VOLUME 14 :: January—October, 1952 Illustrations shown in ...

20 THE CACTUS AND SUCCULENT January, 1952
At the time of writing I have only had one reply to my appeal for news of other aquatic succulents. Mr. Gordon
Rowley sends me a copy of a mention of Rhopalota aphylla N. E. Br. (Crassulaceae), which appeared in the American
Cactus Journal on pages 7 and 8, 1931. It reads : "A very dwarf, leafless annual, with articulated stems like a
miniature plant of Hariota. It grows beneath nine inches of water and is frequently covered by ice in the winter,
but apparently flowers only when the water level drops and the branches are exposed."
This is not quite the same as Chamaegigas which throws leaves and flowers while covered with water, but it
is a very interesting addition to our knowledge of this type of succulent plant. Mr. Rowley's extract is from a much
longer article by Dr. N. E. Brown and includes a drawing of this plant.
I again appeal to all our friends in South Africa and elsewhere to furnish us with details, and samples if possible,
of any other plant that justifies the name of aquatic succulent, for this is a phase of our subject that has been very
neglected and would add change and interest to our collections.
I have already mentioned that I was unsuccessful in cultivating the plant, but I could make some comments on
what I saw. I received a piece of South African veldt about two inches square and about a quarter of an inch thick.
This contained more than a dozen of the plants. The upper surface of the piece of ground was covered by dead,
short, gray grass ; the soil was of a very sandy nature and a separate sample of soil sent me is made up of very
fine sand, some larger types of sand, like fine gravel, a small mixture of fine textured soil and quite a bit of humus
in the form of whitish grey remains of short grass. Here and there glints tiny pieces of quartz-like substance.
Obviously the soil is extremely porous and must absorb rain very fast indeed and this may be the cause of my failure.
In its native habitat the soil quickly gets thoroughly wet and so reaches the whole of the bulb almost at once, but
the piece of veldt I received was very matted and it is possible my submerging under luke warm water may not
have penetrated to the bulbs.
The bulbs 1 measured with a magnifying glass and metre rule. They were one mm. in diameter, roundish to
slightly pear shape, green, with short wavy roots. The presence of the bulbs was shown on the surface of the soil
by the rosette-like remains of old leaves, or, more probably, the stems.
I hope that I may have the chance of again trying to cultivate the plant through to its flowers, for one can only
echo Dinter's comment that it is the most touching example of the victory by one of her children over Nature's
apparently pitiless fight. Against extremely hot conditions during its resting period, months of completely arid
conditions, the bulb is able to retain stored sufficient nourishment to maintain life, even though during dormancy
it does not absorb anything near as much as during its living period, then when the shallow basin in which it grows
becomes covered with water, its quiescent life jerks into action in a few minutes, and one day after it flowers !
The bulb remains under water, sends out thread-like stems which terminate on the surface of water, like water
lilies, with leaves. In its native habitat rains may not appear for much longer periods than those mentioned in
the extracts given above, yet the plant lives on. Frequently the rains are short lived and its life cycle has to be
completed in possibly a very few days, then to return to its resting period for another rainfall.
If this does not typify "the bravest thing that grows," then I should like an introduction to a plant that is
braver. While Dinter comments on Nature's pitiless struggle against her children, we must credit Nature with
evolving adaptions of plant structure that this, one of her children, can withstand the conditions and live and flower
and reproduce its kind.
Frames Tours Ltd. are running a very interesting tour covering the dates February 16th to March 1st, or March
1st to 15th and March 15th to 29th. The tour covers extensive ground and is of special interest to all interested
in horticulture with a special interest to our plants. It covers San Remo, Monaco, La Mortola, Grasse, Cannes,
Genoa. Members interested should write Messrs. Frames, direct.
Lists received :
T. N. Blackburn, Woodplumton, nr. Preston ; a five-paged priced list of cacti and succulents.
A. E. Green, Normandale Nurseries, Sheffield, 6 ; a three foolscap paged typed list of cacti and succulents.
F. Jansen, Leyweg, 24, Loosduinen, Holland ; a four-paged priced list of cacti and succulents.