Hoodia flava

Hoodia flava
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Hoodia
Species: H. flava
Binomial name
Hoodia flava

Hoodia flava is a succulent native to the Cape Province in South Africa and to Namibia.[1] It has a unique pattern of distribution, growing inside bushes or on gravelly slopes and hills.[2] It is commonly known as Ghaap or Yellow-flowered Ghaap in the Afrikaans language.[3]

Description

Leafless and branchless, H. flava grows as cylindrical green stems up to 6 inches in height and 2 inches in diameter, with 20-30 longitudinal ribs of mammillae, each one featuring a thin, brown spine on its crest.[3] Yellow flowers appear in winter on the youngest parts of the plants near the top.

Cultivation

This plant should be watered during its growing season and then sparsely otherwise.[3]

References

  1. "Hoodia flava (N.E.Br.) Plowes". Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. "Hoodia in Namibia" (PDF). National Botanical Research Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hoodia flava (N.E.Br.) Plowes". The Encyclopedia of Succulents. LLIFLE - Encyclopedia of Living Forms. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.