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A New Population of Pr muconifolia
Our midweek team has spent many trips visiting the historical localities of Dagger-leaf - Protea mucronifolia in the Saron and Tulbagh areas. Apart from a few plants (never located by atlassers) reputedly known from across the fence, this species was only known from the Elandskloof Nature Reserve, just south of the Voelvlei Dam.
On a trip to check up on a problem with Se incrassata, we were not expecting much. (We relocated Riaan van der Walts range extension last year, only to discover that our coordinates did not match – there was a 750m discrepancy! Who was wrong?). So we stopped at one of the Se roxburghii populations to add some spice to what was promising to be a dull pop-in at lots of Renosterveld desert islands (regarding proteas anyway – the first bulbs were already out). It was already 16h00 when we got to the problem site, and having got permission from the farmer, he mentioned that he had a large sugarbush on the banks of the Berg River. Well Riaan was correct (So was I – two populations!), and so was the farmer – the wind-blown dunes over the shale harboured Pr burchellii, Ls rodolentum, Ld lanigerum l. and Se incrassata. Having just dispatched Ruth on a transect that should take her half an hour, I decided to jump fence and visit a little Renosterveld hill 1 km away. As I was approaching the fence, I noticed lots of prickly "daisies" in a wind blow-out in the shale. A lovely population of Pr mucronifolia of over 100 plants! In perfect condition! And covered in seedheads! The 80 minutes I had to spend with his neighbour (yes, I got caught! Thank heavens the Mazda was on the other farm. And the hill contained only Ld lani!) about why the bulbs are declining, what pollinated what, his albino Bateared Foxes, his Koekemakrankes and what species to plant into his veld and when to burn, meant that Ruth was asleep by the time I got back to the car.
Riaan has since visited the site (in between cleaning penguins – botanists cannot seem to stay focussed!) and both farmers are keen on a private nature reserve. This is the first record of Pr mucr from west of the Berg River. I wonder that bulbous delights will be found there?
Tony Rebelo
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