Fynbos

The Western Cape, and the Cape Peninsula in particular, is world-famous for its diverse, endemic flora — in fact, The Cape Floral Region — comprising eight protected areas stretching from the Cape Peninsula to the Eastern Cape — was the sixth South African site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), and whilst the smallest of these, it is considered the richest.

Aloes

Known more commonly by its Afrikaans name, Bergaalwyn. They occur quite commonly on the back table of Table Mountain in the area of the huts, and near the Overseer’s Hut.

Sightings: The huts at the dams, and near the Overseer’s Hut on the Back Table; slopes of Lion’s Head.

Anaxeton laeve

Sightings: on trail to wall of dam on Table Mountain

Arum Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica

The tubers are a favorite food for Porcupines!

This beautiful lily is a common site in Cape Town. It is also known as the “Varkblom” (Afrikaans for “pig-flower”) in damp or swamp-like areas.

Sightings: top of Newlands ravine

Autumn Painted Lady

Gladiolus monticola

Sightings: Pipe Track [late April]; Devil’s Peak [late April - after fire]

Autumn Star

Empodium Plicatum

This stunning small guy occurs as a single flower. I spotted quite a few dotted on the slopes above Oude Schip where they like the granite soil.

Sightings: Oude Schip [May]

Blister Bush

Peucedanum galbanum

This little bit of nastiness is, I guess, our answer to poison ivy. It causes bad blistering of the skin if you come in contact with it.  The effect is triggered by sunlight: in theory, if you do come into contact with it and cover the site of contact immediately, there will be no blistering. Let me know if you are brave enough to put this to the test!

The plant is a member of the carrot family. The leaves look remarkably like celery leaves. The brown flower in this photo is the flower head – the little flowers would be a yellow color when in bloom.

Sightings: Platteklip; Pipe-track extension; Constantia Corner; Fountain Ledge; Ledges [late February]; Right Face—Arrow Face Traverse [late February].

Blue Disa

 

Disa graminifolia

The Blue Disa is fairly rare. Unlike the Red Disa which tends to occur in numbers in specific areas they find suitable, the Blue Disa usually occurs singularly, and sporadically.

It is an orchid, similar in shape to the Red Disa, but is a pretty purplish-blue color. It occurs in drier, rocky areas.

Sightings: above Llandudno Ravine [early February]; near Aqueduct off Smuts Track [late February].

Butterfly Lily

Wachendorfia paniculata

This beautiful flowering plant grows in profusion after a fire.

Sightings: path from Beaverlac campsite to the Main Pool [late October]; Bobbejaansrivier [December].

Cape Everlasting

This occurs fairly commonly on slopes in less damp areas.

Cape Gorse

Cat’s Claws

Hyobanche sanguinea

Cat’s Claws – a weird sponge-like looking plant – which is actually a parasite that feeds off the roots of other plants.

Sightings: Cape Point Nature Reserve.

Chandelier Lily

Brunsvigia orientalis

Sighting: Robberg Peninsula [late March]

Chincherinchees

Ornithogalum thyrsoides

A beautiful cluster of white flowers in a sharp, conical shape. Occurs commonly in fairly large numbers. Can be seen on the grassy centre islands  of the M3 below Newlands Forest.

My earliest memory of these flowers was going to pick them on the Duckitt farm near Darling.

Sighting: Rhodes Memorial [late October, November]

Cluster Disa

Disa ferruginea

Another member of the orchid family. Unlike the usual one or two flowers that you see on the Blue or Red Disa, the Cluster Disa sports many, bright red flowers in a triangular cluster.

Sightings: Constantia Corner [early March]

Common Paintbrush

Haemanthus sanguineus

The Common Paintbrush (or in Afrikaans, Veldskoenblaar) is a member of the Amaryllis family.

It looks similar to the related H.Coccineus which has a barred / spotted stem. I have seen both species together in Oudekraal Ravine.

Sighting: Totem Poles in the Cederberg; Devil’s Peak [late April - after fire]; Oudekraal Ravine; Bontebok National Park [late february].

Common Paperflower

Edmondia sesamoides

These guys are commonly white, and found in open sunny areas. I saw plenty of these pink ones on the Bloupunt Trail in Montagu.

Crassula orbicularis

Crassula orbicularis

We found these pretty little members of the Crassula family on the slopes above the river in Cogman’s Kloof, Montagu.

Sighting: Bold and the Beautiful Crag, Montagu [October]

Foetid Cape Tulip

Moraea ochroleuca

Spotted this guy in abundance on the Upper Contour path on Table Mountain in spring.

Guernsey Lily

Nerine sarniensis

This stunning lily is a rare find! A member of the Amaryllis family, it was first described on Guernsey Island, even though it is endemic to the Cape .

Sightings: Blackburn Ravine [April]

Kaapse Kokerboom

Aloe plicatilis

Sightings: slopes of Lion’s Head

March Lily

Amaryllis belladonna

I saw one of these flowers along the contour path between Hout Bay Corner and Myburgh’s Ravine. It is so beautiful, and seemingly out-of-place, that I started to believe that maybe it was a foreign bulb that someone had dropped or planted there for some obscure reason.

