is fore affords one with excellent at least 19 new species with weather timing! opportunities for finding many more information still coming species. The flowers, whether in. The overall count over the David Clulow

caloglossa and Sisyranthus fan- in Underberg and when it was Underberg niniae of which there were a decided to improve our knowl- number of specimens. This was edge of grasses, Ann arrived ur first brief for the season a truly pristine grassland and with about 20 pressed speci- Owas to compile a species we ended our day in a beautiful mens collected on her property list of the Himeville Common- forest full of mature yellowwood over the past 30 years. We had trees. age, a Biodiversity Stewardship a great morning with our tu- site. We are very lucky to have ama- tor, Liz Mackay—a local with a We have been out three times teur botanist Ann Rennie living great knowledge of our grasses. and instead of walking past the Senecio and Helichrysum species we now spend a great deal of time trying to identify them. This has been a very good project for local CREW mem- bers as a couple of them live on the common. We did however find the common to be affected by invasive alien plants and this has led to more outings to re- move the alien plants and edu- cate the local community.

Our first exciting outing on 30 November was to the Mgano Stewardship Project led by Bill Bainbridge and Isabel Johnson. Isabel was delighted to find 24 two target species, Fanninia Figure 1.—Underberg volunteers out in the field. in the state of the grasslands was marked; it had previously been used by anyone who fan- cied it as a grazing area.

This January our party met up along the road within the reserve and went looking for the accommodation which we found after we passed it by and had to return. Very nice it is too, well looked after by a man named Dalu—a knowl- edgeable birder. The next day we tackled Ntsikeni Mountain next to the vlei. Ntsikeni is the name of the peak above a ridge some 300 metres above the vlei. Isabel Johnson and Peter Wragg were tireless in their Figure 3.—Anne Rennie’s speci- exploration for a rare Erica, E. Figure 2.—Fanninia caloglossa mens used for the grass identifica- psitticina, which was thought to pressed by the group. tion day. possibly occur there but was not to be found. A special place Another speciality of our area We have contacted the relevant was the tarn at the north end are the numerous orchid spe- authorities and eagerly await of the ridge—a wonderful sight cies and our field trip in late the outcome. filled with water from goodness knows where. Only Pev Curry December found us in a vlei with What a privilege for us in Un- made it to the very top of Nt- about 250 Endangered Disa derberg to be able to assist in sikeni. scullyi plants. the collection of data in one of the most threatenedreatened biomesbiomes inin The second day was spent Our highlight has been the dis- the country our gloriousglorious grass- exploring a kloof along the ridge covery of a potential steward- lands. running down to the vlei. Along ship conservation site which is the way we found a small vlei owned by the municipality. Julie Braby which carried a bounty of six beautiful orchid species with their feet in the wet soil.

vlei; sitting rounddttld a wattle wood Early one morning some of fire in the evening—invening—in tthosehose the group went out to hear Pondoland days it was all campcamping.ing. ThThee re- the booming of a bittern— serve had beeneen fencedfenced sincesince mymy apparently a very important ut of our various doings of last visit andd theth improvementi t hearing/sighting for birders. Othe year, one trip stands out above the rest. A visit at the end of January to Ntsikeni Nature Reserve brought back some good memo- ries from 20 years ago. Rose- mary Williams getting stuck in her tiny Charade on the steep track up to the reserve; sitting in the tent watching the floor undulate under us as the water flooded through our site; be- ing driven through the vlei hip deep on a freezing cold rainy day by David Lindley to assess the wetland; climbing the four mountains flanking the reserve, watching the sun set over the Figure 1.—Ntsikeni tarn. 25 Happily all the plants were still there when we went out after breakfast!

