This rare and impressive plant is one of the icons of South Africa’s wealth of succulents. Pictures taken on 8 Sept. 2010 at Cornellskop. Notice the misty weather, which plays such an important role for the vegetation here.
The two pictures at the end show young plants, with their leaves still upright rather than spreading.
Near Clanwilliam Dam, 10 Sept. 2010
A couple of pictures showing the variability in a small group of plants in Tanqua National
Park, as well as different approches to photographing them. 11 September 2010.
It is not often that one finds natural hybrids and it is even more rare to see them growing cheek by jowl with both parents.
The three plants in the centre of the picture are- from left to right- T. wallichii, T. paniculatus and their hybrid offspring.
Both parents are widely distributed in the western part of South Africa. T. paniculatus is reported to flower between November and January, and T. wallichii from December through February. This overlap in distribution as well as in flowering period would explain the opportunity for hybridising.
When you have a good look at the picture, you will see that both T. paniculatus and the hybrid are pushing out inflorescences. The plants were photographed on 11 September 2010 (at the eastern side of Skitterykloof), so apparently the flowering period of T. paniculatus is rather longer than indicated in the literature.
Photographed near Ladismith 17 April 2011.
Nos 1 and 3 were made with ambient light only, in 2 and 4 flash was added. See for yourself what a huge difference in atmosphere this makes.
Photographed 11 July 2011
In spite of its name more similar to C. orbicularis than to C. hemisphaerica.
Usually growing on shaded rock faces.
