The online magazine for cactus and succulent enthusiasts Issue 36 March 2023

Contents
4 Click to read 18 Click to read
Book reviews Red-flowered
The Genus Aeonium Gymnocalyciums
A blend of beauty: Vicky Davies The flowers of Pachypodium
100 GM Haworthia hybrids namaquanum
A Spendour of Succulents Photo: Dr Alexey Yakovlev
CC-BY-SA-2.0 See Page 23
and Cacti

8 Click to read
37 Click to read
The genius of When things were
Georg Ehret simple: the taxonomy
Sheila Cude
of the Crassulaceae
11 Click to read 23 Click to read
Ray Stephenson

When is a flower not a

flower?
Pachypodium 44 Click to read
namaquanum
Len Newton The Desert Botanical
Matt Candeias
Garden in Phoenix,
Arizona
25 Click to read Tom Gatz
Gethyllis and their
cultivation 49 Click to read
Paul Cumbleton
The Tatacoa Desert
Alain Buffel

13 Click to read
Quiabentia
Ray Woodbridge

14 Click to read
A quick look at seeds
Sheila Cude 33 Click to read
Superlatives are
15 Click to read compulsory today
Jörg Ettelt
Stapelia hirsuta
Colin C. Walker
 3

Welcome to the March issue of the
Cactus and Succulent Review.
I enjoy seeing botanical illustrations
and so I was pleased when two
authors included these in their
articles for this issue. This was
followed by a book to review,
dealing with an 18th century
publication, with many examples of
the illustrations it contains.
With all this in mind I decided to
add to this feast of botanical art
with a short article on Georg Ehret,
who is considered to be possibly
the finest of the 18th century
botanical artists. He illustrated
many of the new and exotic plants
that were being brought to Europe
at the time, which included some
cacti and succulents.
I am also pleased to feature in this
issue the start of a new series of
articles written by Ray Woodbridge.
They will be looking at the small
opuntioid genera which contain
only one or perhaps two species.
Some of these at least may not be
plants for everyone’s collection but
they have a fascination all of their
own.
An unpublished drawing by Georg
Ehret of Glottiphyllum linguiforme
known at the time as
Mesembryanthemum linguiforme
I like to feature ‘guest’ plants from
time to time and in this issue I’m
pleased to include an introduction
to Gethyllis, a fascinating genus of
South African bulbs. We are also
visiting the Tatacoa Desert in
Colombia and the Desert Botanical
Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.
I have also taken the opportunity to
feature another article from Matt
Candeias’s In Defense of Plants, a
blog which includes many items on
an incredible number of plants of
all kinds. Do visit the website to
read the blog and access the
podcasts. There is also a range of
clothing available, including some
items featuring an 1807 print of
Stapelia hirsuta in habitat.
Finally plans for this year’s Cactus
at the Castle event at Lullingstone
Castle are well under way and it
promises to be the largest event we
have staged there. Visit the Cactus
at the Castle website for more
information including a list of the
sellers currently booked.
Sheila Cude

Back issues
All back issues are available to
download from the website.
The Cactus and Succulent Review is a free quarterly magazine
published in pdf format in March, June, September and December.

Contact
Editor Sheila Cude
25 Macleod Road
Join our free mailing list to receive
London N21 1SW an email notification of each issue.
Phone 020 8340 1928 To subscribe please visit our website
Email Sheila Cude
© Copyright authors and photographers. The Cactus and Succulent Review may
be freely distributed but permission is required for other than personal use.

www.cactusandsucculentreview.org.uk
 4

Marco Cristini: The Genus Aeonium

Rome 2022, 225 pp. (ISBN: 978-88-901345-6-2)
A special issue of Piante Grasse, the Journal of the Italian Cactus and Succulent
Association (AIAS)
Reviewed by Mellie Lewis

At last, an up-to-date and comprehensive guide, in
both English and Italian, to the genus Aeonium – a true
delight!
This soft-back book is a hybrid between a field guide
and a reference book. It is perhaps slightly bigger than
practical for a field guide but still small enough and
light enough to pack in a suitcase or back pack. Most
certainly it is an exceedingly valuable addition to
anyone’s botanical library.
There are 225 pages packed with information, including
graphs, island illustrations and photographs in full
colour that are presented with a good dynamic range
on high quality paper.
The general layout is intuitive and easy to follow,
exploring genus taxonomy, evolution, species, hybrids
and to a lesser extent cultivars. Habitat locations and
interesting theories on evolution of the species are also
included, together with cultivation, care, pests and
diseases. There are other genera mentioned for
reference such as Aichryson, Monanthes and Sedum.
Each of the Macaronesian islands where Aeonium are
found is explored plus, excitingly, lots of information on
the lesser known Moroccan, east African and Yemeni
Aeonium.
There is plenty of reference material for further study.
To sum up; in my opinion this is a very well-researched
and thought-through reference guide-book and an
absolute must have for anyone interested in Aeonium
and indeed the wider field of the Stonecrops and
Crassulaceae.
The Genus Aeonium is available from the AIAS at
Piante Grasse – the Genus Aeonium price 50 euros
including shipping to the EU and the UK. There is a
reduced price for members of the AIAS.
 5

Gerhard Marx: A blend of beauty

one hundred GM Haworthia hybrids
A special edition of the Haworthiad, the international journal published by the
Haworthia Society
Reviewed by Sheila Cude

Gerhard Marx writes in his introduction to this

publication, ‘I often said that a person who enjoys
hybrids and cultivars displays to me a genuine passion
for the beauty and charm of these plants’.
The author lives in the Western Cape of South Africa
and has grown haworthias for many years. He started
his experiments with hybridisation in the early 2000s
and he is known as one of the finest growers and
hybridisers of haworthias in the world.
His introduction includes detailed information on his
pollination techniques and also seed harvesting,
sowing, selecting and growing on the seedlings.
The main part of the book is devoted to pictures of the
100 hybrids he is featuring together with notes on each
one. These include details of the parents in each case
and often additional information.
The pictures are excellent, and the plants are simply
amazing. The notes on each plant are always
interesting. The publication is well laid out and
beautifully produced on quality paper.
Gerhard Marx is also an internationally renowned
botanical artist and the cover of this special edition,
depicts his drawing of Haworthia ×Bill Keen.
Anyone who is interested in haworthias, or related
genera, should obtain this publication. You will find
much of interest to admire and enjoy.

Price including p&p The Haworthia Society

Haworthia Society members The Haworthia Society was established in 1986 and is
dedicated to the furtherance of knowledge and cultivation
UK £12.00
of the Aloaceae, specifically Haworthia (including
Europe £14.00 Haworthiopsis and Tulista), Gasteria, Astroloba, Aloe and
ROW £17.00 Bulbine.
The Society offers:
Non-Haworthia Society members
The Haworthiad, a full-colour, A5 format journal issued
UK £15.00 three times a year,
Europe £17.00 A biennial show, in conjunction with the Oxford Show,
usually in July or August,
ROW £20.00
A biennial convention, held in October, with a number of
Online shop with Paypal option now available via internationally-known speakers.
the Haworthia Society website
For more information, or to join the Society, please visit
the Haworthia Society website.
 6

Caroline Ball: A Splendour of

Succulents and Cacti
Illustrations from an eighteenth century botanical treasury
The Bodleian Library, March 2023. ISBN 978 1 85124 5970
Reviewed by Sheila Cude

T his lavishly illustrated book presents the Phytanthoza

Iconographia, produced by a German apothecary,
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741). At the
time there were two main types of botanical
books, a herbal detailing the practical and
particularly medicinal uses of plants and a
florilegium, which included ornamental
plants and emphasised the quality of
presentation. Caroline Ball suggests
that the Phytanthoza Iconographia
‘rather straddles the two forms’.
It was certainly conceived on a
grand scale, even the full title takes
up a complete page. The final work
comprised four immense volumes
(sometimes bound as eight volumes)
with 1,025 illustrations, depicting
more then 3,500 different plants. Five
hundred of the illustrations were
produced by the young Georg Ehret (see
page 8). The first volume was issued in
1737 and the work was completed, after
Weinmann’s death, in 1744.
The plates from this work that depict succulents
and cacti are shown in the second half of the book ‘as
they appear in the Iconographia’. This statement is not
strictly true, however, as the figures are depicted as cut-
outs, not as they appear in the original, and without the
Latin names which would have accompanied them. The
cut-outs work well as a series of decorative images, (see
right) but I would far rather have seen the plates as they
originally appeared.
I’m afraid I find myself wondering exactly who is the
intended readership of this book. Is it someone who is
primarily interested in cacti and succulents or in
botanical art?
If the former, then the book tries to present a
comprehensive introduction to cacti and
succulents intended, I feel, mainly for those who
are not otherwise familiar with them. It includes
the first discoveries of cacti and agaves by
early explorers and their uses by the native
American civilisations, and even an
introduction to CAM (crassulacean acid Cereus minimus serpens Americanus
metabolism). (Selenicereus grandiflorus)
A Splendour of Succulents and Cacti continued 7

There are also notes on the plants

illustrated, many of which are interesting,
and information on where to see cacti and
succulents in botanic gardens and other
locations.
For those interested in botanical art there is
information on what were, at the time,
cutting edge printing techniques. The
plates were produced from engravings of
the original artwork, and it is interesting to
note that, while the artists remain largely
anonymous, the engravers are
acknowledged on the title page.
Overall I feel that perhaps the book is
trying to be all things for too many people
and, as a result, has become somewhat
unfocused. Having said that, however, this
is still an interesting introduction to the
Phytanthoza Iconographia, which is clearly
an important work that deserves to be
brought to our attention.
Illustrations: Bodleian Library,
University of Oxford

A Splendour of Succulents and Cacti is

available from the Bodleian Library
Bookshop price £16.99, from 16 March
2023.

in
ca e
La tus ut
A Mexican Celebr
tion Weekend
th
a

c so
rg m h-e
es a a
t rt st
Cactus at the Castle 2023
Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 September 11.00 – 17.00
The Cactus & Succulent Review is delighted to present Saturday 16
Cactus at the Castle 2023. The Mesemb Study Group
The event will include: Show