Ntisikeni is a special place. The wetland is about 7 km long and ends in a rock barrier and waterfall. It was all farm land until the 1940s when government bought the farmers out to maintain the wetland as a water production area. The area was still occupied by the labourers and their families although they should have moved and it was thanks to Div de Villiers that these people Figure 2.—Hermannia sandersonii were allocated land elsewhere (Photographer: Andrea Abbott). allowing full conversion of the reserve. Do yourselves a favour and go there. Figure 2.—Disa cornuta, the golden Tony Abbott orchid at sunrise at Ntsikeni.

their Conservancy’s Walk on the Wild Side and which yielded at Highway least one of the target species, Hermannia sandersonii. he Highway CREW Group A trip to a site in Hammarsdale was formed in 2010 to T in December to look for Dierama monitor areas chiefly in the pallidum had to be cancelled Outer West/Upper Highway because only two members of regions of the Durban area. the group could make it and the We’re still new to the game Figure 3.—Dierama pallidum at trip was therefore not thought and thus finding our feet, but Cliffdale Hill (Photograph: Peter to be safe. However, in Febru- we’ve had some encouraging Wragg). ary Peter Wragg, who is back results already. temporarily from the University Ecology, Evolution and Behav- Field trips have included an area of Minnesota where he is a PhD iour, accompanied some of us on in Drummond surveyed during student in the Department of a trip to Cliffdale Hill where we found good numbers of Dierama pallidum, Helichrysum spectaba- lis and Senecio exuberans.

‘Plant sleuth’ (to quote David Styles), Rod Edwards, recom- mended a visit to a grassland in Hillcrest opposite the Augusta Housing Estate that has been earmarked for a housing devel- opment. He described it, very appropriately, as a ‘wild flower garden’. This is a lovely area with hosts of species provid- ing a dazzling display to rival any the Western Cape can of- fer. It would be a tragedy if this magnificent flower garden were to disappear under lawns and 26 Figure 1.—Hallkirk Farm grassland: a wild flower garden. concrete as has been the fate Mpumalanga Plant Specialist Group (PSG)

he Mpumalanga Plant TSpecialist Group (PSG) was established in 1994 and has a current membership of around 50 people drawn from Mpuma- Figure 4.—Dierama pallidum and langa and further afield. friend (Photograph: Andrea Abbott). Members are predominantly amateur botanists who wish to actively learn about plants and each person is given the oppor- tunity to research and deliver a presentation on a botanical topic of their choice at the monthly meetings in Nelspruit. Over the last few years, PSG has taken on the CREW role for Mpumalanga and has searched for some of the plants on the Rare and Endangered List. Figure 1.—Monochoria africana in The November 2009 outing to the Limpopo Parque Reserve. Mahamba Gorge, Swaziland pro- duced several new records for Swaziland. This was followed by unusual plants unfamiliar to the a trip in December to the Pil- South African botanist were en- grim’s Rest dolomites where an countered, such as Hymenodic- Figure 5.—Sisyranthus anceps (Pho- tograph: Andrea Abbott). exciting new record of the fern tyon parvifolium, Monochoria af- Asplenium trichomanes was dis- ricana and Millettia stuhlmannii. covered. In February 2010 PSG In October, the PSG searched spent a weekend at Verloren- for the Endangered pincushion kloof Nature Reserve, a locality Leucospermum saxosum in the for the spectacular and Endan- Blyde River Canyon Nature Re- gered Gladiolus cataractarum of serve in the Steenveld area but which a specimen was collected it could not be located. Sadly, for the botanical artist Gill evidence of severe harvesting Condy to illustrate. In the same of the Critically Endangered month PSG visited Morgenzon Encephalartos cupidus was dis- Nature Reserve in the Pilgrim’s covered. Our last trip for the Rest area and found the newly- year was the annual monitoring Figure 6.—Sisyranthus anceps (Pho- described and Vulnerable root of the endemic (rare and ex- tograph: David Styles). parasite, Cytinus visseri, and tremely endangered) Dioscorea the Vulnerable Gladiolus cal- strydomiana. A few juvenile of so many grasslands in the caratus. In March, on behalf of plants were uncovered this year Upper Highway area. Among the Mpumalanga Tourism and that we had previously missed. the target species noted were Parks Agency, PSG assessed An exciting find in February Boophone disticha and Sisyran- the plant diversity of the newly 2011 was the exquisite and thus anceps. The latter is listed acquired Queen’s River Nature Vulnerable Cyrtanthus eucallus as Data Deficient. David Styles Reserve near Barberton and to in the very steep, rocky riverine mentioned that Sisyranthus draw up an initial plant list. In habitat in the Barberton Moun- anceps has possibly only been June, PSG members ventured tains. recorded twice in the last 100 across the South African bor- years and that it could be a der to exercise their 4x4 driving PSG also organised two study very rare KwaZulu-Natal Sour- skills in the Limpopo Transfron- weekends at the Buffelskloof veld/Ngongoni Veld endemic. tier Park, Mozambique, and Private Nature Reserve. In No- Let’s hope so; it might help re-acquaint themselves with vember 2009, members were save the garden! the flora of that region. Many treated to a course on ‘Botani- 27 cal Nomenclature’ presented by the inimitable Dr Hugh Glen who explained some of the history of plant naming conventions in a highly entertaining manner. Among PSG members there are some aspiring writers/re- searchers, and for these, John and Sandie Burrows presented ‘A guide to writing a botanical book and a scientific paper’ in which they imparted advice and expertise from their consider- able experience.

