Last week Saturday started like most of my Saturdays. Boring. House chores to be done. Three huge bundles of ironing hissing at me every time I passed my work room. At least I didn’t have preparation or marking for school to do, so that was already something to look forward to. The day however transpired into a very memorable one. Very much so!
Our raining season started early this year and the flowers are already abundant. Last week I did a quick walk with my grandchild to scout and saw that a certain plant is pushing out a flower. It was one of the first plants I photographed when I started to record all the life on Aylestone in the summer of 2003, and I know of only two spots on the farm where they occur.
I suspected it to be a Crinum species according to the plant morphology. It had pushed out flowers before, but our zebras really favor this plant and for years it was browsed to the ground long before a flower head could form. Once I saw a slither of white and pink, just enough to think that it might be Crinum macowanii, a species that do occur in our area. I dug up a bulb about three years ago and transferred it to my garden. Only once did the flower head survived long enough for me to confirm that it is Crinum macowanii, but not long enough to see the full open flowers. My garden is just an extension of the zebras feeding grounds, so their favorite plant remains a favorite.
So, just before I started with my chores, I decided to JUST quickly check how the Crinum was doing. Just quickly. Before it gets too warm.
This particular patch is just off some huge granite rocks where moisture is trapped. In good rainy seasons a small fountain from the trapped water provides moisture long after the season has ended.
Crinums are huge plants and I could see from a distance that the flower head was now starting to appear, and that it was intact and growing well. The zebras had missed it so far. Phew!
I’m never satisfied with photos from far. I want to see detail. As much as possible detail! As I was walking closer to take a more detailed photo of the flower head, a huge lizard suddenly scrambled over my feet, giving me a fright. I have encounter a huge Mozambique spitting cobra basking on the rocks before and that was the first thing that came to my mind.
It was then that I almost screamed again! This time not from fright, but from excitement. Excitement beyond what I can utter in words… for there in front of me, on my long awaited Crinum was the holy grail of my findings on Aylestone 8…
A living Cochlitoma transvaalensis! (The genus name has changed from Achatina to Cochlitoma) I often find empty shells, but only once before did I find a living specimen. My photos of that snail was unfortunately lost when our house burnt down after being struck by lightning in 2010. A single low resolution picture that I posted on a homepage was the only photo known of this species. Imagine the scientific importance of this find!
It was not moving, it was just resting… or uhm… just defecation some blackish poo. I couldn’t find any evidence on the plant of feeding. I took a few photos before, with trembling hands, I phoned a person who was also looking for this snail. He is busy with a book on the Achatinidae and this find is of importance. The signal was poor and I couldn’t get my exciting message through. Eventually I managed to get the news through on Whatsapp.
Because of the importance of this find, I didn’t leave it behind. Although there was no evidence that it fed on the Crinum I still decided to break a piece off to include in its temporary container before I send it off for more study.
Much to my surprise I found that it had consumed a very large portion of the leave when I checked on it the next morning.
From the position of the empty shells that I often find on the farm, I know that there are more plants that form part of its diet. At least I now know one.
On Monday I took a last few photos before carefully put in a package to be couriered to the landsnail specialist.
With the snail now gone, I still had the Crinum left to observe. The flower head started to open up into the individual flowers on Tuesday and the zebras have not yet discover it.
On Wednesday afternoon when I did my rounds I found that the flowers had been heavily fed on. After a thorough examination I found the culprits… the common little brown Christmas beetle.
My heart was crying out… when am I ever going to see an intact Crinum macowanii on my beloved farm? If not zebras, then beetles are killing my dreams!
And then… just before I lost hope, a flower greeted me in all of its magnificence, a beauty so pure that it made me cry…
What an exhilarating week! I still can’t get over the fact that I have found not one, but two species after waiting about seventeen years. TWO! To make it even more special is finding the two species in a feeding relationship.
I do not believe in coincidence. I believe in God Almighty. And today I am humble and extremely thankful for this grace and blessing that has been bestowed upon me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Patience is NOT a virtue… Patience is a blessing!
UPDATE SUNDAY 28 NOV 2021
Just to illustrate how blessed I am… I JUST visited the Crinum, and the zebras found it. It is as if there was no flower head at all, stalk and flower are both gone
Aylestone 8 