• Cactus Mart with over 20

leading nurseries

• The Mesemb Study Group

Show and The Mammillaria
Lullingstone Castle
Eynsford, Kent Society Open Show
DA4 OJA • Guided tours of the World Garden with Tom Hart Dyke
For further details, Admission* Sunday 17
including a list of sellers, Adults £12.50 Under 16s FREE The Mammillaria Society
see the Cactus at the CSR Readers £6 Open Show
Castle website
Mammillaria Society Members £6 (Sunday only)
Mesemb Study Group Members £6 (Saturday only)
us C
at the
BCSS Members £10
as
Cact

2-DAY **One
One day
day only.
only.Discount
Discounted two-day
2-day passes
passes will be
tle

passes will be available.

available for all visitors. See the CSR website.
 8

The genius of
Georg Ehret
by Sheila Cude

G eorg Dionysius Ehret was born in 1708

in Heidelberg where his parents ran a
smallholding growing and selling garden
1769), a wealthy Nuremberg banker who
was keenly interested in plants of all kinds.
He commissioned Ehret to produce an
produce. He was taught to draw by his unlimited number of paintings of rare plants
father, then apprenticed as a gardener to and flowers. Ehret met Trew in Nuremberg
his uncle, which he described as ‘three in 1733 and continued to send him
years of slavery’. After his father died his paintings. Trew eventually used these in
mother married again. His stepfather had Plantae Selectae published in 10 parts
the care of two gardens belonging to the between 1750 and 1773 and consisting
Elector of Heidelberg, and he gave Ehret largely of plates from Ehret’s paintings.
part charge of one of these.
Ehret had continued to practise drawing
and painting whenever possible, and he
attracted the notice of Carl Wilhelm, the
Margrave of Baden-Durlach who was a
keen plant collector, having amassed
(among others) some 5,000 tulips and
around 800 hyacinths. Ehret painted many
of these plants, which led to him receiving
somewhat preferential treatment from the
Margrave. This in turn aroused the jealousy
of the Margrave’s other employees and the
ensuing unpleasantness meant that
eventually Ehret decided to leave.
He travelled to Regensberg where he met
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, who engaged
him to paint plates for his Phytanthoza
Iconographia (see page 6). He was
engaged to produce 1,000 drawings over
the next year, for a fee of 50 thaler, plus
free board and lodging. This was an
impossible task and he could only produce
500 drawings. Weinmann paid him 20
thaler and they parted on bad terms.
Ehret worked next for a Regensberg banker
named Leskenkohl, painting the plants in
his garden and copying plates from the
Hortus Malabaricus, a 17th century
botanical treatise on the medicinal
properties of the flora of the Malabar coast
(in the Indian state of Kerala). At the same
time he also produced some 500 drawings
of plants from the area of Regensberg.
In 1731 he met Johann Ambrosius Beurer,
an apprentice apothecary who was very
interested in botany. Beurer subsequently
mentioned Ehret and his work to his
Bromelia pinguin Volume 6 of Trew’s Plantae Selectae (tt. 51-60): t. 51 (1760)
cousin, Dr Christoph Jakob Trew (1695-
The genius of Georg Ehret continued 9

Selenicereus grandiflorus Volume 4 of Trew’s Plantae Selectae (tt. 31-40): t. 32 (1754)

The genius of Georg Ehret continued
Having had enough of the Hortus
Malabaricus after five dreary years Ehret
set out to travel. He spent a year in Basel
laying out a garden for a wealthy merchant,
Samuel Burckhardt. In return Burckhardt
obtained a passport for Ehret to travel to
France and Holland. He remained in Paris
until 1735, during which time he learned
the techniques of painting on vellum, which
remained his preference thereafter.
Supplied with another passport and letters
of introduction Ehret journeyed to England
and spent a year there. In 1736 he went to
Holland, where he met the young Carl
Linnaeus (1707–1778) who was staying
with a wealthy Anglo-Dutch banker and
governor of the Dutch East India Company,
George Clifford. Linnaeus was working on
descriptions of the rare plants in Clifford’s
garden (Hortus Cliffortianus published
1738) for which Ehret supplied 20 of the 24
plant illustrations included in the book.
Ehret also worked with Linnaeus on his
Systema Naturae and supplied some of the
illustrations.
Aporocactus flagelliformis Plantae Selectae Vol. 3 (tt. 21-
30): t. 30 (1752)
10
In 1736 Ehret returned to England where he
made his home for the rest of his life. He
became a popular figure in London society
and gave lessons to a number of
aristocratic pupils. It does not appear that
any of these shared his talent however.
At first he stayed with Philip Miller
(1691–1771) who he had met during his
previous visit to London, and who was
curator of the Chelsea Physic Garden.
Miller had previously written the Gardeners
Dictionary, and subsequently produced
Figures of the most Beautiful Useful and
Uncommon plants described in the
Gardeners Dictionary, for which Ehret
contributed 16 illustrations.
There were plenty of other commissions as
well and by 1750 Ehret was firmly
established as the leading botanical
illustrator in Europe.
He married Philip Miller’s sister-in-law and
they had three children, only one of whom
survived. Ehret continued to live in London
until his death in 1770. n
Harrisia gracilis Plantae Selectae Vol. 2 (tt. 11-20): t. 14
(1751)
 11

When is a flower not a flower?

by Len Newton
Short answer – when it is a pseudanthium
Long answer – read on...

O n some plants what appears to be a

flower is in fact a compact mass of
flowers, i.e. an inflorescence that is so
compact that it appears to be a single
flower. Such a mass is called a
pseudanthium, meaning false flower. The
individual flowers arise from a structure
called a receptacle, derived from the stalk
of a normal inflorescence. Pseudanthia are
found on succulents in several families.
Some examples follow.
Asteraceae (Compositae)
In this family the inflorescence is called a
capitulum and consists of many small
flowers arranged on a flattened disc, the
receptacle. In effect the receptacle is an
inflorescence axis that has become
flattened in evolution. The flowers open in a
sequence from the outside towards the
centre, as they would from the lower end
upwards on an elongated axis. In some Fig. 1
species the outermost ring of flowers have
Senecio schwartzii, with still unopened flowers in the centre of the
the corolla united into what appears to be a capitulum
single petal. In each flower, the anthers
shed their pollen before the stigma
appears.
If you look down on a capitulum before the
flowers have opened you will see that the
florets are arranged in spirals, turning both
left and right. If you count the spirals, those
spiralling to the left and those to the right,
you will find that they fit into a series of
numbers known as the Fibonacci
sequence. This is a sequence in which
each number is the sum of the previous
two — thus 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 33, etc.
Although known earlier as a Hindu-Arabic
numeral system, this series was publicised
in 1202 by Leonardo Bonacci (ca.1170–
ca.1250), an Italian mathematician in Pisa,
better known by his nickname of Fibonacci.
The sequence occurs widely in nature, and
can also be seen when looking down on to
a cactus with spirally arranged tubercles, Fig. 2
such as a Mammillaria. Spiral leaf
Curio rowleyanus, with female flowers on the left capitulum and male
arrangements along a stem also display
flowers on the right capitulum
this sequence.
When is a flower not a flower? continued 12

Moraceae
Species in the genus Dorstenia also have
flowers on a flattened receptacle, but the
flowers are unisexual. Usually a female
flower is surrounded by several male
flowers. On some species the receptacle is
somewhat elongated rather than circular,
i.e. ‘boat-shaped’. There are usually bracts
around the outer edge of the receptacle,
almost giving the impression of petals.
Euphorbiaceae
Members of the genus Euphorbia have a
pseudanthium called a cyathium. It is a
cup-like structure with flowers arising
inside. The inflorescence axis has gone
beyond being flattened in its evolution and
has become invaginated (folded back or
sheathed).
The flowers are unisexual, a female
(pistillate) flower with an ovary, style and
stigma, and a male (staminate) flower with
a single anther. Each cyathium has a single
female flower arising from the base and Fig. 3
several male flowers arising from the inside
Dorstenia foetida, with female flowers developing fruits
wall of the cup. There are a few species,
such as E. obesa, with male and female
plants, on which the cyathia have only one
kind of flower. n
Photos: Len Newton Euphorbia poissonii, with male flowers (red) and some developing
fruits on female flowers

