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 O-Z are found on this page.
Ornithogalum sp. photographed by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller.
Ornithogalum viridiflorum previously and still sometimes known as Galtonia viridiflora grows on cliffs and steep rocky slopes in drier areas in the Drakensberg. The first three photos taken by Cameron McMaster. Photos four and five were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis obliquifolia is found in grassland up to 3000 meters elevation from Ethiopia to South Africa. Photos taken January 2010 by Mary Sue Ittner.
Oxalis spp. We saw two species we were unable to identify. Photos of the first from Mary Sue Ittner taken January, 2010.
Another species or perhaps two were seen January 2010. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
Rhodohypoxis baurii is native to the Eastern part of South Africa where it grows in grassland and rocky places.
Rhodohypoxis deflexa is another small species growing to 5 cm found in the Drakensberg where it grows in marshy turf from 2700 to 3250 m. Photos taken by Cameron McMaster.
Rhodohypoxis rubella is a dainty grasslike species growing up to 3 cm tall found in shallow pools and seasonally flooded silt patches, mostly on the summit in the Drakensberg Mountains. Photo by Cameron McMaster.
Photos taken from Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller January 2010 are probably Rhodohypoxis baurii, but we also saw Rhodohypoxis rubella and I am finding it difficult to tell them apart from my photos. The first photos illustrate the habitats they were growing in:
The photos below show close-ups of flowers and leaves:
Romulea camerooniana (syn. Romulea campanuloides, Romulea thodei) grows in highlands ranging across a huge swath of Africa, stretching from the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa to Kenya, Sudan, southern Ethiopia, and Cameroon. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Romulea macowanii is a species with a golden yellow flower found from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Cameron McMaster. The last photo shows both Romulea species growing together.
Satyrium ligulatum has a wide distribution in South Africa and yellowish-green to white flowers that are tinged purple. Photo by Cameron McMaster.
Satyrium longicauda grows in grassland, rocky areas and marshes from the Southern Cape of South Africa to tropical Africa. Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner January 2010.
Satyrium neglectum is found in moist grassland from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Tanzania. Photos taken by Cameron McMaster.
Satyrium parviflorum is found in moist or dry grassland, among rocks from the southern Cape of South Africa to the Eastern Cape and tropical Africa. Photos taken January 2010 by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller.
Trachyandra saltii is found in grassland in tropical and southern Africa. Photo taken by Mary Sue Ittner January 2010.
Tritonia drakensbergensis is found on the southern parts of the Drakensberg range in the northern Eastern Cape. Photo by Cameron McMaster.
Tulbaghia montana is a high mountain species found in the Drakensberg. Photos taken January 2010 by Cameron McMaster and Mary Sue Ittner.
Wurmbea elatior is found in marshes or streambanks in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Photos by Cameron McMaster and Bob Rutemoeller.
Wurmbea kraussii is a small plant to 10 cm found on damp places in grassy slopes in the Eastern Cape. Photos taken in January by Mary Sue Ittner and Cameron McMaster.
