The countdown has begun

Pic 1: Babiana rigens or the Rat's Tail
Pic 2: Is it a shark, no it's an aloe castanea

Pic 3: Leuspermum species number 231
Pic 4: Olivier

Pic 5: Michelle, Olivier & Masha
Pic 6: Klipbokkop

This is Buddy the Blogger reporting for the first time from Klipbokkop and I bet you you thought the countdown mentioned in today's headline refers to the countdown of the Outreach getting under way.

In a way maybe it does, but actually it refers to the main aim of this year's Outreach: to sample 1 500 species of plants, mammals, reptiles, insects, birds and other forms of life in three weeks. Well these guys are so good and so keen they've already got 280 species in the bag. Just 1 220 to go and the Outreach only formally starts tomorrow! What about some side bets? What do you reckon? 2 000? 2 500? I got my own views, but like a well-behaved dog, I'll keep it for myself.

To get a better perspective on what they've achieved so far, I asked Michelle and Olivier to say a few words. Oh yes, by the way, some congratulations are in order, because last year during the Outreach Olivier was just Olivier. But he did his job so well he is now Doctor Olivier Maurin. Well done, Il Doctoré and well done Michelle for getting him there.

This is what they had to say:

"We started collecting plants on Friday the 17th. We spent the day with two scientists from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Dr's Boatwright & Magee) at the Mooiplaas conservation area near Stellenbosch. On Saturday morning we arrived early at Klipbokkop focussing mostly on collecting bulbs and herbaceous plants. It is a fantastic experience working in the Cape area since we mostly work in the northern parts of the country and are not used to this wonderful flower display.

"Today we encountered the very exciting Cape endemic "rat's tail" (Babiana ringens – Iris family) in sandy soil. Babiana ringens differ from all other species of the same genus by its particular structure that emerges from above the fertile inflorescence. The "perch-like" structure developed by this species is the result of a successful co-evolution process between plant and pollinators in order to increase cross-pollination and seed production. The main pollinator of the rat's tail is a sunbird and although it could pollinate the flower from the ground it has been observed that this structure facilitate better pollination by offering the sunbird an ideal position to perch on the flower."

Great stuff huh? It's a privilege for an old dog... excuse me, a big dog to learn new tricks.

Just before I sign off, take a look at University of Johannesburg's great new website on DNA Barcoding in Africa on www.acdb.co.za .

This is Buddy bidding you bye-bye 'till tomorrow.