The Witteberg Mountains are a little-visited part of South Africa that is off the beaten track and is less often visited by tourists and biologists but which has a quiet timeless charm of its own. The mountains seem to swirl about with underlying geology that erupts like waves revealing its hidden mysteries. The vegetation of this dry landscape is mottled from afar but can be surprisingly rich in species and discrete close-up, often of forms of species that are very different from other members of its genus. Yesterday, I received a WhatsApp message from two friends who were botanizing in the region looking for rare and new Hermannia plants. Their excitement at being in the field made me reminisce about my own botanical trips to the region. Here are a few pictures of that trip plus a new species Psoralea karooensis which I described from the area. Diep en Deur is an Afrikaans language expression for Deep and Though. See https://www.witteberg.co.za/diep-en-deur-trail/ for a map of the trail and images at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151331987094424.501627.77552989423&type=3
New species of the pea family (Fabaceae) I described: Psoralea karooensis
New species of the pea family (Fabaceae) I described: Psoralea karooensis. Front view of flower.
wow find on the new species