Pleiospilos bolusii

Pleiospilos bolusii
Pleiospilos bolusii at the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Genova
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae
Genus: Pleiospilos
Species: P. bolusii
Binomial name
Pleiospilos bolusii
(Hook.f.) N.E.Br.
Synonyms
  • Mesembryanthemum bolusii Hook.f. basonym
  • Pleiospilos beaufortensis L.Bolus (1939)
  • Pleiospilos barbarae Karrer

Pleiospilos bolusii (mimicry plant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where it grows at an altitude of 750–1,100 m (2,461–3,609 ft). The species epithet bolusii honors Harry Bolus, a 19th-century South African botanist.

It is a small, stemless succulent perennial growing to 8 cm (3 in) tall by 15 cm (6 in) wide, with two or four opposite grey-green leaves, quite thick, fused at the base, almost triangular, with entire margins. The leaves are longer and more angular than those of the closely related P. nelii,[1] but in both cases the shape and texture of the leaves resemble a pile of split pebbles, possibly to deter predators. The yellow, many-petaled, daisy-like flowers emerge from the center of the leaves, and are 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter - large in relation to the overall size of the plant. The flowers are often coconut-scented.[2] The flowering period extends from August to September.

The plant is one of several species cultivated for their rocklike appearance, which are sometimes collectively called mesembs. With a minimum temperature of 7 °C (45 °F), in temperate regions it is grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Succulent gardening - Pleiospilos bolusii". Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  3. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Pleiospilos bolusii". Retrieved 1 July 2013.

Bibliography