Trichodiadema marlothii (part 1 of 2)

In the Montagu area and further to the east and northeast, this species is rather common on quartz patches, in rock crevices and in other stony places. In spite of that, one does not often find it mentioned in the literature.
The species belongs to the group of nicely compact Trichodiademas, of which T. densum is the best known.  In the wild, the plants get no taller than 4 cm.
The leaves are beautifully covered in big bladder cells with long points at the tip.
In the description it says that the diadem has 5-10 bristles, but in all the plants I have seen there are about twice as much.
The flowering period is from May through August.
This species can be distinguished from similar ones by the fact that the fruits have 6 compartment, rather than the usual 5.

tricmarl 2010-11-20_DSC4982

tricmarl 2011-11-25 7184

tricmarl 7777#2012-08-19

tricmarl 8969

tricmarl 0597

2 thoughts on “Trichodiadema marlothii (part 1 of 2)”

  1. Hi Frans,
    Your block reads very well and I can identify with your pictures some plants which I have myself in cultivation.
    In September, I was in Montagu and could photograph a trichodiadema species that I found in a forest part south of Montagu.
    I am not sure whether this is about densum or marlothii.
    Maybe you can help me find the right name. Unfortunately, I can not post a picture here.

    Reinhardt

    1. Hello Reinhardt,

      Thanks for your comment. As I live in Montagu South, you must almost have passed my house last month. The pictures on my blog were taken on the edge of Montagu. If you wish, you can send me one or more photos by email (fnoltee@mweb.co.za). Cheers,

      Frans

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