Zandvlei Trust

Botany group report  2009

January

These flowers are at the end of Promenade Road, Lakeside.

photographs Robin Burnett

Monopsis lutea - Yellow Lobelia.

The yellow flower is from the LOBELIACEAE family and is a Monopsis lutea commonly known as the Yellow Lobelia. It's on page 254 of Kidd. It has multiplied considerably in the past few years.

photographs Robin Burnett

Chironia decumbens

I thought you'd like to see the other (pink) flower too which is in the same area and is also multiplying but much more slowly. It is Chironia decumbens of the GENTIANACEAE family and is on page 228 of Kidd. It's also to be found at the False Bay Station wetland and at Bokmakierie Park.

The health of these populations seems to indicate that not mowing has had results BUT Phragmites australis and some of the weeds like kikuyu are also thriving and threaten to stifle!