PSG is looking forward to more exciting finds on field trips and, along with CREW, contributing to the knowledge of plants in this magical corner of South Af- Figure 2.—The Mpumalanga Plant Specialist Group on the banks of the rica in 2011–2012. Limpopo River.

Help us spot these emerging invasive alien plants!

he purpose of the Early TDetection and Rapid Re- sponse (EDRR) Programme is to identify and act quickly in controlling emerging invasive alien plants before they be- come established. EDRR relies on your sharp eyes, therefore you are urged to assist us in locating the following top three emerging invaders. Diplocyclos palmatus (Family: Cucurbitaceae) is a perennial climber with thin stems grow- Figure 1.—Diplocyclos palmatus leaf Figure 2.—Fruit of Diplocyclos pal- ing up to 6 m long. Native to (Photographer: Chantal Motilall). matus (Photographer: Errol Dou- Australia, it is more commonly wes). known as the Lollipop Climber or Striped Cucumber. It is used in India for its medicinal prop- a lollipop, hence the common localities for D. palmatus have erties. The Lollipop Climber is name. The small white seeds in been identified thus far. One at found in low altitude forests, the fruit are toxic. Although the the Kloof Memorial Park and an- vine thickets and coastal flats. fruit resembles a tiny water- other at the Edgecliff Reserve. It has alternate, palmate leaves melon, it is poisonous and not Furcraea foetida (Family: Aga- which are hairy and bright edible. In KwaZulu-Natal two vaceae) is a succulent mono- green on the upper surface but pale and smooth underneath. Small yellow flowers appear from March to April. The fruits are initially green with white blotched stripes and ripen to 28 bright red-orange resembling cot with sword-shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette. Originating from South America and the Caribbean, it has been widely cultivated for fibre. This species invades rocky cliff-like habitats. F. foetida reproduces by way of vegetative bulbils with no defined reproductive season. Approximately 1 200 bulbils can be produced per plant. This mass production of bulbils results in ‘carpets’ of young plants, as each bulbil Figure 3.—Furcraea foetida (Photo- Figure 4.—Furcraea foetida bulbils, equates to a new individual. The graph: Reshnee Lalla). the reproductive structures (Pho- EDRR Programme has thus far tograph: Reshnee Lalla). detected F. foetida populations in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Research on control options are currently underway.

Sagittaria platyphylla (Family: Alismataceae) is a highly per- vasive emerging invader from North America severely threat- ening aquatic habitats. This semi-aquatic hydrophyte grows in shallow, slow-moving water, posing a threat to wetlands. It is very difficult to eradicate as it grows very fast and repro- Figure 5.—A mature Sagittaria platyphylla, the Delta Arrowhead plant (Pho- duces in several ways. S. platy- tograph: Hlobisile Sithole). phylla occur in two growth forms: emergent and sub- merged. The emergent form is characterised by broad leaves with clear lateral lines, but it varies from ‘sagittate’, meaning arrow-shaped, to ‘platy’, mean- ing broad-leaved. Therefore it is called Sagittaria platyphylla. It can be distinguished from other Alismatales by an unbranched flowerstalk that bears male (on top) and female flowers/fruiting bodies on one plant. The Early Detection and Rapid Response Programme on Emerging Invasive Alien Plants (EDRR) is run from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and funded by the Working for Water Pro- gramme of the Department of Water Affairs. The EDRR Programme can be contacted through e-mail: alien- [email protected] Reshnee Lalla, Hlobisile Sithole and Chantal Motilall from the EDRR Programme (KwaZulu- Figure 6.—Male flowers of Sagittaria platyphylla (Photograph: Hlobisile Sit- Natal) hole). 29 Plant Monitoring Day in the KwaZulu- Natal midlands

