Eastern Cape Trip
Mary Sue Ittner (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