February 2025 – Cheiridopsis cigarettifera
Cheiridopsis plants range from dwarf to fairly large small shrubs. Depending on the species, leaves can range from short and stubby to long and slender. C. cigarettifera falls more into the latter category. Its leaves have a slight velvety feel to them. The flower, which usually occurs in our climate in January or February is […]
January 2025 – Ariocarpus agavoides
Ariocarpus agavoides Originally placed in its own genus, Neogomesia, and not officially allocated to Ariocarpus for another twenty odd years, it was largely recognised as belonging to the latter long before. Found in the wild in Mexico with the type locality sited around the town of Tula in the state of Tamaulipas where It grows […]
December 2024 – Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus v. elephantidens
The genus Ariocarpus is (like Leuchtenbergia principis) one of those groups of plants devoid of spines, which does not conform to the usual description of a cactus .Originating from Mexico, the plants in the genus have long tap roots which enable them to survive the hot, dry summers of Central America. Well-camouflaged, they are very […]
November 2024 – Borzicactus hutchisonii
Borzicactus hutchisonii Originating from South America this plant was originally classed within the Cereus group but was formally recognised in 2010 (Bradleya 28: 3, 7, figs. 4-11, map. 2010 G J Charles). Borzicactus are members of the Cactaceae family and are generally fairly small, thinnish columnar cacti, usually with eight ribs, with bright red diurnal […]
October 2024 – Delosperma echinatum
Delosperma echinatum is a succulent plant of the Aizoaceae family. It is native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa and is also known as the pickle plant. This is due to its leaves bearing a striking resemblance to gherkins. Scottish plant-hunter Francis Masson collected this new species for Kew Gardens back in 1774 and it was later described by French […]
September 2024 – Conophytum
Conophytum is a genus of South African and Namibian succulent plants that belong to the family Aizoaceae. The name is derived from the Latin conus and Greek phytum. The plants are also known as knopies, waterblasies, sphaeroids, conos, cone plants, dumplings, or button plants. Conophytums grow in the western part of South Africa and also […]
August 2024 – Pleiospilos nelii
Pleiospilos Nelii Pleiospilos nelii is a genus of succulent flowering plants of the family Aizoaceae.It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. The name is derived from theGreek pleios. The plant closely resembles a small cracked or split rock (hencethe common name), an appearance which may have evolved as a defence againstbeing eaten by […]
July 2024 – Cheiridopsis aff. imitans
Cheiridopsis aff. imitans The name Cheiridopsis is derived from two Greek words cheiris, meaning sleeve or sheath and opsis, meaning resembling, a reference to the paper-like sheathcovering the leaves during its resting period. The plant in the photograph is C. aff. imitans which means the plant has an affinity to, or isrelated to the […]
June 2024 – Tephrocactus (Puna) bonniae
Tephrocactus (Puna) bonniae It was a difficult choice to decide what name should be given to this month’s plant as it has been through a very varied taxonomic journey. It was originally discovered in the Catamarca Province of Argentina in 1990 and eventually described in 1997 by Dave Ferguson and Roberto Kiesling, two people well known […]