he CREW KwaZulu-Natal node, together with the Midlands Meander Education Project (MMEP), Tundertook Plant Monitoring Day with Grade 10 learners of two high schools in the Midlands—Dab- ulamanzi Combined School near Kamberg and Nottingham Road Combined School. The activity took the form of an introductory lesson about the importance of, and the threats to, biodiversity. I was assisted by the MMEP facilitator, Charlene Russell, with some explanations when she noticed that the learners didn’t quite understand all that was being presented. The learners of Dabulamanzi were shy and reserved, and both Charlene and I had to do a lot more work to encourage discussion than with the learners of Nottingham Road.

A follow-up lesson with learners from Dabulamanzi Combined School was a video about mining and medicinal plants in the Pondoland region. The learners were thrilled to watch a video that was mostly recorded in isiZulu with English subtitles! The field work was set for the following week, but due to the very late rains few plants were flowering and we decided to postpone the outing.

We now plan to conduct Plant Monitoring Day in the second term so that the activity does not clash with CREW’s frantic field season. This year, being Internationalnational Year of Forests, we plan to conduct the fieldtrip in the forest.

Suvarna Parbhoo

enrolled fforo Plant Conservation CREW and University of and Management. Manag This newfound partnership be- Zululand Partnership tween the two specialist units of SANBI and the University n September 2010, Isabel cal lectures to Botany students of Zululand aims to expose the IJohnson and Suvarna Parbhoo from the University of Zululand. next generation of botanical from CREW, as well as Lize von scientists to conservation in Staden from SANBI’s Threat- This was the first of what is to action. Through a short series of theoretical and practical con- ened Species Programme, pre- become an annual involvement tact sessions, students were sented theoretical and practi- with the final year students given a glimpse of the wide vari- ety of southern African conser- vation projects undertaken by CREW and TSP. In order to give students some firsthand experience in rare

Figure 2.—Searching for Didymo- 30 Figure 1.—University of Zululand students at Twinstreams, Mtunzini. plexus verrucosa near Mtunzini. plant conservation, they spent one Saturday morning gathering data on the orchid Didymoplexis verrucosa (Vulnerable). This very rare saprophytic ground orchid is known from only one locality at the Twinstreams En- vironmental Education Centre near Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal. Although other ground orchid species were recorded dur- ing a thorough and systematic search of the area, the target species could not be found. The day’s unsuccessful search highlighted the dire need for im- mediate and continued action in order to protect such rare species from what seems to be Figure 3.—Gaboon adder (Bitis gabonica), Mtunzini. imminent extinction. Fortunately the students’ hard work was handsomely rewarded perseverance and a bit of luck, gram to unravel the demograph- with a rare sighting of the we hope to rediscover the D. ic population trends of this rare geographically restricted and verrucosa population during species. increasingly rare Gaboon adder subsequent surveys in order to (Bitis gabonica). With dedicated set up a regular monitoring pro- THC Mostert

