Huernia R.Brown
The genus Huernia has a wide distribution across Africa and the Arabian peninsula. The genus was originally named for Justus van Heurne [1577 - 1652], a Dutch missionary and the first European to collect plant material from the Cape of Good Hope, however in his description Robert Brown mis-spelt van Heurne's name, so that the genus must now remain Huernia, instead of the intended Heurnia. The plants are dwarf perennial stem succulents which are normally mat forming or creeping, rarely pendulous. Several intrageneric hybrids are known as well as hybrids with Duvalia and Stapelia. The plants are generally of easy cultivation, although those from the Arabian peninsula benefit from some extra warmth in winter. If warmth is provided in winter a little water occasionally will help to prevent roots and stems drying out.
From Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi the stems are prostrate or decumbent, intertwining and rooting along their length. The plant, clone 1, shown is from Tanzania and has been in my collection since 1995.
This species has a relatively widespread distribution in South Africa being found in the Free State, Eastern and Northern Cape Provinces and in Lesotho.
Coming from Ethiopia this species benefits from some extra warmth
Huernia brevirostris ssp baviaana
From the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, this plant, collected by Darrel Plowes, began my love affair with the Asclepiads being the first plant in my collection back in 1992, and I am delighted to say that it is still with me. Darrel informs me that the plant was found growing in the Baviaanspoort ~ 100 km NW of Humansdorp.
Huernia brevirostris ssp brevirostris
This variable species from the Eastern Cape comes with various degrees of mottling. In his latest opus, Peter Bruyns has, somewhat controversially, lumped the entire H. brevirostris complex in to Huernia thuretii, not even maintaining it at subspecies level, an action that I have great difficulty in going along with. Needless to say I will not be changing my labels !
Huernia brevirostris ssp intermedia
Also from the Eastern Cape this species differs from ssp brevirostris in having smaller flowers with little or no marking.
With a wide distribution in southern South Africa this species can be found in both the Western and Eastern Provinces. The locality details of the plants pictured here are; CM0521 - N9, Willowmore to Uniondale Road, junction with R341 to De Rust, Western Cape; IB7476 - Kammanassie Dam , Perdeberg, which is east of Oudtshoorn near the border between the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. Huernia campanulata is closely related to both H. clavigera and H. barbata.
Distribution of this variable species is disjunct coming from the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. Clone 1 is from a cutting from a plant growing in the Karoo Botanic Gardens in Worcester, whilst Clone 2 is from near the Valsrivier, 11km East of Albertina, and Clone 3 from Mossel Bay.
Coming as it does from Somalia this species benefits from a little extra warmth in winter.
A naturally occurring hybrid between Huernia clavigera and Huernia pillansii found in the Cape Provinces of South Africa
This species from the Eastern Cape forms rhizome like runners which in habitat have been known to reach up to 3 metres , producing stems above ground at intervals along its length. The plant shown is from Bavianskloof.
Huernia guttata ssp calitzdorpensis
As the name tells us, found around the town of Calitzdorp, this species differs from sub species guttata in having larger flowers with softer colouration, although this can be variable as seen in the two clones shown here; Clone 1 was grown from IAS1515 seed collected close by the Calitzdorp Dam, whilst Clone 2 is a David Cumming collection, DMC2633 from Kruis River ca. 25kms east of Calitzdorp.
Found in both the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces. From left to right, the plants shown are; CM0517a & CM0517d both found above the Calitzdorp Dam, on the road to Groenfontein, W.Cape, PVB1212 wit the locality details given merely as Calitzdorp
From southern Namibia and the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, the plant PVB5736, shown was grown from seed IAS997 collected by Peter Bruyns, at Witmond, whilst PVB3529 is from the Great Karas mountains in Namibia
This plant from Zimbabwe and Mozambique is closely related to Huernia kirkii.
Huernia hislopii x Huernia barbata
A vigorously growing greenhouse hybrid as H. barbata is from the Northern Cape.
From the Eastern Cape Province this species is closely related to Huernia insigniflora. Clone 2 from Riethuises is a Peter Bruyns collection PVB5971.
With a wide distribution of south-eastern Zimbabwe, western Mozambique, Swaziland, and the Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern and Northern Provinces of South Africa this species differs from its other varieties with its more vigorous stems and larger flowers.
Recently collected by Ernst Specks near Tugela Ferry in KwaZulu-Natal has pale yellow flowers with very prominent tubercles,
From KwaZulu-Natal this species is easily distinguished from the other varieties by its smaller flowers and growth habit.
From the Mpumalanga and Northern Provinces of South Africa this species has been widened to include the former Huernia confusa as seen here as Clone 3. The species is closely related to Huernia humilis.
As the name implies, from Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania, with a number of varieties, two of which are shown here, var. grandiflora, coming from the Kifiku district of Rumuruti, Kenya. This species has larger flowers than normally found in the genus. Of the two examples of Huernia keniensis var. keniensis shown, Clone 2 with the sparser tubercles was formerly Huernia keniensis var. quintitia which has now been sunk into the species.
With mat forming globular stems, this species from the NW of Craddock in the Eastern Cape Province has small highly papillose, yellow flowers. Two clones are shown here.
From western Mozambique, south eastern Zimbabwe, and the Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces of South Africa. The plant on the left is from Zimbabwe, whilst that on the right is IAS2022 from Annersley Mine, Penge, RSA
As the name implies, from Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania, with a number of varieties, two of which are shown here, var. grandiflora, coming from the Kifiku district of Rumuruti, Kenya. This species has larger flowers than normally found in the genus. Of the two examples of Huernia keniensis var. keniensis shown, Clone 2 with the sparser tubercles was formerly Huernia keniensis var. quintitia which has now been sunk into the species.
With mat forming globular stems, this species from the NW of Craddock in the Eastern Cape Province has small highly papillose, yellow flowers. Two clones are shown here.
From western Mozambique, south eastern Zimbabwe, and the Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Provinces of South Africa. The plant on the left is from Zimbabwe, whilst that on the right is IAS2022 from Annersley Mine, Penge, RSA