Delicious Monster, Split-leaf Philodendron and Mexican Breadfruit..

Monstera deliciosa also known as all of the above.

Monstera deliciosa is a creeping vine native to tropical rainforests of southern Mexico south to Colombia, also found in many gardens and offices in South Africa.

My Daughter has two growing in her garden and I have never seen the flowers before. When they opened a fantastic aroma of what I thought as liquorice could be detected. A few days later the flowers closed up again. I had to find out more about this plant and turned to the Internet. This is what I found…

The reproductive organ consists of a spadix grown at the center of a reproductive layer called the spathe. The spathe is sometimes mistaken to be a flower, but it is really a modified leaf that serves to protect the spadix. The spadix is divided into three sections: fertile male flowers at the tip, sterile male flowers at the center, and fertile female flowers toward the end of the flower chamber. The sterile male flowers in the midsection serve to prevent self-fertilization and to produce heat. Pollination is done by a Cyclocephala beetle species. The sterile male flowers produce and maintain a constant temperature that is 30°C above that of the environment during the two days the entire flower structure is open. (Wikipedia).

The fruit may be ripened by cutting it when the first scales begin to lift up and it begins to exude a pungent odour. It is wrapped in a paper bag and set aside until the scales begin popping off. The scales are then brushed off or fall away to reveal the edible flesh underneath. The flesh, which is similar to pineapple in texture, can be cut away from the core and eaten. It has a fruity taste similar to jackfruit and pineapple. (Wikipedia).

I took some photos…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rufous-naped Lark

Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana)

it is fairly common to common in a wide variety of open habitats with grass, such as savannah, open woodland grassy fynbos, fallow fields and open ground near cultivated land. It dislikes dense grassland, as it prefers having bare patches of soil for foraging and scattered bush and fence poles to use for singing.

It mainly eats arthropods supplemented with seeds, doing most of its foraging on the ground, gleaning food from the bases of plants and taking termites as they emerge from their mound.

This little fellow was so vocal… I heard him long before I saw him… and even then he continued to perform, before flying off….