Month: August 2020

Cephalophyllum framesii

Like many other Cephalophyllums, this species can quickly spread as a pioneer on disturbed or alluvial soil. This ability, combined with flowers in a wide variety of colours, makes them good ground cover subjects for gardens in a suitable climate.

The plants have dark green leaves, club-shaped, and 3-7 cm long.
In June-August, they produce flowers to 4 cm in diameter, with cream-coloured, yellow, pink or magenta petals and yellow or magenta stamens.
They occur in Namaqualand (Riethuis to Vredendal) and the northern Tanqua Karoo.

Othonna intermedia

Of the about 100 species of Othonna, roughly a third qualify as succulents. Nine of these are deciduous geophytes (leafless during the resting period) and O. intermedia is a member of this group.

A resinous underground tuber produces a number of wedge-shaped, fleshy leaves up to 7 x 4 cm in size and green to blue-green or greyish in colour.
The yellow flower heads are 0.8-1 cm in diameter and appear between May and September (mostly in June and July).
Endemic to the Knersvlakte, where it occurs in quartz patches.