After a walk on Table Mountain - above - with my friend Marijke, a whim led me to point the Landcruiser towards Signal Hill, on the off chance that I might see some spring flowers.
What a whim!
I made noises as I walked.
Happy noises.
How beautiful. And on the first day of South Africa's spring.
The white flowers like snow are Cape daisies, or rain daisies - Dimorphotheca pluvialis. And it has rained for a couple of days, after a lower-than-average winter rainfall. Between them, the geophytes (bulbs, corms, tubers - all underground storage organs) are beginning to open.
The unfortunately named Morea flaccida, above. [Correction: I think it is M. miniata]
Oxalis obtusa, above, in mats inbetween the white.
Lotononis prostrata, above - no more than an inch tall.
Hermannia althaefolia, above. I love the Hermannias, like little bells.
Nemesia barbata - occurs mostly after fire, and fire was here. So tiny, so perfect, so dramatic in miniature.
Hm. I don't know, above. [Ha, got it! Zaluzianskya divaricata]
What a city.
On a side note:
I renewed my Botanical Society of South Africa membership yesterday. It gains me free entry to any national botanic garden - like Kirstenbosch - in South Africa (I boosted my membership this year to include a guest). If you appreciate our plants and their environment, please buy a membership. Membership fees keep this extraordinary NGO alive, staffed by volunteers. The Botanical Society produces the exceptional field guides that describe our flora by region, and it supports vital conservation work and education. I consider membership of the Botanical Society to be part of our floral civic duty.
You can purchase membership at any national botanical garden (much faster and easier) or online.
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Such magnificent beauty. Pulse up. Adrenaline rising. Will there be boerewors?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful show, thank you.
ReplyDeletesimply gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteStunning.
ReplyDeleteThose wildflowers are amazing. Including that Morea - nothing flaccid about that flower stalk - with beautiful pale coloring!
ReplyDeleteI love the field of rain daisies I can just imagine you walking through them making little happy noises.
ReplyDeleteThe Lotononis with their headdresses, like models in a 1950s fashion show -- awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat nemesia!
ReplyDeleteSpectacular! What a beautiful part of South Africa you have introduced us to over the years...thank you! Leslie
ReplyDelete