Accepted Scientific Name: Huernia thuretii Cels ex Hérincq
Hort. Franc. 73 1866
Huernia bayeri Photo by: Julio C. García
Origin and Habitat: Eastern Cape
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Huernia thuretii
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Accepted name in llifle Database:Huernia thuretii Cels ex HérincqHort. Franc. 73 1866Synonymy: 25
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Description: Huernia bayeriSN|27746]]SN|27751]] is an interesting multiple stem species with plump stems mall tubercles along the ribs that resemble teeth. Readily offsets to form large low growing mounds. The flowers, which arise in succession at the base of the stems, are cup-shaped, with creamy white to dull yellow petals unspotted or sometimes finely spotted with red, the coronas at the centres of the flowers are dark purple.
Related species: Huernia bayeriSN|27746]]SN|27751]] is linked closely to Huernia thuretiiSN|27751]]SN|27746]] and in particular to Huernia thuretiiSN|27751]]SN|27746]] var. primulina. Due to its wide area of origin H. thuretii is very variable and many varieties with different degree of annulation of the disc and colouration of the corolla face was previously classified as different species, but most botanist agree on the fact that all the ones described until now, included H. bayeri, now should all be included in the H. thuretii.
Stems: Erect, crowded in fairly large clumps, 3 - 6 cm long, 8-10(or more) mm thick, 4 to 5 angular, glabrous, glaucous-green, with acute small triangular tubercles (c.2-3 mm long) ending in a fleshy teeth.
Inflorescences: Often several on single stems, 1–4 flowered with flowers opening in rapid succession, sometimes irregularly borne along the stems. Peduncle (if present) long slender, erect. Pedicel 35 mm long erect, basally thickened often overtopping the stems.
Flowers: Campanulate, (15-)25-35(-40) mm across facing outwards. Sepals 6 - 7 mm long, 2 mm in diameter keeled. Corolla, glabrous, with a shallow bowl, mouth of the tube occasionally annulus-like, outside greenish-creamy inside cream-coloured, pale greenish, yellow or bright pink-brownish, rarely weakly lined with reddish towards the apex, 2.5 - 3 cm in diameter. Corolla-lobes 5 – 7 mm long, 6 - 9 mm broad, triangular, acute or weakly acuminate, erect or ascending, sometimes revolute, outside finely scabrous, scabrous parts elevated, often with short stiff hairs inside papillose, apex often densely furnished with fine hairs to papillae. Hairs colourless or white, to 2 mm long, slender, linear. Intermediate lobes protruding particularly in the bud. Corona black-purple. 4 mm long, 4.5 - 5 mm wide. Outer corona lobes approx 1 x 1.5 mm, dark crimson to black bifid or deeply lobed. Inner corona-lobes orange-brown to black approx 3 mm long, subulate, finely pointed, meeting each other above the anthers, above divaricate. basally with a prominent verrucose hump. Pollinia brownish.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Huernia thuretii group
Huernia bayeri L.C.Leach: has creamy white to yellow (or rarely pink) petals unspotted or sometimes finely spotted with red. Distribution: Eastern Cape.- Huernia brevirostris N.E.Br.: has a greenish-yellow, creamy-yellow or pinkish corolla with red spots and lined tube. Distribution: Graaff-Reinet to Willowmore and associated with the Sundays and Groot River valleys
- Huernia brevirostris subs. baviaana L.C.Leach: has a darker brown densely spotted, papillose, corolla face. Inner corona lobes curving, divergent. Outer corona lobes whitish. Distribution: Baviaanskloof, from Willowmore in a south-eastern direction.
- Huernia brevirostris subs. intermedia (N.E.Br.) L.C.Leach: (intermediate between H. thuretii and H. thuretii var. primulina) has yellowish corolla face with few marking and is variable in nearly all characters. Distribution: Cradock-Pearston area and Sundays River.
- Huernia brevirostris var. parvipuncta A.C.White & B.Sloane: has a cream-coloured to yellowish corolla, rarely with a low annulus, with well marked and evenly spaced marron-red dots. Distribution: Eastern Cape.
- Huernia striata Oberm.: has cup-shaped flowers, with petals white to off-white with red or red-brown broken stripes and a maroon throat. Distribution: Tiras Mountains of Namibia.
- Huernia thuretii Cels ex Hérincq: has creamy-yellow flowers spotted or banded with red. The degree of annulation of the disc and colouration of the face is variable. Distribution: RSA (Eastern Cape) and Namibia.
- Huernia thuretii var. primulina (N.E.Br.) L.C.Leach: has longer more creeping stems. Corolla uniformly pale yellow a little larger with a low annulus and papillae rather dense prominent. Distribution: Eastern Cape.
Bibliography: Major refrerences and further lectures
1) Focke Albers, Ulrich Meve “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae: Asclepiadaceae” Volume 4 Springer, 2002
2) Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01/Jun/2000
3) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
4) Bruyns, P.V. 2005. “Stapeliads of southern Africa and Madagascar.” Vol. II. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
5) Peter Goldblatt “Cape Plants: A Conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa” National Botanical Institute of South Africa, 2000
6) Excelsa Taxon. Ser. 4: 182-187 1988
7) N. E. BROWN. “Flora Capensis” Vol 4, page 518 1909
8) White & Sloane “The Stapelieae” edn 2. 3: 879-882, 1170-1176 1937
9) Luckhoff “The Stapelieae of Southern Africa” Capetown, A.A. Balkema 1952
Huernia bayeri Photo by: Frikkie Hall
Huernia bayeri Photo by: Julio C. García
Huernia bayeri Photo by: Julio C. García
Huernia bayeri Photo by: Julio C. GarcíaCultivation and Propagation: Huernia bayeri isn't difficult to grow and flower.
Spring: When winter ends and they begin to grow again, they will require much water and soaking the pots will no longer put the plants at risk for rot. In the spring they will grow well in partial shade and leaving them out in the rain may provide them with the water they need.
Summer: In the summer months they will tolerate heavy rain, but will be just as happy if the season is dry. It's best to sort out the stems while the plants are resting in the summer before they begin their autumnal growth cycle. They will tolerate very hot weather outdoors as long as they are kept in filtered light and this will encourage them to flower in the Autumn. They also enjoy some fertiliser. Moving the plants as they are developing buds may cause them to spontaneously abort the flowers all together.
Autumn: In the fall keep them outdoors until the night time temperatures drop below the 10°C.
Winter: Winter care presents no problems at 10° C with plenty of light. As soon as they are flowered be sure to take extra precautions to keep them dry, because damp cool conditions when the plants are resting is an invitation to fungal infections, but - according to temperatures –some occasional lit watering may be useful.
Potting medium: Since roots are quite shallow, use a cactus mix or add extra perlite or pumice to regular soil potting soil. A gritty, very free-draining compost is suitable, and clay pots help the plants to dry out between watering. Re-pot every 2 years.
Pest and diseases: Huernia are generally fairly easy to grow, especially if kept pest-free. They are very susceptible to stem and root mealy bugs, and damage from these may well initiate fungal attack. Any time when there is a dead or dying stem in the pot it is important to remove it immediately and completely before other healthy stems can become ill too, isolate the healthy parts, dry them off, and re-root them in new compost.
Propagation: Easiest with stem cuttings. Allow cuttings to dry a day before planting. Stems must be laid (Not buried) on gritty compost and will then root from the underside of the stems. It can also be increased from seeds sowing in spring in moist, sandy peat moss. Barely cover seeds. Seeds germinate quickly.
In any season it's best to lay the stems out for several days before replanting them and then pot them only in dry soil and withhold any water until they begin to shrivel or start growing again.
