Eastern Cape Trip

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:48:18 PST
As I mentioned before, we had the opportunity to spend the morning on 
Gaika's Kop after Cameron immediately came up with a plan for much 
improved accommodations when a place new to him turned out to be a 
disappointment.

Gaika's Kop is a isolated dolerite outcrop in the Amatola mountain 
range in the Eastern Cape. The portion we were exploring is managed 
by a local forest company that periodically burns it and it had been 
burned in the past year so Cameron thought it might be a good place 
to visit and it was. We divided into two groups with some of us 
choosing to explore the lower part of the mountain which was mostly 
grassland although there were a number of rocky areas. Four traveled 
to the summit which had a whole different group of plants. Since my 
husband went to the summit and I stayed on the lower area we have 
pictures taken both places. Cameron was kind enough to furnish some 
text about Gaika's Kop and I have added some habitat shots. I'll add 
the table in a few days.
<http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…>

On the lower slope we saw an Albuca which was not identified, but I'm 
wondering if it could be Albuca nelsonii. Also we saw Agapanthus 
praecox, including one growing in a depression in the rocks. Bulbine 
abyssinica was in various stages of bud and bloom and is quite a 
striking plant. And we saw a lot of Dierama pulcherrimum. On the way 
coming and going to the summit was a Cyrtanthus huttonii  growing in 
the rockface. And on the summit they saw two Disas, Disa 
chrysostachya and Disa sagittalis.
<http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…>

More to come from Gaika's Kop in the next couple of days.

Mary Sue


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