Fig. 4

Quiabentia
A small genus in a large subfamily
by Ray Woodbridge
Opuntioideae is the largest and most widespread
subfamily within the Cactaceae.
Starting out life in the area we now call Northern
Argentina/Western Brazil, opuntias soon spread north
and south.
Sixty-four percent of Opuntia species are polyploid
(compared to 12 percent in all cacti ). This enables
them to hybridise quite easily and adapt to their new
environment quickly through natural selection, creating
new species as they go and soon becoming invasive.
It is one of the basal genera, Quiabentia, I would like to
talk about today.
Figs. 1 & 2
Quiabentia zehntneri and, inset, close-up showing the thick succulent lealves of a Quiabentia
13
Quiabentia
Quiabentia is thought to be the basal genus of the tribe
Cylindropuntieae. Molecular work by Griffith and Porter
(2009) shows a close association with Cylindropuntia,
Corynopuntia, Grusonia, Micropuntia and Pereskiopsis.
It is the Guatemalan and Mexican genus Pereskiopsis
that is closest to Quiabentia with molecular studies
showing them to be very close relatives.
Flowers on Pereskiopsis are lateral whereas on
Quiabentia they are terminal, but the main difference
between the two genera is the seeds.
Pereskiopsis has a typical small cactus seed covered
with a thin, soft funicular aril with a relatively well-
developed perisperm. In contrast Quiabentia has a very
large seed (up to 10mm ) covered with a massive hard
funicular aril, with a large embryo complete with a pair
of cotyledons curved around a small perisperm.
Quiabentia continued
Quiabentia has only two species. Both are primitive
deciduous trees/shrubs having thick ovate succulent
leaves which remain during the growing season.
Flowers are quite simple, similar to those on the wild
rose found in hedgerows in the UK. Both species are
found mainly growing on sand/clay sediments.
Quiabentia verticillata (Vaupel) Borg 1937
This is a tree/shrub which can grow up to 15m high. It
is found in northern Argentina and just over the borders
into Bolivia and Paraguay and is widespread
throughout this area. Conservation status is least
concern.
Quiabentia zehntneri (Britton and Rose) Britton
and Rose 1923
This is a shrub growing up to 3m high. It is found only
in Bahia, Brazil in dry deciduous forest. The name of
the genus comes from this area, where the locals call
A quick look at seeds
by Sheila Cude
A ngiosperms are flowering plants that produce
their seeds enclosed in a fruit. It seems to be
unclear when they first originated but the earliest
fossil record of pollen dates from the early
Cretaceous period around 134 million years ago.
Throughout the Cretaceous period they diversified
rapidly and today they include 64 orders, 416
families, approximately 13,000 known genera and
around 300,000 known species.
Structure of a seed
Basically a seed consists of three elements.
l The embryo which will form the new plant.
Seeds can be divided into monocots (one
cotyledon or seed leaf) or dicots (two
cotyledons. Cacti are dicots.
l Food storage tissue for the germinating embryo,
usually the endosperm.
l An outer protective layer usually comprising the
testa, a thicker outer layer and the tegmen, a
delicate inner layer.
Fertilisation
Angiosperms have developed a system known as
‘double fertilisation’. A grain of pollen lands on a
plant’s stigma and gets to work. The pollen consists
of three nuclei, one of which develops into a pollen
tube and the others into generative nuclei or sperm.
The sperm are transported by the pollen tube to the
ovary at the base of the flower.
14
this plant Quiabento. Conservation status is least
concern.
Cultivation
Cultivation is relatively easy, winter warmth is needed, I
find 8–10°C minimum is fine. Give a long dry rest
period, mid September to March (leaves usually fall in
February) then a light watering in mid March. Water
well in the growing season in warm weather and
position in bright light.
Well that’s all for Quiabentia. Good sowing and
growing.
Photos: Ray Woodbridge
The subfamily Opuntioideae contains a number of
interesting small genera and this is the first of a series of
articles on these. Next time we will be looking at
Brasiliopuntia.
Within the ovary are ovules, each of which contains,
in its central part, a region called the nucellus, which
in turn contains an embryo sac holding the eggs.
One sperm unites with an egg to produce a zygote,
which develops into an embryo, the other fuses with
the central nucleus or nuclei of the embryo sac and
will develop into the endosperm or food store.
Perisperm is another form of food storage tissue
originating from the nucellus. If both perisperm and
endosperm are present the perisperm will surround
the endosperm.
Protective covering
All seeds need a protective covering. Opuntia seeds,
however are surrounded by an aril, a hard water-
impenetrable coating, which is typically yellowish-
brown. The aril causes delayed germination,
probably because it prevents water from reaching
the real seed buried inside. When Opuntia seeds fall
to the ground they do not germinate right away even
if there is rain. They age in the soil and microbes
and time break down the seed coating. In a year or
even 10 years the seeds may germinate, which may
be long after the original mother plant is gone. This
mechanism is a way to ensure the longevity of a
population if an animal eats the mother plant or a
fire destroys it.
The above has been considerably simplified.
Information on Opuntia seeds from Oblog ‘Opuntia
seeds have an aril’ posted 16 December 2022.

Stapelia hirsuta
by Colin C. Walker
Potted History
Stapelia hirsuta is now a fairly common
plant, having been in cultivation in Europe
for over 300 years. It appears to have
flowered first in Amsterdam where Caspar
Commelin (1706) published an engraving of
it in flower (Fig. 1). Commelin called this
plant ‘Asclepias Africana, aizoides, flore
pulcre fimbriato’ which translates as ‘The
15
African Swallow-wort, with fair [or more
accurately ‘beautifully’] hairy flowers’. He
provided a brief description to accompany
the engraving and gave its habitat as the
Cape based on information from an
unpublished codex (manuscript) by
Nicholas Witsen, Burgomaster of
Amsterdam and a central figure in Dutch
scientific circles.
Fig. 1
Asclepias Africana
aizoides flore pulcre
fimbriato (= Stapelia
hirsuta). t.19 from
Commelin (1706)
Stapelia hirsuta continued 16

One of the best of the subsequent 18th Stamina and Germen, and is of a purple
century coloured images was published by Colour. The Outside of the Petal is of a
Philip Miller, who was a renowned British herbaceous pale Colour, and smooth.
gardener and superintendent of the Society This Plant flowers during great Part of
of Apothecaries at the Chelsea Physic the Summer. The Flower, when fully
Garden. expanded has a very foetid Odour; so
like that of Carrion as to deceive the
Miller not only built up an extensive plant
common Flesh Flies, who deposit their
collection but he was also a major author
eggs all round the Nectarium in great
on the plants under his care. His famous
plenty. These do frequently come to
Gardeners Dictionary went through eight
have life, and move, but very soon die
editions (1731–1768). This includes very
for want of Provision’.
few illustrations, however 397 different
plants were illustrated in 300 colour plates
in a separate work entitled Figures of the
most Beautiful Useful, and Uncommon
plants described in the Gardeners
Dictionary (Miller, 1755–1760).
One of these plates illustrates a stapeliad
(Fig. 2). The name he used for this plant is
Stapelia denticulis ramorum erectis
meaning ‘Stapelia with erect indentures
[tubercles] on the branches’. The artist for
this painting and also the engraver of the
published plate is John Miller. To
accompany the attractive painting, Philip
Miller provided a detailed description of
this plant, its flowers, the fly eggs and
maggots:
‘The plant grows naturally upon the
Rocks at the Cape of Good Hope, from
whence it was first brought to the
Gardens in Holland; but is now become
common in most Parts of Europe. The
Root is composed of many strong
Fibres, from which arise several
succulent four-cornered Stalks, which
send out other Branches of the same
Shape from their Side, which have
Indentures on each Angle their whole
Length; whose Points are erect. The
Stalks or Branches are of a deep green
Colour; but the Angles and Points of the
Indentures are inclining to brown,
especially if the Plants are exposed in
the open Air in Summer. The Flowers
come out from the Side of the Stalks,
standing upon long fleshy Footstalks.
They have small permanent Fig. 2
Empalements, which are cut into Five
Segments; and One large plain Petal of a This species was formally named as Stapelia denticulis
thick leathery Substance, which is Stapelia hirsuta by Linnaeus in 1753, ramorum erectis
deeply cut into Five acute Points. The whose only reference to an illustration was (= Stapelia hirsuta)
Inside of the Petal is variegated and to the Commelin plate (Fig. 1). Later in t.258 from Miller
hairy, and the Borders of the Segments 1768 Miller adopted the Linnaean name (1755–1760)
are closely furnished with long brown and ever since this is how the species has
Hairs. In the Centre is placed the double been known. More recently it has been
starry Nectarium, whose Points seems recognised as the type species of its
as if they were torn, which covers the genus, which currently consists of
Stapelia hirsuta continued 17

28 species (Bruyns, 2005). It typifies

References
stapelias in having four-angled pubescent
stems and hairy flowers. The present Bruyns, P.V. (2005) Stapeliads of Southern Africa and Madagascar.
concept of this species is a very broad one Two volumes. Umdaus Press, Hatfield, South Africa.
with five varieties being recognised. Commelin, C. (1706) Horti medici Amstelaedamensis plantae rariores et
exoticae ad vivum aeri incisae. F. Haringh, Leiden, t.19.
Flowering in my collection
The clone currently flowering in my Miller, P. (1755–1760) Figures of the most beautiful, useful, and
collection in October 2022 (Fig. 3) matches uncommon plants described in the gardeners dictionary.
1st ed. 300 hand coloured plates. John Rivington, London.
well to Miller’s description. It is a tight
Stapelia hirsuta, t.253.
clump with stems up to 18cm tall,
branching freely from the base and velvety
to the touch. The flower when expanded so
that the lobes are not recurved is about
11cm across. It is dark red-purple in the centre with yellow
irregular stripes on the lobes. It lives up to its name since it is
very hairy with hairs up to 6mm long on the margins, although
the centres of the lobes are relatively hairless. Despite
Miller’s description of the flower having a strong odour, my
plant has only a very faint unpleasant smell. Fortunately
with the plant growing in the conservatory I have yet to
observe fly activity around the flowers and
no eggs have been deposited! This
plant matches the description of
S. hirsuta var. hirsuta.
Stapelia hirsuta in habitat
The broad concept of this
species adopted by Bruyns
(2005) describes it as being
widespread and very variable
with a wide U-shaped
distribution pattern ranging
from southern Namibia
through the Cape into
KwaZulu-Natal. Variety hirsuta
occurs from Namaqualand
south and into the west of
the Eastern Cape
Province, South
Africa. Bruyns
observes that,
‘Over its whole
range, plants of
var. hirsuta are
found among
bushes on
gentle slopes
or flats or on
exposed, rocky
outcrops in
mountains’. n
Photos: Colin C.
Walker

