Laingsburg: day three

Albuca sp with Antimima sp. next to it

I had a vain hope at one point that I would do a day by day account of each day of our wonderful last September's trip to South Africa. I began loading pictures from a day trip we took out of Matjiesfontein to Laingsburg--in an intriguing area that's along the southern boundary of the Great Karoo, with elements of fynbos hopscotching on steep slopes down from the Swartberg to the south. I loaded only about half the pictures and realized this would become an impossible task. So I shall settle for what I have: South Africa is simply TOO MUCH. 

Albuca spiralis?

I know there IS such a thing as Albuca spiralis, and this would seem to qualify. I don't have a monograph of Albuca--for all I know there are several spiral leaved Albuca there! Don't put anything past South Africa!

Aloe variegata

We sat this quite a few places including the high Roggeveld. What a treat it would be to have a cold hardy strain in our Zone 5 gardens! I say it's possible...

Anacampseros papyracea

What on earth possesses a plant to look like bird poop?

Anacampseros sp. ign.

We must have seen a dozen species of Anacampseros during the trip. One stranger than the next. Alas, too early for their pearly white or pink flowers!

Antimima cf elevata

I am growing an antimima that looks like this with that name. There are so many species in that amazing genus (many of which possess cold hardy forms) we've barely scratched the surface.

Aptosimum aff. procumbens

Delighted to find a pinkish form of this usually dark blue purple species. I have dozens of pictures of this genus from the trip--incredibly variable in stem and leaf, but always with those fantastic penstemon like flowers!

Aptosimum aff. procumbens

A more typical flower form. Guessimg on the specific epithet.

Antimima or Ruschia shrublets

Karel Du Toit with very cool Asteraceae

We never did figure out which species this very showy asteraceous sbrub was. And now for lots of pictures almost in alphabetical order of a few of the hundreds of fabulous plants we saw...
 

Crassula compacta

Conophytum piluliforme

Augea capensis

Crassula corallina

Crassula hemisphaerica

Crassula rupestris

Crassula sp. ign.

Cylindrophyllum comptonii

Euphorbia multiceps

Gazania krebsiana

T

This looks more like 'Tanager'--the form of krebsiana in Plant Select--than what grows on the Roggeveld...

Gibbaeum sp. ign.

Haworthia viscosa

Lapeirousia sp. ign.

Leopoldtia sp. ign.

Lithops terricolor

Mesembryanthemum sp,

Pleiospilos compactus

Proteaceae sp.

Quaqua mammilaris

Ruschia sp.

Senecio (Curio) radicans

Stapeliad

Another Stapeliad

Stomatium loganii

Finally! a plant we're apt to succeed with: Stomatium seems to possess a lot of cold tolerance. I'd love to try this one!

Typical glimpse of Nama karoo--with uptilted shale strata clearly visible...

Ancient writing?

Aboriginal? Aliens? Burma Shave?

Aizoaceae sp.

Aizoaceae sp.

Tylecodon reticulatus

One of our first glimpses (we were to see this dozens of times along the drive all the wag to Namaqualand) of this almost mythical genus of Crassulaceae.

The name of the game in South Africa: there are a few species with wide distributions (Felicia filifolia, Cotyledon orbiculata and Drosanthemum floribundum leap to mind) which you can find over a vast range of the country--but by and large a large percentage of South Africa are restricted far more. Each time you pause to look, you're apt to find a whole suite of new plants you'd not seen before and which you may never encounter again. Which is why we need to get back again soon!