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Atlassing with Villiersdorp Atlassers on Jonaskop, Riviersonderend

On Saturday 19 November we were invited on a trip up the north slopes of Jonaskop with the Villiersdorp Branch of the Botanical Society. This allowed us to view some interesting patterns of species replacement with increasing altitude from the very dry lower slopes, right up into the zone covered with snow in winter. Briefly, the patterns were (numbers in parenthesis are: species seen/total species in area as per herbaria):

Protea (10/18): nitida, lorifolia, laurifolia, amplexicaulis, humiflora;

Leucadendron (6/9): salignum;

Rocky outcrops below winter snow line:

Protea: cynaroides, magnifica˙(f);

Mimetes (1/1): cucullatus;

Leucadendron: nervosum, microcephalum;

Hakea (?/1): sericea;

Protea: nitida, repens, longifolia, lorifolia, laurifolia, amplexicaulis, subulifolia;

Serruria (1/7): incrassata;

Leucospermum (1/2): calligerum˙(f);

Leucadendron: burchellii, rubrum, salignum, laureolum;

Spatalla (1/2): argentea (f);

Mimetes: cucullatus;

Leucadendron: nervosum.

Thus, we encountered 21 of the 43 species recorded for the Jonaskop 12X12˙km2 area, and one needlebush species. However, considering that we did not explore the south slopes, or visit any geological formations which might harbour interesting species (the shale band on the south slopes should be very interesting), our tally is quite good. Considering that all the species were spotted from the bus, the tally is excellent. We did not see the following genera which occur in the area: Aulax (1), Sorocephalus (1), and Paranomus (2); nor did we discover any new records.

Two species were of particular interest:

Serruria incrassata which has the absurd distribution range of the Kraaifontein area on the Cape Flats and a second patch on Jonaskop. The plants from the two areas look identical. If anyone has any good explanations as to how this can be, I should be interested to hear them.

Protea subulifolia with the long-leaf (45-85 mm) form on Jonaskop (and above Villiersdorp). Its leaves get progressively shorter as one goes south, until they are only 5-15˙mm long near Cape Agulhas. Most of the plants we saw were juveniles which had not yet flowered: in 30˙year-old vegetation! We saw very few adults. Note from the lists that P. subulifolia replaces P. humiflora with increasing altitude/moisture on Jonaskop.

This area would make a superb September trip, when most of the species should be in flower. I am told that the Boesmanskloof Hiking Trail (9 km: 3-4 hours - for one way) which traverses the Riviersonderend Mountains between Greyton and McGregor has many of the species that we saw. This trail promises to become one of the most popular traverses in the western Cape and is apparently well worth a visit!

Tony Rebelo, Bellville

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