Figs. 3 and 4

Stapelia hirsuta in flower and a close-up of the

flower

Red-flowered Gymnocalyciums
by Vicky Davies
T he genus Gymnocalycium is popular
with many in the hobby, from those just
starting out to those that have been
collecting cacti for years. Many of the
species have white or pale pink flowers but
there are a few that will add a splash of red
to any collection. Here is an introduction to
two red-flowering species and their
synonyms.
Gymnocalycium baldianum
Gymnocalycium baldianum was described
in 1905 by Carlos Spegazzini, who was one
of the most significant plant explorers of
Patagonia on account of the number of
collections he made. The species was
named for Sr. J. Baldi who was a sponsor
18
Fig. 1
of Spegazzini. It was originally placed in
the genus Echinocactus, and it was
another 20 years before Spegazzini himself
Above:
Gymnocalycium
baldianum
moved it to Gymnocalycium, although this (G. sanguiniflorum)
genus had existed since 1844. (Photo: Graham
Commonly known as the Dwarf Chin Evans)
Cactus or the Spider Cactus, G. baldianum
stands out from many other
gymnocalyciums due to its vibrant red
flowers. Young plants remain solitary before
beginning to cluster with age. The
observations in the original description
refer to the plants being 4–7cm in diameter,
2.5–4cm high with a slightly sunken crown
and spines numbering 3–7, straight to
recurved 7–12mm long with no centrals.
The flowers were described as solitary or in
Red-flowered gymnocalyciums continued
groups of two or three near to the centre of
the crown, the petals a beautiful purple to
pinkish purple with stamens, filaments and
style pinkish-purple, anthers and stigma
lobes pale ochre.
The first plants were found in mountains
near Ancasti in Catamarca Province,
Argentina. The distribution of the species is
somewhat limited, being found only in
Sierra Ancasti, Sierra de Graciana, Sierra
de Manchao and on the mountains east of
Andalgalá. The plants have been reported
19
at altitudes between 500–2000m above sea
level and are often found growing amongst
grasses in organic-rich soil. The IUCN Red
Data List assessment in 2010 has given the
species the status of Least Concern,
although it acknowledges there is a
decrease in population. The collection of
plants from habitat and the risk of fire are
considered the main threats to the species.
A great many collections of G. baldianum
have been made since its discovery,
probably due to the desirability of its
Fig. 2
Gymnocalycium
baldianum
(Photo: Vicky
Davies)
Red-flowered gymnocalyciums continued 20

striking flower colour. This has led to much Gymnocalycium schreiteri

variability being seen in plants in Another species that was erected by Hans
collections. Furthermore some collection Till in 2009 and named after Carlos
numbers offered for sale are now several Roberto Schreiter. The type locality is
generations of plants removed from the Sierra de la Candelaria in the Province of
original collection, rendering the strains Tucumán at an altitude of 2000–2200m and
questionable. A greater variation in flower it is said to have flowers that vary in colour
colour (from white to violet-red) is now from orange-red to purplish red. Plants
seen and this may be due to hybridisation offered for sale with this moniker seem to
taking place during seed production,
particularly in nurseries supplying the
general retail trade.
Over the years a number of species have
been sunk under Gymnocalycium
baldianum. These names are still
encountered as plants and seeds for sale.
Gymnocalycium marianae
Described in 2009 by Mario Perea, Omar
Ferrari, Laura Las Peñas and Roberto
Kiesling, plants are known from a single
location in the Andalgalá Department,
Catamarca at an altitude of 1700–1800m
above sea level. The estimated population
is 500 mature individuals and the IUCN
Red Data List considers the species as
vulnerable. Plants are larger, reaching 11cm
high and 16cm in diameter, with 5–11 radial
spines 15–20mm long. Some plants also
have a single central spine 20–25mm in
length. Flower colour was stated to be red-
magenta, sometimes pink to orange with a
magenta throat.
Gymnocalycium raineri
This name has been given to plants found
on the west side of the Sierra de Graciana,
Catamarca, the species being described by
Hans Till in 2007. The main difference from
G. baldianum is said to be the numerous
offsets and the large, pink flowers. The
name was reduced to the rank of variety by
Ivan Milt in 2015.
Gymnocalycium sanguiniflorum
This is another species that began its life in
Echinocactus, where Erich Werdermann
placed it in 1932, before it was moved to
Gymnocalycium by Bruno Dolz in 1936. Fig. 3
The plant used for the description was sent
Gymnocalycium
to the Botanical Gardens Dahlem, Berlin in be perhaps slightly smaller than some oenanthemum
1926 by Prof. Hosseus of Córdoba, forms. The name was reduced to the rank (G. tillianum)
Argentina but its wild location is unknown. of variety by Milt in 2015. (Photo: Vicky
The plant is recorded as flowering for the Davies)
first time in 1930, the bloom described as Gymnocalycium venturianum
deep blood red, shiny, paler at the tip. The Curt Backeberg described this species in
name was revived and reduced to the rank 1934, with petals of blood red to carmine-
of subspecies by Ludwig Bercht in 2009. red. It is likely that this is the same plant as
Red-flowered gymnocalyciums continued
that which was called ‘G. venturi’ by
^ Plants of this species remain solitary with
Alberto Fric and was first listed in his
catalogue in 1929. No locality was given
but it is believed to be from the border
region of Catamarca and Tucumán,
according to Graham Charles in his book
Gymnocalycium in Habitat and Culture. The
name is referred to G. baldianum in
Backeberg’s Cactus Lexicon.
Gymnocalycium oenanthemum
This is a very different looking plant from
G. baldianum. It grows considerably larger
and has much stronger spination but it also
produces beautiful red flowers during the
summer months.
The specific epithet comes from the Greek
‘oinos’ meaning wine and ‘anthemon’ for
flower in recognition of the wine-red hue to
the flower of this species. It was described
by Backeberg in 1934. He cited the locality
as Mendoza, Argentina but Friedrich Ritter
later based his observations on plants
collected from Catamarca.
21
bodies dull grey-green in colour, about
12cm wide and 10cm high. Ribs are broad
and sharply angled numbering 11–13. The
radial spines are stout, usually five in
number and reddish-grey with a dark tip.
Central spines are usually absent. The
flowers are 5cm long by 4cm wide, wine
red or pinkish-red and shiny in texture.
The species was assessed by the IUCN in
2010 and is said to be endangered with a
decreasing population trend. The main
threat is considered to be the intentional
fires started in the grasslands where the
plants are found. There is also pressure on
some of the populations from removal of
plants by collectors.
This is another species that has a number
of synonyms, although one anomalous
form has recently been raised to
subspecies level by Joel Lodé, namely Gymnocalycium
Gymnocalycium oenanthemum subsp. oenanthemum
ambatoense. This is a white-flowered plant (Photo: Graham
Evans)
Fig. 4
Red-flowered gymnocalyciums continued
with finer spines that is found at a lower
altitude (900-1100m) in the Sierra Ambato.
It was first described by Jörg Piltz in 1980.
Despite G. oenanthemum being the oldest
name, plants and seeds of the red-flowered
form(s) are more readily available under the
following alternative names.
Gymnocalycium carminanthum
Hans Borth and Helmet Koop described
G. carminanthum in 1976. It was found in
the Sierra Ambato at an altitude of
1300–1800m in mineral rich soil under
small bushes and grasses. The main
difference is in the description of the flower
colour: dark carmine petals compared to
the wine red of G. oenanthemum. The
name was reduced to the rank of
subspecies by Till in 2008.
Gymnocalycium tillianum
This species was described by Walter
Rausch in 1970, again from Sierra Ambato.
It is found at a higher altitude of
22
Fig. 5
Above:
2600–3500m on the west side of the Gymnocalycium
mountain range (G. carminanthum is found oenanthemum
on the east side). subsp.
ambatoense
The plants are slightly larger reaching 15cm
(Photo: Graham
in diameter with up to 15 ribs. Flowers are Evans)
30mm long and 25mm diameter with dark
red petals. The name was reduced to the
rank of variety by Rudolf Slaba in 2011.
All the forms mentioned in this article are
deserving of space in any general
collection. They are floriferous, easy to
grow and perform well in a variety of
locations, given good light but not
necessarily full sun. They benefit from
plentiful watering in summer and produce
their bounteous, colourful flowers best after
a cool winter rest just above freezing. As
part of a gymno-specific collection or area,
they constitute a delightful colour break
from the more conservative flower tones of
their relatives, most of which will be in
bloom concurrently. n
Photos: as credited
 23

Pachypodium
namaquanum
by Matt Candeias

A t first glance this photo seems

fake. I assure you, however,
that this is indeed a real plant.
Meet Pachypodium namaquanum,
the elephant’s trunk. This bizarre
member of the Apocynaceae can
be found growing in the dry rocky
deserts of the Richtersveld and
southern Namibia. Although it may
seem better suited for life in a Dr.
Seuss book, in fact all aspects of
this plant’s strange appearance
enable it to live in some of the
harshest climates possible for a
plant.
During the spring and summer
months (November–March)
temperatures in these regions can
reach upwards of 50°C. It does not
rain much either. What little water
this plant does receive comes in
the form of fog rolling in from the
coast. Oddly enough, it seems to
prefer growing on the most
exposed slopes possible, favouring
spots where sun and wind are at
their worst.
Everything about P. namaquanum
seems to be focused on water
conservation. The most obvious
feature is that swollen trunk, which
serves as a water storage organ. It
is no surprise then that this
valuable storage organ is covered
in spines. These ‘trees’ remain
leafless during the summer heat as
well, which keeps valuable water
reserves from evaporating.
There is at least one aspect of this
plant’s physiology that seems to
stand in the face of the harsh
desert environment in which it lives.
Anyone who has observed these
plants in the wild may have noticed
that their tips all seem to be
pointing northwards with an
Pachypodium namaquanum Photo: Derek Keats CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
inclination that usually ranges
Pachypodium namaquanum continued 24

between a 50° and 60° angle. This

is strange because most desert
plants usually prefer to minimise
their exposure to solar radiation
rather than face it head on.
The reason for this becomes more
apparent with the onset of autumn.
Come April the climate of this
region becomes a bit milder and
the sun begins to dip below the
horizon for longer periods of time.
It is around this time that the plant
will produce leaves. A single whorl
of velvety leaves emerges from the
very tip of the stem. This is also the
time in which it reproduces.
Attractive yellow and red flowers
spray out from between the leaves
(see front cover).
The success of the elephant’s trunk
is reliant on this relatively short
growth period, so the plant aims to
maximise its gains. This is where
the northern inclination comes into
play. Such an orientation serves to
maximise the amount of sunlight
the leaves and the flowers receive.
In this way, the leaves and flowers
absorb twice as much sunlight than
if they were vertically oriented. It is
thought that the sunlight warms the
flowers, as well as brightening their
display, making them impressive
targets for local pollinators.
Like most members of this family,
seeds are produced in pods and
are borne on silky hairs. The
slightest breeze can carry them a
great distance. Though germination Pachypodium namaquanum Photo: Tony Rebelo CC BY-SA-4.0
comes relatively easily to this
species, it is nonetheless declining
in the wild. Mining and livestock
have taken up a lot of its available Pachypodium namaquanum is also known in Afrikaans as ‘halfmens’, i.e.
habitat. Poaching adds to these half man, half plant.
threats as its strange appearance
Legend has it that members of a Nama tribe were forced to flee their
makes it highly sought after by
homeland in the north by an invading tribe. As they reached the
collectors. n inhospitable Richtersveld they stopped to look back to the lands they had
left. The gods took pity on them and turned them into plants so they could
better withstand the harsh conditions of their new home and look back at
their lost homeland for eternity.
This article was reprinted from ‘In It is also said that if the spines on the stems are stroked the plant will
Defense of Plants’, an online blog make a series of clicking sounds similar to the clicks which form part of the
with many fascinating articles on all Nama language.
plants. For more amazing botanical
Pachypodium namaquanum grows extremely slowly, no more than
stories, podcasts, videos and
0.5–1.5cm a year. Plants generally reach a height of 1.5–2.5m although
details of Matt Candeias’ book,
plants of 4–5m have been recorded. The stems may branch from the base,
please visit the website
and plants can be as much as 100 years old.
In Defense of Plants.
 25

