Are you perhaps familiar with fungi? Some of the findings on the path looked impressive, though I have little experience with them so you might know more. The path seems quite unused in this remote part of the South African coastline. It’s a narrow path too, flanked by fairly dense forest. Occasionally the baboon troop can be heard in the distance or even encountered on the trail. They scatter on sight and dissolve into the surrounding bush, allowing me to pass by undisturbed. It’s a rare and delicate symbiosis.
Speaking of which, have you ever seen two tall trees grow up so closely connected to each other? These two indigenous forest trees seem to have grown up right next to each other, to such a degree that as they matured, they simply nudged up against each other and grew trunk to trunk. You can’t fit a slither of paper between them. One is a Real Yellowood and the other is a Hard Pear. These are some of the last leftover bits of indigenous Fynbos Floral Kingdom tree species here on the Cape south coast of Africa.
On the trail that leads through this Knysna forest, in the Garden Route region of the Cape south coast, I cam to a quaint pool created by an old stone wall. The reservoir collected the flowing golden river water and then, during heavy rains foresters allow it to flow through an opened sluice gate. What a remote and tranquil setting. Africa is so large and sparsely populated that I seldom encounter people on my hiking trails.
In season it may pick up as more holiday makers come to the area and the warmer weather encourages folks to venture outdoors. I must be one of the few that enjoys exploring the natural environment throughout the year, regardless of the season. What a great little find these mushrooms were. Two distinct species looked picturesque while some others were unassuming so I will look out for them next time to photograph them too.
It looks like mushrooms like to grow in colonies. That’s much like people, or many other species. We congregate for social interaction, practicality and to follow the good climate. The damp and shadowy forest interior here is really suitable for these diverse mushroom species. And since this is not simply pine forest, but actual indigenous Fynbos, the mushrooms I am seeing are not the usual one’s that grow under pines.
These mushrooms are delicate and colorful. I guess that since the backdrop in the forest lacks many flowers, the colors of the mushrooms stand out so much more, compared to the green foliage. The light is dim all day due to the canopy of trees above. There is plenty of decomposing wood around, so the mushrooms are thriving here. I think that may be a good sign that the ecology is healthy overall.
This is perhaps one of the healthiest regions in the country, with the fresh elements in abundance. The lush vegetation shows that the conditions are just right for life to really thrive, compared to much of the rest of the country, which is desert or semi-desert. This narrow thin band along the coast is the rare valuable green belt of sorts, that hugs the coast all along the southern shores of Africa and up the east coast. The west, on the other hand, is flanked by the cold Atlantic ocean so it seems to engender drier desert-like conditions, stretching from Cape Town all the way up through Namibia further north.
But this little lush hotspot called the Garden Route, is just perfect for fertile forest vegetation. I won’t eat the mushroom for now. I will need to verify them first. And they’re probably not ideal as a foodstuff. They can be left and admired from a distance by the hikers that make it to this hidden part of the Knysna forest on the south coast of Africa.
Look it up on the map and you will see it near the border of the two provinces called Western and Eastern Cape on the south coast. At least that’s what they used to be called. Names change over the years as governments change, though the provincial border is still there, determined more by climactic diversity and geological features like big river canyons. Beauty transcends borders.
(photos my own)