Kniphofia Identification Course (CREW–KwaZulu-Natal)

his genus can be a night- We then broke up into groups It was also great to meet new, Tmare to identify and using and attempted to key out some and catch up with old, botani- the key, written by L. Codd in fresh material, which reminded cal friends—an added bonus to 1968, is not easy. us that species boundaries in the workshop. We thank Syd this genus tend to be loose for all the time and effort taken Imagine the delight, then, of in some instances. Much dis- to prepare and give this most CREW volunteers when they cussion ensued regarding the useful workshop, as well as Su- had the opportunity to attend construction of botanical keys varna and Isabel for organising a course given by Kniphofia ex- and different ways in which to it. We look forward to the next pert, Dr Syd Ramdhani, on 25 one! interpret characters, and we all February at the Maloti (and learned something new. Christina Curry CREW) offices at Midmar. An introductory talk on the family Asphodelaceae and the genus Kniphofia in general, followed by a talk on biogeography and rare taxa, whet our appetite for the main offering—a guide to using the key. And, if you were won- dering how to pronounce the genus name, we were told that the K is not silent…

Syd systematically went through all the terminology in- volved in using the key, giving us formal definitions and show- ing us relevant illustrations. The bracts are really important and this is possibly the most Figure 2.—Dr Syd Ramdhani with a confusing feature in the key! Figure 1.—Kniphofia thodei. Red-hot Poker. 31 Expanding the CREW team

y name is Zikhona Mdala- Mse a BotSoc/CREW staff member assisting with adminis- trative duties in the Cape Town office. Figure 1.— Siphonochilus aethiopi- I became part of the BotSoc cus (Wild Ginger), a popular medici- family in May 2010. I was of- nal plant on the brink of extinction fered a six months internship due to over-harvesting. which entailed rendering assist- ance in the Botanical Society’s front desk assisting members tection against lightning and with opening and renewal of Figure 1.—Zikhona Mdalase, a new snakes and for treating illness. membership. On Fridays I addition to the CREW team. Healers who collect wild gin- worked in the CREW office do- ger say they use it to prevent ing administrative work, previously done by Wendy Paisley. I am en- themselves from being harmed rolled for a National Diploma in Nature Conservation at the Univer- by other toxic plants. The sity of South Africa (UNISA) and completing my second year. Swazis use it for treating ma- laria and menstrual pains. I am passionate about nature, particularly environmental education as I believe in making society aware of environmental issues. I be- The Red List data of South lieve that when society is informed of environmental issues and the Africa confirmed that there impact of irresponsible human behaviour, it will be easier to change are less than 600 plants left individual attitudes. Soon I will be involved in an Environmental Edu- in the wild. The KwaZulu-Natal cation Programme which BotSoc is planning to initiate. I would also population of S. aethiopicus has love to work with schools in the previously disadvantaged communi- been declared extinct and the remaining populations are criti- ties to raise awareness about our special biodiversity and how they cally endangered. The remain- can be involved in conserving it. ing populations are severely Since the beginning of the year I have been processing specimens, threatened because they occur capturing specimen data in the database and handling general ad- in unprotected areas especially ministrative work in the CREW office. Presently, my main task is to in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and assist with preparations for the volunteer workshop in April. Swaziland. I enjoy being part of the CREW team and look forward to the field The major threats to S. aethi- season because of the learning experience that will help me with opicus is harvesting for medici- my studies. Distance learning is very challenging and every piece nal use, no other threats are of practical experience will go a long way in helping me aachievechieveie my known due to poor documenta- goals. tion of this species. There is a need to consider other plant Zikhona Mdalase speciessp for substitution that arear not threatened but tradi- tionalt healers claim that the substitute species are not The Critically Endangeredreded as effective as S. aethiopicus. However, they are aware that their valuable medicinal source Siphonochilus aethiopicus iin is diminishing in the wild and feel that there is a need for con- South Africa servation measures both in situ and ex situ. The future survival iphonochilus aethiopicus the muti markets of South Af- of this species as well as many Sis one of the first South rica. The medicinal uses of S. other medicinal plants is highly African medicinal plants to be aethiopicus range from treating dependent on the development recorded for trade; this plant mild asthma, sore throat, men- of sound, sustainable harvest- strual cramps, hysteria, colds has gained its popularity due to ing practices. This will require a and flu, headache and many the medicinal properties of its solidified partnership between other illnesses depending on the aromatic rhizomes and roots. conservationists and medicinal area. It is known as a natural plant collectors. This plant is among the com- anti-inflammatory throughout 32 monly sold medicinal plants at Africa. The Zulus use it for pro- Thamsanqa Makade