Fig. 1

Gethyllis
britteniana

Gethyllis and their cultivation

by Paul Cumbleton
An introduction to this fascinating genus of South African bulbs

G ethyllis is a genus of about 30 species

of winter-growing bulbous plants
native to South Africa. Many of them have
attractive leaves, as well as impressive
flowers, yet are still little cultivated. I
imagine that lack of awareness and
difficulty in finding sources, along with the
short viability of the seeds, account for
this. I hope this article may nevertheless
inspire you to search them out and try
growing some of these fascinating plants
for yourself.

Fig. 2

Gethyllis
transkarooica
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued 26

Fig. 3

Gethyllis oliverorum

In South Africa they have the common What’s the appeal?

name of kukumakranka. They are often
incorrectly portrayed as tricky to cultivate
but I have found them quite straightforward
as long as you give regard to their basic
requirements, as with any plant.
This genus is very under-studied and it
would be wise to regard the name label on
any plant you receive, or indeed in this
article, as a guide rather than being
definitive! I grow half a dozen of the
species, along with a hybrid between two
of them that I deliberately created.
The flowers, leaves and fruits are all
attractive, and as these appear at different
times (see below under ‘Cultivation’), you
get several seasons of interest.
Flowers
Unusually, the flowers appear in summer
during the dry season in the absence of the
leaves. Sadly, they are quite fleeting,
usually lasting only one to three days, but
an added bonus is that Gethyllis flowers Gethyllis villosa
white form (Fig.4)
are sweetly scented.
and pink form
(Fig.5)

Fig. 4 Fig. 5
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued
They appear very quickly too – you can
look one day and see nothing, then look
the next to discover a pot in full bloom, the
flowers having pushed up through the
gravel overnight and opened in the
sunshine the next day.
Flowers may be either white, as for
example in Gethyllis britteniana and
Gethyllis oliverorum or pink such as in
Gethyllis transkarooica. Some species may
Fig. 6
Gethyllis barkerae pink buds
Fig. 8
Gethyllis hallii
27
be either of these colours in different
forms, for example Gethyllis villosa.
Sometimes the buds may be differently
coloured to the open flower; Gethyllis
barkerae for example has dark pink buds
but open flowers that start pale pink and
rapidly fade to white. Gethyllis hallii buds
may be yellow-green, the open flower
starting pale yellow-green but again fading
to white .
Fig. 7
Gethyllis barkerae flowers fading to white
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued
Leaves
The leaves vary a lot from species to
species and can be attractive in their own
right. Some are spirally twisted, such as in
Gethyllis britteniana or Gethyllis linearis, or
sometimes covered in attractive silvery
hairs such as in Gethyllis villosa. Others
have broad, flat and glossy leaves such as
Gethyllis roggeveldensis while some
species have attractively coloured basal
sheaths around the leaves, such as in
Gethyllis verticillata which has white
sheaths with maroon blotches that are
fringed at their apex.
Fruits
The fruits may also be quite colourful and
attractive. Swollen pods push up through
the gravel just before or occasionally with
leaf emergence. They arise from a
subterranean ovary; a unique feature for
this genus compared to other Amaryllids
and an adaptation that enables the ovary to
keep cool and protected as the seeds
develop through the hot, dry summer. An
added bonus is that they are highly
aromatic and edible too – I have tried them
myself from my own plants and found them
quite delicious!
Fig. 9
Gethyllis britteniana
28
Cultivation
Gethyllis mainly occur in the western,
winter-rainfall area of South Africa in semi-
arid environments that are hot and dry in
summer. In response, they have evolved an
interesting pattern of growth with four
distinct phases:
1. Leaf growth commences in autumn
and proceeds through the winter,
2. The leaves die down in early summer
and are dormant until autumn,
3. Flowering takes place in summer in
the absence of the leaves,
4. Fruiting occurs in early autumn, prior
to, or occasionally commensurate
with, leaf growth.
Knowing this tells us what to do to grow
these bulbs successfully. As always when I
give cultivation advice, please note that I
am describing my experience under my
conditions (northern hemisphere and in the
south-west of England) and you may need
to adapt things to suit you and yours. But if
you have never grown a plant before, trying
first what has proven to work for someone
else is a good place to start.
Fig. 10
Gethyllis linearis
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued
Fig. 11
Gethyllis villosa
There are many similarities between the
cultivation of Gethyllis and that of cacti,
except that Gethyllis grow in winter. This
means they complement cultivating cacti,
giving interest during the season in which
cacti are dormant.
Under UK conditions Gethyllis need
protection from summer rainfall, so are
usually grown under glass. I use deep pots
which are needed to accommodate the
often long, fleshy roots and elongated
bulbs. I usually use clay pots and these are
plunged in sand to keep the pots cooler
and to help with drainage and moisture
levels. I also successfully use plastic pots,
however, and these are sometimes un-
plunged. My glasshouse is kept just frost-
free in winter, but others have had success
in an unheated glasshouse if the plants are
covered with fleece on frosty nights.
Potting Mix
I use a simple 50/50 mix of John Innes
No. 2 and grit – so very much the same
kind of thing you may use for growing
cacti. Many other mixes would, I am sure,
work well. The key element is that it should
29
Fig. 12
Gethyllis verticillata
be very free-draining, a not unfamiliar
concept for cactus and succulent growers.
Compost that stays wet will quickly lead to
rotting.
Watering
I start watering my Gethyllis about the
beginning of September and continue
through winter until the leaves start to turn
yellow in late spring/early summer. I then
stop watering entirely and keep them dry
during the summer while the leaves are
dormant.
Much advice strongly stresses the
importance of not over-watering Gethyllis,
but this can lead you to be so cautious
about watering them that they actually end
up not being given enough! My experience
is that, as long as your compost drains
freely, you need not be over-cautious with
the watering. When I water I give them a
good soaking and then leave them until
they are almost dry before the next soak. If
available, I use rainwater but tap water
suffices when the water butt is empty, with
no obvious deleterious effects.
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued
Fig. 13
Fruit Emerging in Gethyllis sp. nov.
Feeding
Many South African bulbs require less
feeding than other bulbs. I use a liquid feed
applied just three times through the
growing season, which means
approximately once every two months.
Many of the soils in which they grow in the
wild are low in phosphorus, so ideally use a
phosphate-free or low-phosphate feed. The
one I use is a low-phosphate type which
has an NPK of 13 – 5 – 20 and I apply it at
half strength. I am not sure how essential
this low-P fertiliser is, as others use more
easily available high potash tomato type
feeds that also have higher P with no
obvious problems.
Light levels
Winter light levels in the UK are much lower
than in South Africa. Unless you are
prepared to go to the expense of installing
extra artificial light (I am not) all you can
aim to do is give them the maximum
possible sunlight that your situation allows.
Growth is then usually satisfactory.
Propagation – division
In some species, such as Gethyllis barkerae
or Gethyllis linearis, the bulbs produce
offsets which can be split off at repotting
time, providing an easy means of increase.
Many of the species do not split, however,
30
Fig. 14
Fruit emerging in Gethyllis hallii
or form clumps and for these, propagation
by seed is the only easy option.
Growing from seed
Raising Gethyllis from seed is quite easy
and straightforward, the main problem
being in obtaining seed. Seed viability is
very short and it must be sown immediately
it is ripe, not allowing it to dry between
collection and sowing. If you have your
own plants with pods, the pods will usually
emerge vertically out of the gravel (Figs. 13
and 14) and after a while fall over to lie
horizontally. It is around then or not long
after this that the seeds will be ripe. Watch
for any sign of the pod beginning to break
down and delay no longer before sowing. If
you don’t have your own pods but can
obtain fresh seed from somewhere (which
will be in late summer to early autumn),
then this should always be sown
immediately.
Wash away the pulp of the pod from the
seeds and then sow them on the surface of
a gritty mix (I use the same mix as for the
adult bulbs) then partly cover them with a
little sharp sand. In effect you are half
burying them but with part of each seed
still being visible. I keep them moist in a
cool place outside until the leaves emerge.
I then bring them under cover for the rest
of the autumn and winter, keeping them
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued 31

watered and feeding occasionally as for the Recommence watering at the same time as
adults. for the adult bulbs in the autumn. I usually
leave them in the seed pot for two years
Keep them growing for as long as possible
before tipping out to re-pot prior to the
in their first year – they will usually grow on
start of growth in year three. Fig. 15 shows
for a while beyond the time that the adult
the sort of size bulbs you can expect at
bulbs have died down. This enables them
this stage. Figs. 16, 17 and 18 show bulb
to build up as large a bulb as possible to
sizes after three, four and five years from
withstand the rigours of the summer
seed for Gethyllis verticillata. These also
dormancy, but once the leaves do start to
illustrate the long necks that most species
yellow, stop watering and allow them to dry
develop. The bulbs are usually elongate in
off. Store the pots dry and warm for the
shape in the early years before, in some
summer but out of direct sunlight to help
species, becoming more globose on
avoid total desiccation.

