City Biodiversity staff Noxolo Sidzumo (Reserve Supervisor) and Nikiwe Sihoyi were part of the management team that recently discovered a colony of beautiful red bulb Scarlet Afrikaner (Gladiolus priorii) on a limestone outcrop in the Macassar East Conservation Area. The vegetation was thought to be absent from the False Bay coastline due to the lack of suitable rocky habitats. It has a fairly limited coastal distribution in sandstone and granite rocks from St Helena Bay to about Gansbaai. This discovery was a pleasant surprise for the team and appears to be the first time this species has been recorded in limestone. The Macassar East Conservation area is a developing conservation area with much potential. The area stretches from the mouth of the Eerste River to the Macassar Beach Resort and boasts a very high quality Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, a remarkable stretch of coastline, and coastal dunes that provide spectacular vistas over False Bay. Visitors to any city nature reserve are reminded that the free iNaturalist app is a remarkable tool for recording any nature sightings, and is a great way to learn the identity of any plants or animals they see. Photos: Luthando Tyhalibongo/City of Cape Town


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