Travelogue to Namaqualand

UCBG horticulturist Ethan Fenner has embarked on an incredible journey to South Africa! For the first time, he will see many of the unique plants he cares for here at the Garden thriving in their natural habitat. Ethan, along with Director of Collections Andrew Doran and Research Associate Tim Gregory, will begin their journey in Cape Town and travel north into Namaqualand, where they will explore this vast region known for its remarkable biodiversity.

Read the full trip itinerary on the Garden Stories blog here— and pull up a chair as we hear directly from Andrew about their journey!

One of the striking observations of the day was the mimicry between two separate species of geophytes in the family Iridaceae–Geissorhiza radians and Babiana rubrocyanea. Both flowers have a wine-colored center with a blue exterior, no doubt to attract a similar pollinator.

Growing in the moist sands nearby were two different species of carnivorous sundew, Drosera pauciflora, and Drosera cistiflora (pictured in the slide show below). Both species were in full flower.

Our group attempted to locate a Lampranthus coccineus amongst the colors of the annuals and geophytes. Kirstenbosch horticulturist Adam Harrower found the first plant, and UCBG horticulturist Ethan Fenner lucked out in finding the first flower! This critically-endangered plant exists in only five populations, with an estimated 250 mature plants left in the wild.

In addition to the stunning display of wild flowers, Tim Gregory had his first sighting of the parrot beaked tortoise (Homopus areolatus) in the wild.

Our first stop was Gannabos Quiver Tree Forest, a spectacular ecosystem of Aloidendron dichotomum, superficially similar to Joshua Tree National Park. The dark shales allow the substrate to elevate to high temperatures, warming the shallow roots and seemingly enabling these trees to thrive.

Shown below: These ancient tree specimens, with flaking epidermis weathered under the African sun, have endured countless hardships—from parking cars to camping and poaching. Tim Gregory (UCBG Research Associate) and our guide Karel de Toit discuss the changes that have occurred since the installation of a fence to protect the quiver trees (Aloidendron dichotomum).

Our next stop was Nieuwoudtville Waterfall that has a fall of over 90 meters. Two Crassula were to be found tucked into crevices surrounding the falls.

One of the last stops of the day was a nice hike at the Hatam Botanical Garden. More a reserve than a botanical garden in the strict sense, it contained many floral wonders—the highlight of which was the striking Lessertia frutescens, or cancer bush, which we caught in spectacular full flower. It gets its local name from reports of a wide variety of medicinal uses, research into which is ongoing. These flowers are followed by equally spectacular, rattling bladder-like seed pods.

This began with a short drive to the most spectacular quartz pavement (pictured below), an environment that sounded as amazing as it looked. Quaggaskop was named as the habitat for a zebra that had stripes only on its front half and was hunted to extinction.

The high light intensity reflected by the quartz has led to the evolution of highly specialized plants adapted to the quartz substrate. Many of these plants are known as ‘window plants,’ which reduce the amount of light absorbed and help the plant stay cool. Argyroderma delaetii is the dominant succulent typical of this flora, mimicking the quartz pebbles by camouflaging itself with an almost silver epidermis. Miniaturization is a common adaptation in this environment, as there is no need to grow tall due to the intense light. Walking on the pavement in bright sunlight feels like walking on snow—the reflected light is so strong that sunglasses are essential.

Another ubiquitous plant is the red Oophytum nanum (pictured above), which creates a striking contrast against the white quartz. These highly miniaturized succulents have evolved an ovoid shape that minimizes transpiration. Their vibrant “fall colors” turn from green in winter, to red in fall and eventually white in summer, the white appearance resulting from a papery sheath that protects the plant from intense sunlight.

Not only are the plants in this environment well camouflaged but so are the animals! A horned adder, appropriately named Bitis caudalis was the highlight of the day. It is quite venomous and like many of the plants it is poached for the exotic pet trade.

Also paying us a visit was the toad cricket which when placed next to a piece of quartz is another illustration of how these animals blend into their environment.

Stay tuned for more posts as the Garden Team continues their travels through Namaqualand!