annuals Archives - enjoysucculents

Mesembryanthemum longistylum

Depending on the availability of water, these plants are either annuals or biennials.
They are sprawling or erect (to 40 cm tall), with a slightly woody base. Their leaves usually have inconspicuous bladder cells and are 2-3.5 cm long and 0.2-1 cm wide, linear to narrowly oblong and more or less cylindrical to flattened, slightly channelled and green (often with a red tinge).
The flowers are up to 2.5 cm in diameter and have white petals, often with pink tips and/or a yellowish base; they appear mainly in Sept.-Nov.

Although it is locally abundant and widespread mainly in the Western Cape, the species is reported from places as far away as Springbok and Port Elizabeth. It is usually found on disturbed clay or loam and along roadsides.

Mesembryanthemum subtruncatum

What I find intriguing in this little annual, is the way the flowers open and rearrange their petals.
The flowers appear in October, are pink with a white or straw-coloured base and may be up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
The plants are up to 10 cm tall and 15 cm in diameter; the leaves are club-shaped, bright green but turning reddish when the flowers start appearing.

In the Tanqua Karoo and Little Karoo the species is locally abundant in disturbed places (usually in quartz).

Cleretum (papulosum ssp.) schlechteri

These small annual plants have up to 6 cm long, strap to racket-shaped leaves which are covered with glistening bladder cells.
The yellow flowers have long stalks and are relatively large (about 4 cm in diameter); they appear in July-October.

Usually found in disturbed, sandy places from Springbok to Kamieskroon en Nieuwoudtville. Photos taken 8 August 2018 just north of Gifberg.

Cleretum (Dorotheanthus) bellidiforme

In many parts of the world this extremely variable annual is a popular garden plant.
The plants are low-growing, usually less than 10 cm tall, with narrow, spatula-shaped leaves.
In nature the beautiful flowers appear in August-September, usually in shades of white, pink, reddish-purple or red, but sometimes also in yellow or orange. They are 2-4 cm in diameter.
This species is widespread in disturbed sandy soils in the winter rainfall area of South Africa from Namaqualand to Riversdale.