Date: Thu, 08 Jan 98 18:18:24 GMT From: saharris@iafrica.com (Eric Green) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg100$foo@default> Subject: SACPS fieldtrip to Silvermine, Cape Town
Greetings fellow cp enthusiasts,
Robert here in Cape Town with a brief hot-off-the-press account of a
South African Carnivorous Plant Society fieldtrip to the Silvermine
area, in the Cape Range, today. Dot and Mark Cappaert (secretary and
president of the SACPS), their Belgiun friend Elizabeth, Eric Green and
I spent the afternoon near Silvermine, approximately 10km south of Table
Mountain. The highlight of the afternoon was the discovery of a natural
hybrid, by Elizabeth. It was also interesting to experience highly
localised rain in this coastal hilly region.
The following species were seen - D. capensis, D. aliciae, D. trinervia, D.
glabripes, D. ramentacea, U. bisquamata and D. hilaris. All but the last
species were in flower; D. hilaris was dormant. Where D. capensis and D.
aliciae grew together a superb example of the natural hybrid between both
species was found. It has a semi-erect rosette, to 8 cm across; is
effectively stemless; the scape has an initially downcurved base, and for
the vertical portion, is covered in short-stalked retentive glands. From this
it appears that its parentage is D. aliciae (seed parent) x D. capensis
(pollen parent). Whilst this hybrid has been produced artifically on almost
every continent it was still brilliant to see that it does occur in nature.
The expedition certainly demonstrates how revisiting favourite fieldsites
can continue to yield pleasant surprises:-) It was also a pleasure to meet
Dot, Mark and Elizabeth.
Cheers,
Robert
PS. For further information on the South African Carnivorous Plant Society
please write to Dot Cappaert, PO Box 1378, KRUGERSDORP 1740,
Republic of South Africa; fax [South Africa] (0)11 956 6444.
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