SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Adromischus marianiae forma herrei: vivid, almost volcanic

It's slow, it's tiny, and yet it's one of my favorite plants. It is species Adromischus marianiae forma herrei in a vivid, dark-maroon form—deeply textured, almost like red coral or volcanic rock. This form was found by Bruyns in the Kourkammaberg mountain range, as reported in the book titled simply Adromischus, by Pilbeam, Rodgerson and Tribble, 1998.

Adromischus marianiae forma herrei, a seductive form reportedly found in the Kourkammaberg mountain range, 30 miles S of Maerport

The genus Adromischus is part of the Crassulaceae (stonecrop or orpine family) found growing with other leaf succulents in dry areas all over southern Africa. Adromischus is closely related to other southern Africa Crassulaceae: Tylecodon, Cotyledon—and it's not far from Kalanchoe. Adromischus (known as "adros" by afficionados) are found in every province of S Africa and in southern Namibia. Like this plant, they are all subshrubs or smaller. Luckily they do not seem to be in serious danger of extinction, though habitat loss can always threaten to wipe out specific forms occurring in tiny areas.

This species A marianiae forma herrei and its close relatives are found in westerly parts of Western Cape and Northern Cape.

The same plant from a different angle, grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat and twice a 3rd prize winner

I raised this plant from a tiny individual of 3 small leaves to the 14-leaf specimen you see here. It's still just over 3 inches from tip to tip. Although it has won a couple awards, I can't claim any great skill with this drop-dead gorgeous plant. I do watch it carefully, but I'm guessing that my Los Angeles climate and my rather negligent hand with the watering bucket just happen to favor it.

Adromischus marianiae is a large and complex species with many different subspecies or forms stretching hundreds of miles north-south in western South Africa. The size, shape and color of the succulent leaves varies widely, even within the "herrei" form. Some have leaves of a pale bluish green with maroon spots, others have red leaves, still others are nearly black. They grow rather slowly; they are small; some of them are rather difficult to grow well unless the climate is just right. Many of these forms are highly desirable and sometimes difficult to find.

The outstanding red-brown population of A. marianiae “herrei”, in the Harras area, W. Steinkopf. Photo at Adromischus Displayed, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/adrodisp/marianiae-herrei.htm , copyright Derek Tribble

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See Also

Pilbeam, J.;  Rodgerson, C.; Tribble, D. 1998. Adromischus. Cirio Publishing Services Ltd. Southampton. ISBN: 0 9520382 4 8.
Adromischus marianiae forma herrei at Adromischus Displayed, by Derek Tribble

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Avonia buderiana: tiny stems covered with papery white scales, tipped with fragrant white flowers

Also posted at Sentient Meat blog

Avonia recurvata ssp buderiana, new addition to Sentient Meat container garden
grown and sold by Woody Minnich of Cactus Data Plants

Which plants bewitch you? Which traits arouse the most passion? Even if pressed, I can't narrow my favorite plants down to just 10 or even 100, but I can tell you which traits amaze me. I am endlessly fascinated by plants which don't look like plants... or in some cases, don't resemble living things from the planet Earth.

Avonia buderiana is just such a plant. Its tiny branches reach upwards in haphazard, coral shapes (coralliform) covered with bizarre, overlapping, white, papery scales. These scales are actually modified leaf parts (stipules) which protect the tender branches and minute green leaves from heat, sun, and dehydration. Some Avonia live in quartz sands where their papery white scales blend visually with their habitat. All Avonia are dwarfs; A buderiana stems reach at most 80mm or scarcely over 3 inches in height.

The ephemeral white flowers sprout from the tips of the stems, usually 1 per stem. They open briefly in the heat of the day but are usually closed like tiny, out-worldly pincers.

Avonia buderiana grows wild in Helskloof, Richtersveld, in the Northern Cape of South Africa.

Dirt road and horizon, showing arid habitat
Helskloof, Richtersveld, Northern Cape, South Africa
photo by Sakkie on Panoramio

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Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park, South Africa official site

Court, Doreen. (Third Edition, 2010). Succulent Flora of Southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. ISBN-10: 1770075879. ISBN-13: 978-1770075870.

Photo from Spain plant vendor Cactus Serrano www.cactuserrano.es

View from Maerpoort with Rosyntjieberg in the background, Richtersveld National Park
Photo by Lex Hes, courtesy of, and copyright, South Africa Tourism, a department of the government of South Africa.