Drying itself in the sun, approx 1cm above the water. Flew away after about 10 minutes.
Odd bits of leaf sealed onto the upper side of leaves, containing small larvae. On Scutia myrtina.
hidden away like a small island in the middle of a big ocean
shallow soils over rocky areas, above forest patch close to sea, one or two patches where abundant only
My brother together with Terrance the guy in the picture, safely and umharmed got this big beautu into a bucket. For a few days now they keep seeing a snake by the pallats, but keeps dissapearing about 30 minutes ago, they saw the snale again and safely re-located it into the field not to far from the workshop. I am very proud of them for handling the snak woth such love and care. Snake was released safely and unharmed.
SPECIAL - Only one obs. uploaded on iNat
Photo credits: Etienne De Beer.
Holothrix sp. nova. "outeniquaensis"
This observation is for the porcupine
Day after first heavy rain 20 mm. River bank on basalt hillside.
Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland (Rhigozum obovatum-Senegalia mellifera open scrubland)
Clear liquid / gel squeezed from leaves into glass bowl.
Sheltered, forested river pass on rocky cragg. Matches Bulbine lagopus illustrated in Audrey Moriarty's wildflower guide of 1982.
The Outramps discovered the 2nd only colony of Mimetes chrysanthus in 1996 when we were working for the Protea Atlas Project. The first colony was found 100kms to the west at Gamkaberg in 1987. It was one of the most exciting and memorable moments in our lives. This is why I have chosen it for the iSpot Celebratory Launch.
It is also a tribute to Casey Nootenboom who produced the most stunning photographs over the years for the Outramps. Health issues now prevent his joining us on field trips, but his wonderful photos will remain a lasting legacy.
We live out in the sticks far away from the corridors of botanical power. For us, iSpot has been a life-changing experience. We now have a whole community of like-minded people and experts to help us. The linking of the Red List to iSpot has made a huge difference to the work we do for CREW.
Thank you Tony, for all your help and enthusiasm and for making it so much fun. Long live iSpot!!
Mimetes chrysanthus is Redlisted as Vulnerable
Parasitic plant producing deep red flowers in clusters that protrude above ground. Males and females produced on separate plants (dioecious). Not scented (at least not what humans can detect). Flowers comprise only 4 very dark maroon-coloured perianth lobes with inclined hairs covering most of their surface except for the margins. Confined to the Cape Peninsula (so far). This plant has only been available for study as a result of its discovery by amateur botanists.These piccies were taken after Jayne McDermid and Marland Holderness had found the plants and let me know about them.
The body is 7.5cm and the tail 5cm.
Two tiny young shrews seen on forest floor in Nature’s Valley, making soft sounds. The one appeared to be unwell, on its back.
Rat caught in a DOC200 trap.
2 weeks between its first visit to trap and being caught (see 974739). Bait: Peanut butter.
Female, body length aprox 20cm, tail 15cm, weight aprox 160gm.
Second photo is from a monitoring infrared webcam and is the product of low light levels and slow shutter speeds - simultaneously showing the live rat, the trigged trap closing and the closed trap (so we have a photo of a simultaneously alive and dead rat).
see also 975015
Central Free State Grassland (Vachellia karroo woodland)
Note the pale green/yellow coloration behind the lip in the 3rd photo. Also note the 4th pic- it closely matches the illustration by Bolus of the plant he presumed was forficaria.
Three flowering plants found at site. Height range across specimens 250-500mm. Leaves up to 150mm long. Lip 7mm. Petals 8mm. Median sepal 9mm. Lateral sepals 8mm.
Found while exploring a small wetland. The first indication of its presence was two "zick" notes soon followed by the typical call. Only a solitary male was heard and found. See http://frogmap.adu.org.za/Species_text.php?sp=40
Growing within two metres of L. prostratum. Will they not hybridise?
Just inland of the white coastal dunes
Spat out of someone's mouth after he drank it from his opaque water bottle.
Wolseley Conebush Leucadendron spirale
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This Conebush is undoubtedly the ‘ugly duckling’ in the genus. Describing it in 1809, Richard Salisbury - in Knight's book on the cultivaton of proteas - noted that ‘cuttings grow freely, but possessing little beauty it should only be admitted in extensive collections’. Indeed, few people would recognise it as a Conebush, as its leaves are small and ericoid, and the fully mature cones, are only 20 mm in diameter.
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L. spirale has been collected only four times in the past:
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* James Niven found it in 1801 at the Breede River;
* Leopold Mund collected it at the same locality in 1819;
* James Bowie gives as his locality the swamps at Soetmelkrivier and Langklooof (but he has a reputation for giving incorrect localities); and
* Alfred Meebold collected it in 1933, describing the locality as ‘Wolseley, heath, containing only few species, but river ground and swampy ground, few hours only’.
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As far as is known the plant is extinct, but some populations may still lurk in the Worcester Valley.
If the Breede River and Wolseley localities are correct most of its habitat has probably been ploughed up, but small pockets of plants may still exist.
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Acknowledgements for drawing: Nicci Page
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A R1000 Reward of was offered, and posted around Tulbagh, Wolseley and Worcester, between 1995 and 2000 for the finding of confirmed plants - it was never claimed.
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The plant has needle-like, rough, leaves 4-9mm long. The male flowerheads are 6-8 mm long and do not have floral bracts - they probably liberate clouds of pollen if knocked while flowering. The female plants produce seed-bearing cones: these form hard balls about 20 mm round. It is closely related to the Strawberry Conebush, which has longer leaves, and bigger, red cones. It probably flowers in summer.