December 8, 2012

LASI V: Biological Interlude #1

Posted by Evelyn Mervine

So, I’ve been meaning to put up another LASI V post or two, but I’ve been extremely busy with my day job over the past few weeks. I hope to have another substantive LASI V post up soon, but in the meantime here’s a lovely biological interlude post that contains pictures of some vegetation which I observed during the LASI V field trip to South Africa’s Karoo. As I geologist, I generally dislike vegetation since it covers up all the pretty rocks. Sometimes, though, vegetation is pretty enough that I don’t mind it too much. If any botanists read this post and know about the vegetation in the pictures, please enlighten us geologists!

Observed on Day #1 of the LASI V Field Trip:

A lovely cactus of some sort.

Pretty pink biology thingies.

A closer view of one of the pretty pink biology thingies.

Observed on Day #2 of the LASI V Field Trip:

Another cactus... with some sills in the background!

Very interesting vegetation growing on a rock.

A closer view of the rock-covering vegetation, with a 2 Rand coin for scale (about the size of an American nickel).

Observed on Day #3 of the LASI V Field Trip:

Trees and some grass on a farm in the Karoo.

A closer view of the grass.

Pretty purple flowers.

Yellow flowers... and some rocks in the background.

A spiky cactus. Don't want to step on this one!

The view from the top of a place called "Witkop 3". I'll be writing all about Witkop 3, so stay tuned!

A zoom-in of the view down in the valley below Witkop 3. Flowers and sheep!

Little yellow flowers.

More little yellow flowers.