Favoritos de beetledude

Spade Flower (Hybanthus enneaspermus) Monteseel

Does not appear to be the redlist so indigenous status suspect. Is in Pooley:KZN p408. Could this be H. capenis but I do not have an description of that species?

Pyramid Heath: RIP1907

Pyramid Heath used to occur on western the Cape Flats, in wetlands on Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. As the city expanded its habitat was drained and filled in and built over. The date of extinction is unknown, but is nominally given as 1907. The full extent of its occurrence and its habitat preferences are unknown.

It does not appear to have survived in cultivation, and it now globally extinct.

Very little is known about this species. From Ericas of the Cape Peninsula (37):

Diagnostic for ID: four, cone-shaped flowers at ends of numerous side branches; the corolla is finely hairy under a lens.

Shrubs were erect, 0.5-1m tall, with fine 4-nate leaves.
Corolla was 7-10mm long, rose-coloured, with the stigma just protruding and the anthers hidden.
Flowering was April to May.

The booklet says it is a Peninsula endemic, but Flora of the Cape Peninsula said it was outside of the Peninsula on the western Cape Flats. It was recorded from Black River to Muizenberg, which is effectively the entire length of the southern suburbs - very similar to Erica verticillata in extent.

From the old collections this species had extremely floriferous plants (which makes it weird that it has not survived in cultivation!).
It was exterminated by housing, farming, exotics such as wattles and Kikuyu grass, and perhaps collecting (it was sold at the Adderley Street Flower Market for many years).

The last collection was in 1906 (but see Pillans below as 1907).
.
Nothing is known about its pollinators, which were probably insects.

It is a member of the Teenage Heaths (section Ephebus) (or surf here), characterized by their "pubes" - or finely hairy corollas - with parts largely contained within the corolla and small sepals.

Unterschiede zu Androsace alpina:
Blätter von unverzweigten Haaren graugrün
Bildet halbkugelige Polster
Auf Kalk

Differences to Androsace alpina:
Leaves of unbranched hairs grey-green
Forms hemispherical cushions
On lime

This series shows Watshamiella alata watching Sycoscapter cornutus oviposit into a Ficus burkei syconium (fruiting body) for over seven minutes; after the Sycoscapter female departs, the Watshamiella female proceeds to oviposit into the same hole. Compton et al. (2009) described this behaviour for different species of Watshamiella in Uganda and Kenya on Ficus sycomorus and Ficus artocarpoides.
Compton, S.G., Van Noort, S., McLeish, M., Deeble, M. and Stone, V., 2009. Sneaky African fig wasps that oviposit through holes drilled by other species. African Natural History, 5, pp.9-15. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230580629

Crossbreed blacksmith x white-crowned lapwing (Vanellus armatus x albiceps)
This very strange looking lapwing is most likely one of the offspring of a hybrid pair of blacksmith x white-crowned lapwings, which live in the area near Skukuza in Kruger National Park.
See https://www.wildlifeden.com/projects/crossbreed-blacksmith-lapwing/ for photos of a very similar looking bird - maybe the same individual - at about the same location, identified as such by Trevor Hardacker.