A South African Nature Guide Spots a Bulb Baroe Plant - Observation of the Week, 10/27/20

Our Observation of the Week is this Cyphia bulbosa var. bulbosa plant, seen in South Africa by @trosoa!

Johan October grew up in South Africa, and as a child his uncle would take Johan and his cousin on weekend walks in the mountains. “He was always fascinated by all the flowers and plants and everything around him,” recalls Johan. He would tell the boys plant names and various medicinal uses for them. 

Being a boy of about eleven or twelve years old, I always thought in my mind, "Uncle, you're crazy!!! All the flowers and plants look the same to me, I don’t want to know this..." Little did I know, that what he introduced me to would one day become my interest, my passion, my love, my job.

Yes, Johan now works as a professional mountain guide and knows quite a bit about the Fynbos - knowledge which he then teaches to the guests who visit. He spotted the Cyphia bulbosa var. bulbosa plant in a special area of Table Mountain which requires a permit. Unfortunately his guests canceled, but he took some friends to the area and they were pretty excited to explore it. The plant was one of nineteen observations Johan made that day, and he said he want right to it when he spotted it. It was the first observation of this species in that restricted area in five years!

“Today I'm using iNaturalist for reference to any living organism in our area, as well as South Africa,” says Johan (above). “I consider myself as conservationist and a protector of the Natural world. If i could do more to preserve, protect and look after our planet, I MOST DEFINITELY WILL do so!!”

- Johan leads some of the tours listed here.

- The species Cyphia bulbosa is commonly known as bulb baroe, but unfortunately I can’t find too much information about the species or genus online. If anyone has cool facts about this plant, please share in the comments!

Posted on October 27, 2020 06:53 PM by tiwane