This Saturday, 21st November, we walked on our burnt mountain again. Since March we have had winter rain, and we can see that the mountain slopes are green, green, green again. We can also see unbroken drifts of colour, where one plant, scarlet Watsonia, has taken over. The shrub and bush cover is gone, so annuals and bulbs celebrate their field day. Gradually the perennials, and trees in the kloofs will grow back and smother the small fry, until the next fire. And the wheel will turn again.
The restios and grasses look so inviting for the buck which would have been driven to the edge of the fire. And have struggled to find shelter and food ever since. Ficinia radiata, a sedge, looks as if the whole reserve has been scattered with gold stars for Christmas.
From plantZafrica - In the genus Ficinia almost all of the ± 60 species are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region. The genus was named in honour of D.H. Ficini who was the author of a Flora of Dresden. However, as far as can be ascertained, he had no connection with the Cape flora or with the Cyperaceae. When climate change is taken into account, one recognizes that many species of Ficinia may become threatened in future. These threats are severe since the genus consists of a majority of species endemic to the Western Cape. Ficinia is a characteristic genus of the Cape Flora i.e. fynbos, and is the largest genus of Cyperaceae/sedges that can be found outside tropical South Africa. There are at least thirty-three species in the Cape Peninsula alone. Many grow in fynbos on nutrient-poor sandstone soils.
An elaiosome (the appendage on the seed that is rich in oil) attracts ants, that then drag the seed into their nests underground. The ants eat off the elaiosome and leave the seed in the nest, where it can then germinate safely without being eaten by predators. In the fire-dependant Cape flora this is important as the seed is also protected from the heat of the burn. Sedges form an important component of wetlands, where they act as water purifying and erosion control agents. It is the rhizome or stolon that aids this function. The species grows in the southwestern region of the Cape Province where it is distributed from the Ceres Mountains southwards to Cape Town and the Western Cape. It grows on sandy lowlands and lower mountain slopes at altitudes between 200 and 2,500 m. Flowering time is from September to December.
Dilatris pillansii, in the Haemodoraceae (bloodroot) family, was new to me. Misty mauve flowers floating about half a metre above the ground. But many flowering plants are only seen, in profusion, or at all, with the first rain after a fire.
And finally a last lingering gaze at the Groot and Klein Winterhoek. Last seen capped with snow!
Since it is Thanksgiving today, we give thanks for
Seed and grass and flowers and bugs,
after our mountain fire,
by God’s grace,
9 comments:
It works, it works!
It always amazes me what beauty comes out of fires in nature. Makes me think that we as people should have a cleansing of the clutter and the choking stress that takes all our light and room to grow. Maybe underneath we too have an aray of simple little pleasures that just needed space to show themselves and brighten our world.
It is always amazing to me how certain plants come through a fire the better for having received such a horrifying treatment. Controlled burns are the norm for pine forests in this part of the US and for meadowland.
Scary are the uncontrolled burns that occur, not from lightning strikes so much as careless smokers and arsonists. Last year, we had smoke from 200 miles away where fire was out of control near the Okeefenokee Swamp in East Georgia. When the wind changed, smoke reached Atlanta, more than 200 miles north.
Carrie - I can remember moving out of a Swiss flat. All that STUFF. Came in, bit by bit. Now it all has to go down. 3 flights of stairs. Today. R u packing?
Nell Jean - our pines are plantations, or invasive aliens, depending on which side of the fence. A controlled burn in a pine forest sounds utterly terrifying. I remember scattered pine trees burning on Table Mountain above Camps Bay.
Diana~~ I love your photos and the regeneration. You all celebrate Thanksgiving? How cool is that? A happyday to you.
Grace - SA doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I have 2 nieces, and their families, living in USA. Thinking of them today!
Packing?? No but we do have a person coming for a second viewing and another a few hours after him.
No, I was talking metaphorically - you wil definately know when we sell the house!!
Our mountain grassland supports of the highest veldflower count in the country outside of the fynbos areas. In particular The Haenertsburg Common, an area of I guess 50+ hectare above the village is a famous and endangered habitat. Four years ago our balance of a 'cool' fire plus early rain was perfect, and the flower cover was the best in living memory. This year there was no fire after a good season last summer, so plenty of thatch, and you had to go looking for most flowers. Thanks for your ever interesting posts, Diana.
So Jack we can hope for pictures of your Common from then, in a future post? Please?
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