Tag: South African succulents

Euphorbia colliculina (vingerpol)

Only known from 4 localities between Calitzdorp and De Rust in the Little Karoo, this species is highly endangered by habitat loss and degradation (caused by ostrich farming and quarrying as well as soil erosion and urban expansion). The situation is further exacerbated by ruthless collecting.
It is a member of the medusoid (caput-medusae) group: the plant consists of a large caudex, an underground tuber and rings of erect to spreading branches which are 3-12 cm long and to 2 cm thick.
The species is said to be close to E. fortuita occurring further west in the Ladismith area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crassula deltoidea (katakiso)

Within its distribution area from southeastern Namibia through Bushmanland to the Little Karoo and the Cradock area, this species is widespread and often locally abundant on bare gravelly flats, lower slopes and ridges.
In spite of their lack of “rarity appeal”, it is always a joy to meet these plants in the field, because they are not only beautiful, but also show a great variation in size, shape  and colour. Unfortunately it is rather difficult to keep the plants neat and compact in cultivation.

In nature, its fleshy, erect to spreading branches give the plants a height of up to about 8 cm.
The leaves are rather variable in shape and size, up to 2 cm long and to 1.5 cm wide, inversely lance-shaped to diamond- or almond-shaped, with a flat to concave upper face and a strongly convex to keeled lower one; they are covered with small warts and grey wax flakes, and sometimes have a  greenish, purplish or brownish hue.
The flowers are about 5 mm long, usually cream-coloured, but sometimes white or pinkish. They appear in October and November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cephalophyllum subulatoides

Only three species of Cephalophyllum are known to occur in the Little Karoo and this is one of them; it also occurs somewhat more to the west, in the Worcester-Robertson Karoo. The other two are C. curtophyllum and C. purpureo-album.

With their short thick stems, the plants are rather more compact than most other Cephalophyllums. They form clumps up to 15 cm in diameter, the centres of which die off with age.
The dark green leaves are 5.5-8 cm long, triangular with a sharp point (subulatoides means awl-shaped).
In July-August the plants are decorated with magenta flowers about 3 cm in diameter. The staminodes are white.
The fruits are persistent; they have a rounded base and about 12 compartments.

Stomatium alboroseum

Whereas nearly all species of Stomatium have yellow flowers, here – as the name implies- the flowers are white to pink.  They are about 2.5 cm across and heavily scented; they begin to open only near sunset. The flowering period is stated as August to December.
The plants vary from compact and somewhat dome-shaped to flattish and forming mats up to 8 cm in diameter with age.
The leaves are spoon-shaped to trigonous, 2-2.5 long, about 1 cm long and about 0.7 cm thick; they have an inconspicuous keel, wavy margins with 3-6 small white, teeth-like warts and a very rough skin.
Occurring on sandy flats or pans with a high content of lime in Namaqualand and southwestern Bushmanland.

 

 

Orbea variegata

Common names: Boekies, Bokhoring, Aasblom, Toad plant, Cape Fritillary, Carrion flower.

This was the first stapeliad to reach Europe from South Africa, which probably at least partly explains the enormous number of synonyms. It is also one of the most widely cultivated stapeliads and is found in many subtropical areas as a garden escapee.
In the wild it is widespread in the southwestern Cape, mainly along the coast from Lambert’s Bay to Humansdorp, but also in the southern Great Karoo as well as the Little Karoo. It generally occurs on stony slopes, often under shrubs.

The stems are mostly erect, to 15 x 1 cm (excluding the teeth), obtuse or conspicuously 4-angled,
green with purple-brown markings. They form clumps usually up to 20 cm across, but sometimes up to over 1 m.
The flowers appear in Dec.-Sept., usually one per stem. They smell of carrion, which attracts the flies by which they are pollinated. The corolla is 4.5-8 cm in diameter and very variable in colour: inside cream to greenish-yellow, with rather large, purple-brown dots; the annulus is usually paler yellow and more finely dotted.

Photos taken 13 March 2019 on Zolani-Bonnievale road.

Crassula elegans ssp. elegans

This widespread and often locally common taxon occurs from southwestern Namibia to near Vanrhynsdorp on sandy/ gravelly/rocky slopes and flats, often under bushes.

It is a dwarf plant 1-8 cm tall, usually with many short branches and forming small tufts.
As shown by the pictures, the leaves are highly variable in shape, size, colour and texture; they are very thick, 0.3-1.5 x 0.3-1 cm in size and usually egg- to lance-shaped with blunt tips, green, grey-green, brown to deep red, sometimes even white.
Most often the leaves are smooth, but sometimes covered with papillae or fine hairs. They are irregularly arranged (not in 4 obvious ranks), with invisible internodes; eventually they shrivel up completely but they remain attached to the stems.
The small flowers are cream or white and appear in Dec.-June.

 

 

 

 

 

Mesembryanthemum barklyi (olifantsoutslaai)

Plants of this species are the largest in the genus and are sometimes nicknamed “elephant’s toilet paper” because of the enormous leaves. As a rule, they occur on sandy plains in southwestern Namibia and northwestern Namaqualand.
Although their lifespan is usually not more than two years, they may reach a height of 1.5 m.
At first, the plant forms a rosette of leaves with flowering side branches, after which the internodes in the rosette elongate and form new rosettes and flowering branches.
Usually the stems are clearly 4-angled and winged, up to as much as 4 cm in diameter.
The leaves are egg-shaped to triangular, with more or less undulating margins; they are very large (lower ones up to 40 x 25 cm), with small bladder-cells.
Flowers appear in Sept.-Nov.; they are 4-6 cm across, pink to pale pink, with a white or slightly green base and very numerous petals, staminodes and stamens. The fruits have 5 compartments.

Crassula pyramidalis

Although this species is widespread from the southern Great Karoo and the Montagu area to Somerset East, it is rarely common. It most often grows in shallow soil on rocky outcrops, on gravelly slopes and in crevices; usually on a north/north-east facing aspect.

As the pictures show, the plants are very variable.
Most often, the stems are erect, only rarely decumbent*. They are completely covered by the leaves, which are arranged in four neat ranks so that a quadrangular column is formed. This may be 0.6-2 cm in diameter and up to 25 cm tall (usually much shorter). Once a stem has flowered, it dies back, but new ones are formed at the base.
The leaves are green to grey-green or reddish-brown and the flowers white or cream-coloured.
Flowering time is spring: Aug.-Oct.

* creeping on the ground with the tips raised.
Synonyms: C. quadrangula, C. cylindrica, C. archeri.

Gibbaeum petrense (Klipvygie)

As this species is easy to grow, it is often encountered in cultivation. In nature it is restricted to a narrow band along the northern foothills of the Langeberg Mountains, where it is locally abundant in shallow clayey soil rich in quartzite pebbles.
The plants form tufts -often 5 to 10 cm across- of densely crowded leaves, with rather sharp edges  and convex sides. They are firm to the touch and greyish to greenish in colour.
In Aug.­-Oct. they produce dark pink to light purple flowers, about 1.5 cm in diameter.

 

 

 

Glottiphyllum cruciatum

Cruciatum means cross-shaped, referring to the way the leaves are arranged. They are more or less erect, have pointed and often reddened tips and are widened towards the base.
The flowers have long stalks and are about 6 cm across; they appear in May-July.
Characteristic for the fruits are the disintegrating stalks and the very high tops (resembling an acorn).
The plants usually grow under shrubs in sandy/gravelly loam, often together with G. linguiforme and G. carnosum; they are locally abundant, but restricted to only a few sites in the Little Karoo (Oudtshoorn – Calitzdorp area).