Fig. 15

Two-year old seedlings of Gethyllis roggeveldensis

Fig. 16

Gethyllis verticillata at three years old

Fig. 18
Fig. 17 Fig. 19
Gethyllis verticillata at five
Gethyllis verticillata at four years old years old Gethyllis transkarooica at four years old
Gethyllis and their cultivation continued
reaching flowering size. One of the more
desirable species, Gethyllis transkarooica is
frustratingly also rather slower from seed
than many other species – Fig. 19 shows
the small size these achieved for me after
four years of growth.
For all species, from seed to flowering size
will take several years; the quickest I have
had them flower from seed is in four years,
but five years or longer is more typical.
This is one reason that Gethyllis adult bulbs
are very expensive to buy.
Hybrids
I had not come across any references that
would tell me whether Gethyllis can
hybridise or not, so I decided to find out by
deliberately trying to create a hybrid. In the
summer of 2011 I crossed Gethyllis
roggeveldensis (seed parent) with Gethyllis
32
villosa (pollen parent). Pods and seed were
produced that proved viable when sown in
September of the same year. The seedlings
showed good hybrid vigour and first
flowered at the very end of May 2015, four
years after sowing. The flower was
charming – white with a suffusion of pink
that darkens towards the centre of the
flower (Fig. 20). While being a worthwhile
result in itself, this has also taught me that
Gethyllis are capable of hybridising with
each other and so precautions must be
taken if you wish to produce seed that is
true to type.
Gethyllis have proved to be very worthwhile
plants to grow with many attractive
features. I hope this article may spur you
on to search them out and try growing
some for your own pleasure. n
Photos: Paul Cumbleton Gethyllis hybrid
roggeveldensis x
villosa
Fig. 20
 A celebration of cacti and succulents 33

A series by Jörg Ettelt

Superlatives
are compulsory today
‘Life is like a cactus. You can look at the spines or the flowers’
Kakteen-Haage

W hen the Society for Other Succulents

was founded in Leipzig a good 40
years ago, people wondered why most
Species of the genus Gymnocalycium are
particularly well suited to show the wild
spination. Almost all species have hard,
cactus and succulent societies focus barely flexible spines and, although these
predominantly on cacti. The founding of an spines are often only grey, they shine
association that focuses on other wonderfully on new growth and when they
succulents was a good decision but, in the are wet. Gymnocalycium
following, I will show a few examples of gibbosum
why cacti continue to inspire so much.
Fig. 1
Although I am now a leader in this
succulent society, cacti continue to
fascinate me as well.
There are several very different attributes
in favour of cacti.
• Easy culture in Europe, as the
growing rhythms harmonise
well with the seasons here,
• Heating costs are comparatively
low, as cacti mostly tolerate cool
temperatures in winter, but
generally not frost,
• Cacti bring exoticism into our
homes; after all they come from
a distant continent,
• Many representatives do not
grow too large,
• The variability of cacti is
fascinating, from spineless to
wildly spiny,
• The flowers often have a blaze of
colour that amazes us.
And already I am on my topic – I would
like to show a few examples of the
wonderful spination and the amazing
flower colours.
Superlatives are compulsory today continued 34

The species in this genus are sometimes

called ‘green cucumbers’, but in many
species the epidermis is not green at all,
but grey or even brownish.
Gymnocalycium gibbosum
A good example is Gymnocalycium
gibbosum (Fig. 1), which was first
described in 1812 by Haworth as Cactus
gibbosus and transferred to
Gymnocalycium in 1844 by Mittler. It
develops majestic bodies, the spines are
hard and can become very strong. Apart
from the rather large flowers, in classic
white, it has another advantage. Some
forms come from the southern regions of
Argentina and so can tolerate the odd frost
here and there. It is one of the hardiest of
its genus. All the plants of this species that
I have owned over the many years I have
cared for cacti and other succulents have
been great eye-catchers in my collection.
Fig. 2
Gymnocalycium bicolor
A ‘cucumber green’ representative is Gymnocalycium bicolor
G. bicolor (Fig. 2). If you want to add this
species to your collection, you should visit
the dealer yourself and choose a form that
lives up to the name. It was named
‘bicolor’ i.e. bicoloured, by the Czech
Schütz, because ‘typical’ representatives
have ivory-coloured radials and grey-black
central spines. It is possibly a local form of
G. mostii.
The spine pattern could hardly be wilder,
many spines stand out quite threateningly
from the areole. This alone is a good
argument for cultivating such plants. Many
of these ‘other’ forms do not have this
distinct bicolouration of the spines, so one
should rather not mix these plants.
Numerous willing flowers from white to
pink, again not too small, are another
argument for the purchase of such a plant.
Gymnocalycium spegazzinii subsp.
cardenasianum
As a final proof that Gymnocalycium are
not green cucumbers, G. spegazzinii subsp.
cardenasianum (G. cardenasianum) must be
mentioned (Fig. 3). Its spination is one of
the most beautiful in the cactus kingdom. If
you spray water over these spines they
shine in wonderful shades, from yellow to
red to brown. The picture shows a plant in
culture, grown from seed. Of course, not all
plants have such wild spines. If growing
from seed you can select those with the Fig. 3
best spination.
Gymnocalycium spegazzinii subsp. cardenasianum
Superlatives are compulsory today continued 35

Fig. 4

Notocactus mammulosus find innumerable variations, varieties and Notocactus

forms. Gerhardt Schäfer, the well-known mammulosus
Notocactus – pardon, Parodia today – a
genus that I still do not want to count as Notocactus specialist of the last century,
belonging to Parodia, even though who lived in Radebeul near Dresden,
obviously many botanists’ arguments owned several square metres of only
support it. (Joel Lodé in The Taxonomy of Notocactus scopa. No plant resembled the Notocactus scopa
the Cacti, reinstates Notocactus based on other. Gerhardt Schäfer also wrote a much- ‘Rubrispina’
his interpretation of DNA evidence – Ed.)
Fig. 5
With Notocactus mammulosus we stay in
Argentina (Fig. 4). Just as easy to cultivate
as gymnocalyciums, it is characterised by
an interesting, quite dense spination, but
above all by its large, numerous flowers.
The flowers are mostly yellow, but in the
last few years other colours have been
introduced. Notocacti also almost always
have a red pistil, something that sets them
apart from Parodia.
Flowering can be a bit of a problem with
Notocactus – many scold Notocactus for
not wanting to flower, but this is not true. It
seems, however, that these species start
budding very early in the year. When I was
still putting my plants away in winter until
relatively late in the year (end of April or
beginning of May), they flowered badly.
When I had a greenhouse and the species
were very bright all year round, they
flowered abundantly!
Notocactus scopa
All notocacti can be very variable. One can
keep many plants of the same species and
Superlatives are compulsory today continued 36

acclaimed book on this genus, which was

published by the East German Kakteen-
Sukkulenten magazine.
If you look at the synonymy list of
Notocactus scopa, you will find countless
forms and varieties. The picture (Fig. 5)
shows for example the form with reddish
central spines – often offered as var.
‘Rubrispina’. At Schäfer’s one could see
pure white spiny forms – sometimes more
open, sometimes absolutely covered with
spines - yellowish, reddish, brownish, as
well as mixed spiny forms – what a feast
for the eyes!
It is regrettable that collectors mostly have
to struggle with space problems, because
such collections could be made for many
species and genera and we would be
surprised how little delimited some species
are by their appearance.
Notocactus roseoluteus
Notocactus roseoluteus was only described
in 1973 by Vliet. It is very typical and the
plants are very uniform, and all have these
absolutely eye-catching flowers, which are
aptly characterised by the name, rose-
yellow (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6
Notocactus uebelmannianus
A plant introduced as Notocactus because until then notocacti were Notocactus
uebelmannianus caused a sensation in the considered to be uniformly yellow-flowering roseoluteus
1970s (Fig. 7). The body comes across very (well, there were some exceptions even
much like a typical Gymnocalycium but the then). This intense pink was marvelled at in
bristly and woolly flowers quickly show this disbelief at the time. The story of the name
error (Gymnocalycium calyxes have no merry-go-round behind it would be worth a
bristles or spines). The colour of the separate essay. n
flowers was astonishing at the time, Photos: Jörg Ettelt Notocactus
uebelmannianus

Fig. 7
 37

When things were simple:

taxonomy of the Crassulaceae
by Ray Stephenson

C onnation of petals has always been a

major indicator in the study of flowers
of the Crassulaceae. Tubed flowers with
petals attached in the lower half, versus
free petals, has always been a defining
characteristic used to separate genera
within the family.
In the early days, all members of the family
with connate petals were considered to be
Cotyledon.

Fig. 1

Echeveria retusa
When things were simple: taxonomy of the Crassulaceae continued 38

Fig. 2

Echeveria
secunda
When things were simple: taxonomy of the Crassulaceae continued
Figs. 1 and 2 are prints from an 1897
publication of Favourite Flowers of Garden
and Greenhouse by Edward Step FLS and
William Watson FRHS, published in London
by Frederick Warne and Co. Readers will
immediately recognise these plants as
Mexican Echeveria.
De Candolle (1828) first realised the
importance of geography with regard to the
taxonomy of Crassulaceae and erected the
name Echeveria for New World plants that
39
had been described as Cotyledon. It was
many years before his ideas were widely
accepted as can be seen by the Step and
Watson plates. Perhaps we have not
changed – enthusiasts are still reluctant to
accept name changes.
Fig. 3 shows a true Cotyledon which now
only includes species centred around
Africa. As time passed Adromischus (1852),
Kalanchoe (1948) and Tylecodon (1978)
were removed from Cotyledon.
Fig. 3
Cotyledon eliseae
When things were simple: taxonomy of the Crassulaceae continued 40

These four genera are easily separated by

characteristics which become obvious to
the observer over a period of time.
l Kalanchoe flowers have only four petals
(Fig. 4) the others have five.
l Adromischus species have upright
flowers (Fig. 5).
l Cotyledon has downward-facing flowers
and both Cotyledon and Adromischus
are evergreen.
l Tylecodon species are deciduous
(Fig. 6).

