Naude's Nek is one of the premier wild flower viewing sites in the Southern Drakensberg. The dirt road between Maclear and Rhodes in the Eastern Cape crests the high mountain range at an altitude of 2500 m. Photos on these pages were mostly taken January 18-19, 2010, when a number of friends botanized along the road and on the summit. Photos of species D-G are found on this page.
Dierama pauciflorum is found in clumps in marshy ground or forming tussocks in water, or singly on drier ground from the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe. Photos from Cameron McMaster, Mary Sue Ittner, and Bob Rutemoeller taken January 2010.
Dierama robustum grows from 1 to 2 meters tall and is widespread at high altitudes in grassland in the Eastern Cape and the Drakensberg. Photos from Bob Rutemoeller and Cameron McMaster taken January 2010.
Dierama trichorhizum grows in damp grassland in southern and tropical Africa. Photos taken by Cameron McMaster, Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Disa fragrans is found on mouuntain grassland, on rock sheets, around rock pools and on cliff ledges from 1800 to 3000 m from the Eastern Cape to Tanzania. Photos by Cameron McMaster, Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner taken January 2010.
Disa oreophila is found in the Drakensberg Mountains and grows from 10 to 35 cm. Photos from Cameron McMaster, Mary Sue Ittner, and Bob Rutemoeller.
Disa thodei is a slender species growing to 300 mm found along streams, in damp alpine grassland in the Eastern Cape and in KwaZulu-Natal from 1800 to 3000 meters. Photos taken in January at Naude's Nek by Cameron McMaster, Bob Rutemoeller, and Mary Sue Ittner.
Disperis tysonii grows on mountain grassland from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Mpumalanga. Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner January 2010.
Disperis wealei is found mainly on grassy seeps or flushes from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to the Northern Province. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster.
Eucomis autumnalis from southeastern southern Africa is found on rocky, grassy slopes and has white to greenish flowers blooming summer into fall. Photos taken January 2010 by Mary Sue Ittner.
Eucomis autumnalis ssp. clavata grows to 30 cm and is found in damp grassland, on slopes or at the foot of cliffs. Photo taken by Mary Sue Ittner.
Eucomis grimshawii grows in shaded, seasonally wet, south-facing grassy slopes below overhanging rocks, in rich, heavy black soil and in boggy conditions in the Drakensberg Mountains. Photo by Cameron McMaster shows it in seed.
Gladiolus longicollis is species found in a wide area of southern Africa, including the southern Cape, the eastern Cape, the Free State and the Northern Province. Photos from Cameron McMaster and Mary Sue Ittner.
Gladiolus saundersii is native to the southern and central Drakensberg and grows on rocky outcrops, scree slopes and other exposed habitats in dry spots that are seasonally wet. Photo by Cameron McMaster.
