Astridia longifolia east of Helskloof in winter

Typical Richtersveld habitat is often transformed by the sudden splash of colour produced by one of the remarkable flowering plants that reside here among the drabness of a land relentlessly scorched by the sun. If one has an eye for desert beauty, the words of Lee Durrell may be appreciated: “The most beautiful places on Earth are the most vulnerable.”

The Richtersveld is surely such a place, both in beauty and vulnerability. Impoverished livestock farmers of this land lean heavily on the plant ecology to stay alive, just as any threatened species would. Survival in these conditions is after all not a leisurely, armchair affair!

Moral imperatives are so often also moral dilemmas. One should care for a vygie like Astridia longifolia, but in the context of wider interests that also merit consideration, intervention decisions may bring headaches to sharp minds! Conservation measures imposed by people who do not have to share the hardships of the desert, must be carefully planned to suit a context with layered realities. Because the people who are being forced to respect biodiversity are often forced harder by other, close to the bone contingencies as well (Williamson, 2010, p.231).

(Other photos of A. longifolia with information about the plant are posted in the Mesemb Album under Types.)