Fig. 4

Kalanchoe were originally considered to be

Cotyledon. Here K. fedtschenkoi displays flowers
with just four petals in contrast to Cotyledon,
Tylecodon and Adromischus, its close relatives,
which have five petals per flower.

Adromischus marianiae was a Cotyledon until 1930. Tylecodon species were Cotyledon until 1978. The deciduous
The upright flowers immediately separate it from nature of T. cordiformis and all other Tylecodon species
Cotyledon sensu stricto. separate them from Cotyledon and Adromischus

Fig. 5 Fig. 6
 41
When things were simple:
taxonomy of the Crassulaceae
continued

Figs. 7 and 8

Orostachys japonica was a Cotyledon until 1953.

The slight connation of the petals is not
particularly obvious, but the terminal pyramidal
spike separates it from Sedum.

Eurasian plants of Crassulaceae, once

considered to be Cotyledon, include:
Orostachys (Figs. 7 and 8),
Rosularia (Fig. 9),
Umbilicus (Fig. 10),
Mucizonia (Fig. 15),
Chiastophyllum (Fig. 11).

Fig. 9 Rosularia
sempervivum
(here subsp.
glaucophylla) was
a Cotyledon until
1923. It is an
Anatolian species
with relatives in
south west Asia.

Umbilicus
rupestris was
a Cotyledon
until 1801. Its
geography
and tuberous
rhizome
separate it
from
Cotyledon. Fig. 10
When things were simple: taxonomy of the Crassulaceae continued 42

Fig. 11 This hardy plant from

the Ural Mountains
was a Cotyledon until
1930 then a
Chiastophyllum but
because of DNA
evidence, it has
reverted to its 1843
name of Umbilicus
oppositifolius. Garden
centres in the UK still
often label plants
Cotyledon but
Chiastophyllum is
more common. I’ve
never yet seen any
plants labelled
Umbilicus.

In 1905 Britton and Rose accepted that

Cotyledon was an Old World genus and, in
their Flora of North America, accepted both
Echeveria (Figs. 1 and 2) and Dudleya (Fig. 12).
Fig. 13
Villadia is a New World genus born in 1903
having spicate inflorescences and slightly Villadia guatemalensis
connate petals, species of which had been
considered previously to be Cotyledon
(Fig. 13).

Dudleya cymosa was

a Cotyledon until it
became a Dudleya in
1903. It became an
Echeveria in 1936 and,
even into the 1960s, it
was a much-debated
subject as to whether
Dudleya = Echeveria.
DNA studies show
them to be only
distantly related.
Dudleya are winter-
growing relict species
of the Pacific plate
Fig. 12 with convolute petals.
When things were simple: taxonomy of the Crassulaceae continued 43

New species are still being discovered in

South America and the distinction between
new Villadia taxa and Sedum is becoming
increasingly blurred.
Can we expect more change in the
future?
The old engraving (Fig. 14) published in
Brussels in 1846 in the Directory of Useful
Plants by Edouard Adolphe Duchesne
represents Pistorinia hispanica.
Several species of this genus are endemic
to the Mediterranean region. Like
Mucizonia (Fig. 15), they are now
considered to be no more than Sedum with
connate petals. Pistorinia species also sit
within the Leucosedum clade, and it will
take a brave taxonomist to tidy up the
nomenclature. n
Photos: Ray Stephenson

Fig. 15
Fig. 14
Having been a Cotyledon from 1772, Sedum mucizonia was a
Pistorinia hispanica, one of several
Mucizonia until 1929, and still appeared as a Mucizonia in literature
Mediterranean species, very much
well into the 1970s. It reverted to Sedum when its DNA was shown to
resembling Sedum mucizonia
be within the Leucosedum clade.
 44

The Desert Botanical Garden

in Phoenix, Arizona The Ottosen Entry Garden with
‘Ribbon Dancer’ a sculpture by Rotraut
by Tom Gatz, Volunteer (aluminium and automobile paint)

T he Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix,

Arizona has over 4,400 species of
desert plants from around the world in its
living collection, including over two thirds
of the world’s known cactus species.
Of all those plants, visitors are most
captivated by one species in particular, the
Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). The
‘g’ is pronounced like a ‘w’ and the ‘u’ is
silent as in ‘sa-waa-row’.
This towering giant is so popular in Arizona
that a car in the parking lot once sported a
bumper sticker that read ‘Saguaro You
Today?’

Over two thirds of the total number of cactus species are held in the Garden’s collection, including Myrtillocactus centre left, Saguaro in the
middle and the monstrose form of Pachycereus schotti (Senita) also known as ‘Totem Cactus’ centre right with Ferocactus ssp. front.
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona continued 45

During our guided tours we share some

basic facts with our many visitors from the
UK and around the world. We let them
know that we can only guess at the
Saguaro’s lifespan since they have no tree
rings to date them; that they do not start to
grow arms until they are about 70 years old
and that they grow from a tiny seed not
much bigger than a pin head.
There is more to learn about Saguaros,
however, than we have time to share on a
40-minute tour. Here are more fun facts
from All About Saguaros by Leo W. Banks,
published by Arizona Highways in 2008.
l Human beings lived in Arizona before
Saguaros did. Saguaros only
colonised our warming landscape
about 10,000 years ago.
l Saguaro roots extend out to a
distance about equal to the height of
the plant and, in some cases, two
times beyond.
l Saguaros can split from too much
water and can literally explode if
directly hit by lightning.
l A month after the first summer rains,
the diameter of the Saguaro can
increase by 50%.
l Spines on a young Saguaro are
thicker than on a mature cactus and
keep it as much as 70% in the shade.
l Many Saguaros only start
reproduction at about the age that
many humans start to think about
retirement (50-60 years old).
l Saguaro flowers have more stamens
(the yellow male filaments with pollen)
than any other desert cactus flower.
l For a Saguaro forest to maintain a
consistent population size over time,
on average only one of the millions of
seeds produced by each Saguaro in
its lifetime will need to survive to
maturity.
l In the cooler parts of their range, dark
rocks that hold heat make better
protective ‘nurseries’ for seedling
Saguaros than do trees.

A transplanted Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro) in

the background supported by props for several
years until its roots have re-established. The
Saguaro in the foreground is protected from
rabbits with mesh at its base.
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona continued 46

l Cavities in Saguaros (excavated by l Fire, carried by contiguous stands of

woodpeckers) are the only known non-native buffelgrass, poses one of
nesting habitat of the desert race of the greatest threats to the future of
the purple martin, a species of our Saguaro forests.
swallow. A mass planting
l A 35-foot tall Saguaro with six or
of Agave ovatifolia
l Urban Saguaros become pockmarked seven arms can weigh over 7½ tons
(Whale’s Tongue
with cavities when woodpeckers are (or more than two very large SUVs). Agave) in the
forced to re-nest again and again due Terrace Garden.
l Saguaro flowers produce nectar in
to their cavities being usurped by the Only recently
two waves. The first peaks at about
aggressive European starling. Too described in 2002,
10.00pm to attract the bats. After
many cavities can allow frost to it is now
dropping off by midnight, it picks up
invade and significantly damage the becoming a
again just before dawn to attract
centre of the stem. popular landscape
insects and birds. The efficient bees plant in the south-
usually remove all the remaining western US.
pollen by 10.00am. There is a Palo
brea tree, with
Pachycereus weberi (Candelabra) from photosynthetic
south-west Mexico can grow up to 66 feet green bark, in the
tall. background.
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona continued
Another eye-catching cactus in the
Garden’s collection is the Golden Barrel. It
is one of the most popular cactus species
in horticulture in the world yet, ironically, it
is an endangered species in its native
habitat.
The Golden Barrel cactus (Kroenleinia
grusonii) is now a mainstay of desert
garden design here in the south-west and
at the Desert Botanical Garden. Some say
it is over-used, but there is a reason they
are so common – they are beautiful,
especially when given lots of sun to bring
out the gold colour of their spines.
47
According to iNaturalist, recent
phylogenetic studies have found that
Echinocactus is probably polyphyletic with
respect to Echinocactus grusonii which
may be derived from hybrids between
Echinocactus and Ferocactus. To correct
this, Echinocactus grusonii has been
moved to its own genus and, under this
scheme, the correct name would be
Kroenleinia grusonii Lodé. Not all
authorities, however, have accepted this
move so far.
While common in desert nurseries and
gardens, the Golden Barrel is still facing an
Kroenleinia
(Echinocactus)
grusonii (Golden Barrel
Cactus). One of the
most common cacti in
horticulture, yet
endangered in the
wild.
The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona continued 48

uphill battle for survival in the wild. Until

recently, it was only known from one
location in Central Mexico with fewer than
1,000 individuals occupying an area of less
than four square miles. Even that location
was threatened by inundation from dam
construction. Many plants were rescued
from this site and, fortunately, additional
populations were found, bringing the total
estimated number to perhaps 10,000 or so.
Still, over-collecting and habitat loss
continues to be a threat to this species in
the wild and it remains an endangered
species in Mexico. Also, the sub-
populations are severely fragmented so
that genetic exchange between them is
very unlikely.
All that and we only covered two of the
hundreds of species of cactus in the
Garden’s collection. Come over for a visit
and take a tour to learn about many of the
other desert plants in our collection. n
Photos: Rob Costa

Thanks to Noemi Hernandez Castro and A sun dial composed of Golden Barrel Cactus, Astrophytum
Gabriel Saiz for helping me with earlier myriostigma (Bishop’s Cap) and Mammillaria grahamii welcomes
drafts of this article. visitors to the Centre for Desert Living garden.

