The genus Bergeranthus occurs in the Eastern Cape between Utenhage and East London and northwards to Cradock. The plants form tuft and have a fleshy rootstock. Flowers open in the evening or late afternoon.
B. multiceps is common in open grassland between Joubertina and the Keiskamma River. Rainfall occurs here in all seasons.
The home of this species is the Knersvlakte, where it forms shrubs up to 15 cm tall. The flowers appear in winter (June/July); they are up to 2.5 cm in diameter and white, cream- or lemon-coloured.
The last picture shows young seedlings in cultivation.
Plants of this variety occur widespread from Papendorp and Vanrhynsdorp in the south to Garies and Gamoep in the north and are also found at the coast, near the mouth of the Groenrivier. They grow on a variety of substrates, either in the open on in the shade of shrubby mesembs.
The flowers appear in autumn and range in colour from pale pink to reddish magenta and even (rarely) white.
All photos made on the same day (30 March 2012).
The genus Polymita has only two members, both of which are slow growing shrubs up to 45 cm tall, starting out as small cushions. They occur on the eastern edge of the winter rainfall area in northern Namaqualand on gneiss hills and quartz flats or slopes.
P. albiflora occurs in the drier part of the distribution area: on average less than 100 mm rainfall per year. The species is characterized by the hard prickly mucro (leaf tip), which is absent in P. steenbokensis, and by the generally fewer number of petals (50-100 rather than 70-140). The literature only mentions white petals (as the name implies), but pink also occurs.
Unfortunately the plants rarely flower in cultivation.
Some people seem think that the second part of this name means impressive, but in reality it means impressed. (Don’t ask me what it refers to!).
At first sight it just seems to be another one of those many small, nondescript shrubby Mesembs. Only when you take the time to look at it properly you will see how cute it really is. I quite agree with the remark in the Illustrated of Succulent Plants: “The compact shape suggests that the species has a potential as garden or rockery plants”.
The plants do not get any taller than 6 cm. Maybe the best way to recognize them is the fact that the keel of the leaves is adorned with a small (sometimes inconspicuous) tooth.
The species is endemic to the western part of the Little Karoo (Ladismith, Montagu).
All pictures below were taken on the same day (3 Oct. 2012) on the same spot near Prince Albert. Because the wet season is over, the plants are retracting into the soil (look at the sharp edges around the plants).
This is the Lithops species with the most southerly distribution area of the whole genus, in the lower Great Karoo from Laingsburg to Steytlerville. It is easily recognized because of the very dense pattern of miniature windows. Mature plants usually have 2-5 bodies, but may occasionally have more than twenty. They flower in April and May.
The naming of the species is a very confusing issue; suffice it to say here that the name L. terricolor is also in use.
All pictures below were taken on the Witteberge plateau south of Laingsburg, very near to the type locality.
No 1: 4 Sept. 2011; no 2: 29 July 2010; nos 3, 4: 21 April 2012
Not many people will get excited, I suppose, by a plant like the one in the first picture.
But when you see the flowers you might well change your opinion. The first two pictures below seem to be exactly the same. In fact there is a small but not unimportant difference: the first of them was taken with the lens wide open (F2.8), whereas in the second one a smaller aperture was used (F11). To me the first of the pair has a rather more dream-like atmosphere. What do you think?
In the last one the camera was tilted to give a better view of the beautifully coloured outer petals.
In all species of Hereroa the flowers open in the afternoon or even later. (The pictures were taken at about 5 pm).
Dates photographed:
No 1: 31 May 2009
Nos 2,3: 12 Sept. 2009
No 4: 6 Nov. 2011
No 5: unknown (scan from old film)