I saw a few more of them near the Breede River in the Bontebok National Park, and  managed to photograph them this time.

Whilst very rare in the wild, ironically the best display you will see is all along the island in the middle of the M3 between UCT and Paradise Road traffic lights!

Sightings: Hout Bay contour path [February]; Bontebok National Park [late February]

Medusa’s Head

Euphorbia caput-medusae

This guy, also known by the Afrikaans name “Vingerpol” is listed in my little book as being quite rare — so I was well chuffed to find a couple of them on the slope above Oude Schip.

Sightings: Oude Schip [May, July (flowering)]

Nerine

Nerine humilis

This member of the Amaryllis family flowers from March to June.

Sightings: Cogman’s Kloof [April]

Ninepin Heath

Erica mammosa

Sightings: Silvermine West [June]

Oldenburgia paradoxa

I found this unique specimen at the summit of Bloupunt, on the Bloupunt Trail in Montagu. It took me ages to find a book that listed this plant − and I hope that I have at last identified it correctly!

It is difficult to assess how much of the overall mass is the plant, and how much is the rock it is growing on. It appears to be made up of hundreds of smaller plants, with quite tough, leathery leaves, and fluffy flowers.

The third photo from a more recent trip, and gives you a better indication of the overall size of this plant. Seeing it again was like meeting up with a long-lost friend! I have only ever seen this one specimen, and I have yet to meet someone who has seen one, or knows anything about it.

Sightings: summit of Bloupunt Trail, Montagu

Parasol Lily

Crossyne guttata

When I first saw this flower, I actually reached down to pick it up thinking it was some kind of “tumbleweed”!

Like much of the fynbos, it flowers best after fire, and prefers sandier, flat areas.

Sightings: Bontebok National Park [late february];Cogman’s Kloof Trail, Montagu [March]

Hooded-leaf Pelargonium

This shrub is common on the slopes of Table Mountain in spring, and puts on an impressive display of pink.

Sightings: abundant on Table Mountain

Pelargonium dipetalum

This Pelargonium has only two petals at the top of the flower, and stamens sporting red anthers.

Sighting: Noupoort, Greyton [October]

Pelargonium scabrum

Sightings: Beaverlac [October]

Purple Watsonia

Watsonia borbonica

This absolutely stunning flowering plant is abundant on the slopes of Table Mountain in the spring-time.

They flower prolifically, occurring in large displays of flowering plants, especially after fire.

Sightings: Jonkershoek [November]

Red Afrikaner

Gladiolus priorii

This pretty red flower is known in Afrikaans as the Rooipypie.

Sightings: Devil’s Peak [July]

Red Crassula

Crassula coccinea

Fairly common — these guys grow in the cracks of rocks, and often look like the are growing straight out of the rock itself.

The flowers are bright, scarlet red and can be seen standing out in stark contrast against the rocks they grow amongst.

Sightings: Twelve Apostles Path [February]; Ledges [late February]

Red Disa

Disa uniflora

This rare member of the Orchid family is truly beautiful to behold. It is the largest South African orchid. It flowers in January and February and occurs in permanently wet or moist areas. Whilst they only occur in very specific locations, when they do occur they do so in surprisingly spectacular, abundant displays.

It is the floral emblem of the Western Cape.

Sightings: Myburgh’s Waterfall Ravine [early February], Table Mountain [early March]

Restios

One of the major groups under fynbos, the restios are by and large indistinguishable from one another to all but an expert.

Sandviooltjie

Lachenalia rubida

Sightings: Oude Schip

Sickleleaf Conebush

Leucadendron xanthoconus

This is the most abundant protea on the Peninsula, and often colors an entire mountain slope in yellow.

Sightings: Table Mountain [August]

Silvertree

Leucadendron argenteum

Sightings: Lion’s Head, Kirstenbosch

Sissies

Brachysiphon fucatus

Unmistakable bushes with small, bright pink flowers.

Sightings: Back Table [June]

Smooth-leaved Bush Bugloss

Lobostemon glaucophyllus

Sighting: near Oude Schip [July]

Table Mountain Watsonia

Watsonia tabularis

Watsonias flower best after a fire, and enjoy moist / marshy conditions.

Sightings: Twelve Apostles Path [early February]

Wild Dagga

Leonotis leonurus

The best example of this I have seen is on the verge of one of the roads in the business park where I work in Tokai.

It does occur quite commonly on the mountain.

Sightings: Lion’s Head; Bontebok National Park [February]

Unidentified

I am doing my best to identify the plants I see using these two books (both available from Exclusive Books):

• “Common Wild Flowers of Table Mountain“ by Hugh Clarke & Bruce Mackenzie. Its a clever little field guide that is organized by color!
• “Field Guide to Fynbos“ by John Manning. A more extensive reference work.

Here are some photos I have taken of plants I have NOT been able to identify. I would greatly appreciate anyone being able to help me identify them correctly.

This flowering plant was also quite common along the Bloupunt Trail in Montagu. It appears to be some kind of Gladiolus; the closest I have found to it in any book is the Gladiolus priorii.

This yellow flower was seen at Beaverlac in the Cederberg.