Monsonia salmoniflora (= Sarcocaulon salmoniflorum)

It is always a bit sad when a name that you have known for many years, is replaced by another one. This is even more so if the old name had a certain appeal to you, e.g. because it sounded nice or had a meaning that made it easy to remember. Some of these name changes are unavoidable as they are the result of following the nomenclatural code. In other cases it is more a matter of opinion, so much so that one sometimes wonders what the value of the new name really is. Probably better not to open this can of worms here.
In 1996 the genus Sarcocaulon was included in the genus Monsonia based on molecular studies and it seems that the new arrangement has been more or less generally accepted by now.
M. salmoniflora forms shrublets up to 40 cm tall and is widely distributed in Namibia and South Africa. The plants flower mainly in Oct.-Dec. The flowers are up to 3 cm across with colours ranging from pink to orange.

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2 thoughts on “Monsonia salmoniflora (= Sarcocaulon salmoniflorum)”

  1. What an amazing plant . . . in all its manifold dimensions, its contradictory impulses . . . I would love to see it in its habitat and am so grateful to you that you show it to us in habitat. It is so much more meaningful and moving.

    No matter what one chooses to call it, it is what it is. Its presence is unsullied by names, concepts, and ideas. And my perception of it is what it is, with or without a name.

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