Brachystelma Sims. 

The name is derived from the Greek words 'brachys', short, and 'stelma', crown, garland or wreath, referring to the nature of the corona.  The genus Brachystelma has a wide distribution and is found principally in Africa, and also in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. There are 120 species of Brachystelma in the family Ceropegieae; they are perennial summer-green geophytic herbs with thickened fleshy roots or tubers.  In cultivation they require a well drained compost and  are normally planted with the tubers exposed to minimise the risk of rot.  If a temperature around 12ºC can be maintained during winter, a little water can be given once a month to avoid drying out the roots.  At temperatures below 12ºC it is best to keep the plants completely dry in winter.

Brachystelma bracteolatum

The plants pictured were collected by Ernst Specks at Jos Plateau, Nigeria. The umbels of yellowish brown flowers open simultaneously and have a distinctive smell.

Brachystelma bruceae

From  Mpumalanga and Northern Province of  South Africa, this is a miniature species, the tuber seldom larger than about 5cm, with several prostrate stems. The plant shown here was grown from seed in 2001 and flowered the following year.

Brachystelma buchananii

One of the commonest and most widespread of the African species, it can be found in Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It probably has the largest and showiest flowers of the genus.  The two clones pictured here are from Ruvuma Province, Tanzania.

Brachystelma burchellii var burchellii

For over 150 years this species from the North-West Province of South Africa had its own monotypic genus Macropetalum, but has recently been transferred into Brachystelma where its closest relatives are B.filifolium and B.rubellum.  All three species have a grass like growth form but the flower formation of B.burchellii is interesting in that the buds form normally, and then as they develop they hang with the bud pointing downwards vertically. As the flower opens the lobes reflex back so that the insignificant working parts remain pointing downwards.

                                                              Young Bud                  Pendant Bud

Brachystelma caffrum

Found only in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, the vivid yellow flowers of this species smell of cow dung.  The species is closely related to Brachystelma decipiens.

Brachystelma campanulatum

A little known species endemic to the coastal Grassveld around Bathurst in the Eastern Cape

Brachystelma chlorozonum

Distribution of this species ranges over the KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Northern provinces of South Africa. The corolla is typically yellowish green, but this browner form is from Mapumulo, KZN.

Brachystelma circinatum 

Incorporating a number of species originally in the genus Dichaelia, Brachystelma circinatum can be found in Namibia, Botswana and all of the provinces of South Africa in a variety of growth forms; the main stem can be solitary to richly horizontally branched, 7 - 30 cm in length, with leaves   5 - 20 mm. The cage like corolla can be white to red-brown, 5 - 25 mm in length. The plant pictured is from Rooibosfontein, South Africa. 

Brachystelma dinteri

A miniature species with upright stems, which grows in grassland in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the North West Province of  South Africa. The stems produce a succession of the small sparkling flowers over a long period.

Brachystelma filifolium

A very delicate miniature from Swaziland and the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga it has very tall and slender stems which in habitat would be supported by surrounding vegetation but which in cultivation tend to droop under the weight of the sweet scented flowers. Both clones pictured are from Witrivier in Mpumalanga, but Clone 2 has unusually foreshortened corolla lobes

Brachystelma gracile

From Botswana, Zimbabwe and the KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Northern Provinces of South Africa this variable species with flower colour ranging from purple, through pink, brown and green, is very difficult to spot in is natural grassland habitats.