Cylindropuntia fulgida (Chain-Fruit Cholla) rarely

reproduces by seed but mainly reproduces asexually by A sprawling bed of Harrisia sp. (Moon Cactus) from
pads and fruits breaking off, hitch-hiking on or in animals, Argentina reminds visitors why it is a good idea to stay on
and eventually rooting. the pathways.
 49

The
Tatacoa
desert
by Alain Buffel

A visit to this extensive but

little-known arid area
in Colombia

Fig. 1

Alain Buffel and his wife standing

in front of ‘Estoraque La Torre’
(The Tower)
The Tatacoa desert continued 50

Fig. 2a
Fig. 2b
The Andes Mountains split into two mountain ranges in
The river Magdalena starts in the south at an altitude of
southern Colombia
3685m and flows north some 1538km to the Caribbean Sea
near Barranquilla, Colombia’s most important industrial port

I t is important to understand the different

topographic situation in Colombia
compared to that of other South American
Such is not the case in Colombia as this
backbone splits into two in southern
Colombia, with one part bending to the
countries. The enormous Andes mountain west towards Panama and the other one
range is situated on the west side of the bending eastwards towards Venezuela
continent, looking like a backbone running (Fig. 2a).
from south to north, which results in all
All major floristic systems are, therefore,
countries situated on the eastern side of
situated in the enormous valley of the Rio
the Andes having their major river systems
Magdalena (Fig. 2b) or on the slopes of
flowing from the west to the east,
both mountain ranges.
eventually to flow into the Atlantic ocean.

The village of Villavieja

is the gateway to the
Tatacoa desert, and its
central square is a
popular tourist
attraction, especially
Fig. 3 for young people
The Tatacoa desert continued 51

Fig. 4

The Tatacoa desert is one of the most that is popularly known as the ‘Desierto de Extreme erosion
has formed
important arid enclaves and also one of the La Tatacoa’ (Desert of La Tatacoa ). With an
countless mounds
most vulnerable of the inter-Andean area of 340km² the region of La Tatacoa is in the Tatacoa
valleys. It is located in the upper part of the the second largest arid region in the desert, here with
valley of the Magdalena River, in the area country. Stenocereus
griseus and
Opuntia elatior
One of the most spectacular places is understandably named ‘El Laberinto’ (The Labyrinth)

Fig. 5
The Tatacoa desert continued 52

Fig. 6

Acanthocereus colombianus with flowers ready to open during the night

Although it is known as a ‘desert’, its

conditions of precipitation and humidity
correspond rather to the characteristics of
arid and semi-arid zones. These have
extreme drought conditions and water
deficit for vegetation but with an annual
rainfall of over 500mm in contrast to a true
desert where the precipitation present is a
maximum 250mm per year (Hernández-C.
et al. 1995).
The word ‘desert’ therefore, rather than
defining the characteristics of the region, is
an informal term that has been used for a
long time. It bears the name used for the
rattlesnakes in this region of the country.
La Tatacoa is also considered to be one of
the largest vertebrate fossil sites of the
Americas, thanks to the evolution of its
earth layers and to the conditions that have
facilitated the accumulation of specimens
over prolonged periods. The area of the
Fig. 7
‘Desert of La Tatacoa’ corresponds to the
tropical dry forest life zones and very dry Stenocereus griseus
tropical forest.
The Tatacoa desert continued
Since colonial times, however, the entire
area has been an important centre for
livestock farming (originally cattle and more
recently goats), which caused a process of
strong erosion that makes the place highly
picturesque. The area includes brown-red
hills (30%) and the grey zones (70%). The
gateway to visit this place is the village of
Villavieja (Fig. 3).
The physiognomy of the current vegetation
is more like the typical thorn scrub of the
arid zones of South America. The
vegetation is made up mainly of plants that
are very resistant to extreme conditions of
53
drought, and is represented by a few trees
(generally small), stunted shrubs and
frequently thorns, with cacti and herbs in
abundance.
Despite the extreme conditions today, the
arid enclave of La Tatacoa has an
important floral wealth, mainly herbaceous
and shrubby types which represent great
interest in terms of their physiological
adaptations (presence of thorns, water
storage tissues, among others).
The plant family with the most
representatives is the Leguminosae with
36 species in 28 genera (16% of the total
Fig. 8
Stenocereus
griseus
The Tatacoa desert continued 54

Fig. 9
Fig. 10 Two stands of Melocactus curvispinus subsp.
obtusipetalus, which often grows in large groups
of adult plants side by side

Some ripened fruits from the same

population of this species

Fig. 11 Melocactus Fig. 12

curvispinus
subsp.
obtusipetalus,
with flowers
visited by a
small insect
The Tatacoa desert continued 55

Family No of species (%) No of genera (%)

Leguminosae 36 (16%) 28 (16.4%)

Poaceae 20 ( 9%) 15 ( 8.8%)

Euphorbiaceae 13 ( 5.8%) 6 ( 3.5%)

Asteraceae 10 ( 4.4%) 10 ( 5.9%)

Cactaceae 8 ( 3.6%) 7 ( 4.1%)

Asclepiadaceae 8 ( 3.6%) 6 ( 3.5%)

Malvaceae 8 ( 3.6%) 4 ( 2.3%)

Convolvulaceae 8 ( 3.6%) 3 (1.3%)

genera and species), discriminated in the
subfamilies Papilionoideae (18/16),
Mimosoideae (10/8) and Caesalpinioideae
(8/4). Other families with high numbers of
representatives are shown in the table
above.
The Cactaceae is represented by these
species:
Acanthocereus colombianus
Cereus hexagonus
Melocactus curvispinus subsp.
obtusipetalus
Opuntia pubescens
Opuntia elatior
Praecereus euchlorus subsp. smithianus
Stenocereus griseus.
Melocactus curvispinus subsp. obtusipetalus
By far the most abundant are Melocactus
curvispinus subsp. obtusipetalus and
Stenocereus griseus.
Having walked into the much larger grey
zone of the Tatacoa desert, we mainly see
the same eroded landscape with pretty
much the same vegetation.
Not to our surprise, at one spot we noticed
a well, providing enough water to fulfil the
needs for birds and insects.
Much more to our surprise we suddenly
heard children yelling and water splashing
as we would hear at the seaside. Were we
starting to hallucinate due to the high
temperatures and the long walk into the
desert?
Melocactus
curvispinus subsp.
obtusipetalus,
with a rare crested
form

Fig. 13 Fig. 14
The Tatacoa desert continued 56

Fig. 15

Landscape in
the grey area
of the
Tatacoa
desert

Fig. 16

Butterflies were attracted to this well

No we were not and, much to our surprise,

Fig. 17
after the next bend a real swimming pool
appeared in the middle of this desert, proof A swimming pool in the Tatacoa desert
of more and larger wells over here.
If one should ever wonder what is the main
threat to the cacti of the Tatacoa Desert, as
so often the answer is – goats.
Later that day and much to our satisfaction
we had goat for dinner at a roadside
foodstall in Villavieja. n
Photos: Alain Buffel

Consulted literature
Novedades taxonomicas y synopsis del
genero Melocactus Link & Otto en Colombia
José Luis Fernandez-Alonso & Guy
Xhonneux (2002).
Lista comentada de las plantas vasculares
del enclave seco interandino de La Tatacoa Fig. 18
(Huila, Colombia) Ysela Figueroa & Gloria
Galeano (2007). Melocactus curvispinus subsp. obtusipetalus under attack by goats
 57

Saturday 1 April | 9.30am to 13.30pm

The South West

Succulent Plant
Spring Fair
Four plant-care workshops led by
experts
Exotic plants for sale from traders all
over the UK
Specialist pots and compost
available
Free plant care advice NEW
EVEN
T
Portishead Youth Club, Harbour Road, Portishead BS20 7DD

BCSS Spalding Branch

15th
Cactus Mart
Saturday 22 April 2023 10.00am – 3.00pm
A wide selection of both cacti and other succulent
plants for sale. Everyone welcome.

Sellers will include…

Ian Armstrong Alan Pocock
Craig Barber Stuart Riley
Williams Cactus Plantlife Nursery
Shaun Biggadyke Doug Sizmur Cacti
Lily Cartier Rob & Alison Stevenson
Graham Charles Caistor Cacti

Bryan & Linda Goodey Cli昀 Thompson Venue

South昀eld Nurseries Tina Wardhaugh Holbeach Community Centre FRE
iss E
adm
Costas Papathanasiou Carlos & Terri Zeferino Fishpond Lane, Holbeach
ion
Woodside Cacti Spalding, Lincs, PE12 7DE

An extensive selection of refreshments will be available during the day. Ample FREE parking.
 58

Woodside Cacti
Quality plants at affordable prices.
Cacti and succulents grown in our nursery.
Seedling cacti
Our main love is succulents – particularly
grown in West Sussex Echeverias and Haworthias – propagated
from our own collection.
All our plants are UK grown.
We do not buy in plants to
sell on.

A wide variety – from those

suitable for beginners to the
more unusual.

We now sell cactus and

succulent seeds from leading
specialists Moravia Cactus.

See www.cvcacti.co.uk/seeds

Visit our website www.cvcacti.co.uk Visit our website www.woodsidecacti.co.uk

Cacti, Lithops & Succulents

For collectors and amateurs

Ian & Sarda Woolnough

Cacti, succulents and seed sales
Formerly Eau Brink Cacti, visitors are
welcome to view the collection and sales
plants by appointment.
We will be selling at a number of major Phone +44(0)1275 846239
cactus marts and other events. Email tonyironscacti@talktalk.net
Web www.tonyironscacti.co.uk
Contact us for further details.
Address 17 White Lodge Park
Twickers, Eau Brink Road, Tilney All Saints, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7HH
King’s Lynn PE34 4SQ
/tonyironscacti1 /tonyironscacti
Tel: 01553 617132 Email: Ian Woolnough