Richtersveld September 2011 *

[Toko]

A rather bizarre Chameleon



The Namaqua Chameleon (Chamaeleo namaquensis) is a little known but extraordinary species of chameleon, due to its habitat, feet, colour changing ability and speed.
Most chameleons are arboreal and their feet comprise of five toes which are fuses into groups of three and two, which allow them to grip branches. The Namaqua chameleon can splay these ‘toes’ to allow it to run over flat ground.
Chameleons use specialised cells, called chromatophores, to change colour. Chameleons use this skill in different ways, for threat displays, mating displays and camouflage. However the Namaqua chameleon uses this evolutionary ace to control its body temperature. It can change some of its skin to white to deflect the sun and other parts a dark brown to absorb the sun. This helps to keep cool during hot days in an arid environment and keep warm during cold nights.
Most chameleons are slow movers, they are ambush predators, but food is scarce in Namaqualand and when available fast moving. It eats, locust, crickets, beetles, lizards and even small snakes (adders), but it feeds mostly on beetles and may eat up to 200 beetles a day. In order to catch these it can run at unusually high speeds for a chameleon.

[Toko]

Witgatwortel - Roots of a Shepherd’s Tree

Boscia albitrunca has been used as a source of food during droughts and famine.
The roots are sometimes eaten either raw or cooked in water and then concentrated to make syrup and can be used to sweeten porridge and coffee etc.
The dry, unroasted root kernel can has also been important for making porridge from the ‘flour’, which is obtained when the roots are dried, ground and sifted.
Scraping off the outer bark of the roots and pounding the remainder to a powder can prepare a sweet drink. It is then boiled until a thick substance is obtained, which is very refreshing when diluted and cooled. If water and sugar is added and left overnight to ferment a potent beer is made.



The roots are most commonly used to provide a drink called “witgatkoffie” .

Here is the recipe:

Collect the thick fleshy roots.
Cut these into short sections.
Push out the hard inner cores.
Then pound the ring like sections and spread them out in the sun to dry.
When dry the roots are burnt in an iron pot or pan until brown and starting to smoke.
Add a little brown sugar and some fat or lark.
Ground the roots, sugar and fat mixture.
Make coffee and enjoy.

[Toko]

Dumplings

One afternoon I took a and climbed up one of the mountains to find these greenies



Conophytum is a genus of miniature succulents and somewhat reduced existences. They have of one pair of fused succulent leaves that get absorbed and regenerated every year. They have a very rudimentary root system, an invisible stem and the ability to produce one, or two small flowers a year!
The origin of this name is from the Latin word ‘conus’ for cone and ‘phytum’ for plant – meaning cone plant. Dwarf cushions or clusters of conically united leaves may distinguish this species from other species.
Some species only form one or two heads, other species form huge mounds of sometimes many hundreds of heads. The small flowers are nocturnal and typically white or yellow in colour.
These plants are active mainly in autumn and winter drying out to just an inert papery husks protecting the next seasons leaves from the hot, dry sun.
Conophytums are distributed throughout the winter rainfall areas of South Africa and the southern parts of Namibia.

[Toko]

I don't know what else to tell you or to post, so here is another intermezzo with some Richtersveld Flowers (very short clip)

[Poplap]

Superb, Toko. Superb! Ooooooooo, the vistas. The blue mountains. Sigh!


What an informative Travel Tale!


Just read up about it a bit more - this source indicates that in a square kilometre, 360 flowering plant species are found. WoW! Amazing, isn't it? Beautiful video footage too.


More, please?