What
Variable Courting Harlequin (Eulophia ovalis var. ovalis)Observer
christeenDescription
±150mm tall inflorescence, speading, 4 flowers, speading sepals, reddish in colour; white petals, lip white with pale yellow lip crest
Photos / Sounds
Observer
christeenDescription
±150mm tall plant, heart shaped, flat growing, single green leaf. Branched inflorescence of ±10mm flowers on slender stalks, white with bluish green midvein.
Observer
christeenDescription
±150mm inflorescence, ±10 flowers, white with dark purple spots. Growing in a sandstone crevice
What
Drakensberg Sheepfig (Delosperma lavisiae)Observer
christeenDescription
Mat forming succulent. ±7x3mm fleshy leaves. ±17mm bright cerise flowers with yellow center. Growing on sandstone outcrop.
What
Sheepfigs (Genus Delosperma)Observer
christeenDescription
Succulent, spreading plant growing near sanstone. ±50x6mm leaves, ±30mm flowers, white and pink with yellow centres, whorls of soft fine petals.
What
Large Mountain Ink Flower (Cycnium racemosum)Observer
christeenDescription
±250mm unbranched plant, Large ±55mm pink flowers, soft easily bruised, turning black
What
Thick Slime-Lily (Albuca setosa)Observer
christeenDescription
Green fleshy plant, ±230mm tall. Leaves narrow. Inflorescence above the leaves. Flowers white ±20mm, white with distinctive green stripe beneath sepals. Growing on a sandstone out crop.
Photos / Sounds
What
Tall Silver Sugarbush (Protea roupelliae ssp. roupelliae)Observer
christeenDescription
Seen on KZN Drakensberg mountain slope amongst a group of scattered
Protea roupelliae roupelliae
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus LatoiaObserver
christeenDescription
A stunning slug-like caterpillar eating a Protea roupelliae leaf on a mountain slope
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus LobobunaeaObserver
christeenDescription
Poplar Emporer
±5cm vivid neon lime green caterpillar
What
Curry Velvetworm (Peripatopsis birgeri)Observer
christeenPlace
Sani Lodge Backpackers, Sani Pass road, S Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Google, OSM)Description
Southern Velvet Worms
Family Peripatopsidae
A black worm like animal, with a white head and black antennae, with a velvety appearance, about 4cm long
What
Brown-veined White (Belenois aurota ssp. aurota)Observer
christeenDescription
Brown-veined White, Belenois aurota
Small white, brown veined butterflies, with yellow markings on the underside of their wings; flying in a NE direction. About 150 individuals flew over the ridge in this location today. Some stopped briefly to feed and rest as the wind was quite strong.
What
Genus LiliocerisObserver
christeenDescription
Small red bug
Very small, about 3mm. Would welcome an ID!
What
Berg Garlic (Tulbaghia montana)Observer
christeenDescription
Tulbaghia montana
Growing in amongst rocks on a dolorite hillside. Flowering inflorescence about 200mm high. Individual flowers about 5 x 3 mm, about 6 on a flowering stem. Whitish green with bright orange centres. Garlic smelling, long thin leaves, about 150mm in length.
What
Nasturtium Ragwort (Senecio oxyriifolius)Observer
christeenDescription
Senecio oxyriifolius
Round ^nasturtium^ type leaves, grey-green, about 60mm diameter. Tall slender flowering stems, branched, with ^old-paintbrush^ shaped flowers, dull yellow-ochre in colour. Growing amongst rocks on a dolorite hillside.
Photos / Sounds
What
False Gentian (Raphionacme hirsuta)Observer
christeenDescription
Raphionacme hirsuta
Small, clumped cushion like groups of flowers. No visible leaves at flowering. Bright purple, blunt-star shaped flowers, about 5 x 5mm diameter. Growing on a grassy, rocky dolorite hillside.
What
Lurid Storksbill (Pelargonium luridum)Observer
christeenDescription
Pelargonium luridium
Tall large inflorescence, about 600mm high. Individual flowers a salmon pink colour, petals soft and floppy, about 130mm in diameter. Leaves in a basal rosette, very deeply lobed, grey-green in colour, about 250mm in diameter. Growing in grass on a rocky
What
Small Yellow Stargrass (Hypoxis argentea)Observer
christeenDescription
Hypoxis argentea
Plant about 350mm high. Narrow v-shaped green leaves, sparsely covered in fine longish hairs, about 300mm long. Star shaped yellow flowers, slightly rounded petals, about 20mm in diameter. Growing on a grassy, rocky, dolorite hillside.
What
Eastern Shrubby Slugwort (Hebenstretia dura)Observer
christeenDescription
Hebenstretia dura
Slender plant, dense, crowded leaves along a greenish stem, topped by an inflorescence, about 500mm high. Leaves thin, about 10 x 1.5mm, green. The inflorescence about 75mm long, individual flowers about 15mm, yellow with bright orange blotch at the base
What
Catstail Slugwort (Hebenstretia comosa)Observer
christeenDescription
Hebenstretia comosa
Slender, sparsely leaved plant with an inflorescence at the growing tip, about 400mm high. Stem reddish in colour, leaves long and thin, about 30 x 2mm in length. Dense inflorescence, flowers creamy, about 10mm and scented. Growing in rocky grassland on t
What
Pale Eriosema (Eriosema kraussianum)Observer
christeenDescription
Eriosema kraussianum
Small plant about 150mm tall. Found amongst rocks on a dolorite ridge. Leaflets green, about 30 x 7mm. Flower inflorescences about 35mm tall, pale yellow flowers about 7mm in size.
What
Broadleaf Hairbell (Dierama latifolium)Observer
christeenDescription
Dierama latifolium
Found in open grassland on the top of a dolorite ridge. Plant about 800mm tall. Leaves about 700mm x 3mm. Flowers deep wine red with silvery bracts, about 25mm long.
What
Bietou (Osteospermum moniliferum)Observer
christeenDescription
Chrysanthemoides monilifera
Small scrubby bush about 50cm high. Leathery green, obovate, toothed leaves. Daisy type, yellow flowers and small fruits, green ripening to shiny black.
Observer
christeenDescription
Argyrolobium marginatum
Small creeping plant. Destinctive ^silver^ margin on leaf edges. Flowers yellow, in small clusters, each about 12mm in size. Legume type pods, hairy. In grass amongst a stony dolorite ridge.
What
Grassveld Blue Disa (Disa baurii)Observer
christeenDescription
Disa baurii
Ground orchid, only two other buds apart from the open flower. No leaves present. Purplish blue in colour with fringed lower edge. Found on a damp grassy, mountain slope. Flower size: about 25mm, stem about 250mm high.
What
Ouhout (Leucosidea sericea)Observer
christeenDescription
Leucosidea sericea
Shrubby tree, about 3m high on a dolorite hillside. Flower inflorescence a terminal spike about 75mm long, bearing small yellowish-green flowers with long stamens.
What
Treasure Flowers (Genus Gazania)Observer
christeenDescription
Gazania krebsiana
Bright yellow flowerheads about 60mm across. Long thin shiny dark green leaves, felted on underside, present at flowering. Found in burnt off grass on a dolorite ridge.
What
Natal Crocus (Apodolirion buchananii)Observer
christeenDescription
Apodolirion buchananii
Single, leafless flowers in grass. Sweet scented. Flower petals about 30mm across on ^stalk-like^ tube about 45mm high from the ground.
Observer
christeenDescription
Cyrtanthus tuckii
Flowering in recently burnt grassland. No leaves at the time of flowering. Flowers about 32mm long, red, green tipped. On a dolorite ridge, on an east facing slope.