Origin and Habitat: Graaff-Reinet to Willowmore and associated with the Sundays and Groot River valleys.

• Huernia brevirostris N.E.Br.

• Huernia thuretii Cels ex Hérincq
• Stapelia thuretii (Cels ex Hérincq) Croucher
• Huernia bayeri L.C.Leach
• Huernia brevirostris N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris subs. baviaana L.C.Leach
• Huernia brevirostris var. ecornuta (N.E.Br.) A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia scabra var. ecornuta N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris var. histrionica A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia brevirostris var. immaculata (N.E.Br.) A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia scabra var. immaculata N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris subs. intermedia (N.E.Br.) L.C.Leach
• Huernia brevirostris var. intermedia N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris var. longula (N.E.Br.) A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia scabra var. longula N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris var. pallida (N.E.Br.) A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia scabra var. pallida N.E.Br.
• Huernia brevirostris var. parvipuncta A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia brevirostris var. scabra (N.E.Br.) A.C.White & B.Sloane
• Huernia scabra N.E.Br.
• Huernia inornata Oberm.
• Huernia striata Oberm.
• Huernia thuretii var. primulina (N.E.Br.) L.C.Leach
• Huernia primulina N.E.Br.
• Huernia thuretii var. rugosa N.E.Br.
• Huernia primulina var. rugosa N.E.Br.

Description: Huernia brevirostris is an interesting low-growing succulents with stems rooting where they touch the ground. Readily offsets to form large low growing mounds. The flowers, which arise in succession at the base of the stems, are cup-shaped, with pale greenish-yellow to dull yellow petals finely spotted with red, and lined tube. The corona at the centers of the flower is dark purple.
Related species: Huernia brevirostrisSN|27753]]SN|27753]] is linked closely to Huernia thureti. 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. brevirostris, should all be included in the H. thuretii.
Stems: Erect, rooting where they touch the ground, 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 annulus-like, outside greenish-creamy inside cream-coloured, pale greenish, yellow or pale pink, 2.5 - 3 cm in diameter. Corolla-lobes,triangular, acute or weakly acuminate, 5 – 7 mm long, 6 - 9 mm broad, erect or ascending, sometimes revolute, outside finely scabrous, scabrous parts elevated, often with short stiff hairs inside papillose, conspicuously spotted with marron-red apex often 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.

Bibliography: Major refrerences and further lectures
1) Excelsa Taxon. Ser. 4: 182-187 1988
2) Focke Albers, Ulrich Meve “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae: Asclepiadaceae” Volume 4 Springer, 2002
3) Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01/Jun/2000
4) N. E. BROWN. “Flora Capensis” Vol 4, page 518 1909
5) White & Sloane “The Stapelieae” edn 2. 3: 879-882, 1170-1176 1937
6) Excelsa Taxonomic Series 4:184 1988
7) 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
8) Luckhoff “The Stapelieae of Southern Africa” Capetown, A.A. Balkema 1952
9) Bruyns, P.V. 2005. “Stapeliads of southern Africa and Madagascar.” Vol. II. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
10)George Gilbert Green "Cacti and succulents" Pitman Pub. Corp., 1953

Cultivation and Propagation: Very easy to grow, it needs light shade to full sun (but tolerate shadow), very resistant to heat will also tolerate quite cold temperatures but avoid frost, best in a ventilated environment. It is quite resistant to the “Balck spot” disease of Asclepiads, Water regularly during the growing season, keep dry in winter. Use a gritty, well-drained soil.
Propagation: It is easily propagated by removing a cutting, sometimes with roots attached, in spring and summer, but seeds germinate readily if they are sown when fresh.