Coromandel Cacti beginners tour of the succulent world.

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Lump Plants. The succulent part of these plants is their weird water-storing lumps. They occur in a number of families and in many tropical countries. The Cucumber Family (Cucurbitaceae) is especially rich in Lump Plants (or caudiciforms as they are more properly known) with Cephalopentandra, Corallocarpus, Gerrardanthus, Ibervillea, Kedrostis, Momordica, Zygosicyos.

But the most famous Lump of all is Testudinaria, the Tortoise Back Plant. Nearly all true Lumps have a vine which grows rapidly during the growing season but dies back, leaving the lump to survive the dry season.

Other genera of Lump Plants are Adenia, Brachystelma, Ceropegia (some), Fockea, Matelea.

Another group of fat plants are the Pachycauls where stem and branches are unusually thickened to store water. (Pachycaul means “thick stem”). Cyphostemma juttae epitomises this form. Also placed here are Adenium and Pachypodium, both related to the frangipani tree, and by fanciers very much admired and collected.

Pachycauls are found in many genera, such as Adansonia, Bombax, Delonix, Dorstenia, Euphorbia, Ficus, Jatropha, Othonna, Pelargonium, Pterodiscus, Sedum, Senecio, Trichodiadema, Uncarina.

Stapeliads is the collective name for a large number of stem succulents, mostly African, and all in the Asclepiad part of the Apocynaceae. Their flowers are most attractive (and frequently bizarre as well) with unusual colours, strange hairs, and even stranger smells. The Stapeliad genera include Caralluma, Stapelia, Orbea, Huernia, Tridentea, Duvalia, Piaranthus, Pseudolithos, Tavaresia, Hoodia, Trichocaulon.

Mesembranthemum Family. Mostly South African (although New Zealand has a native in Disphyma with two species, a mainland one and another on the Chatham islands.) The more extremely dry-tolerant genera have rounded pairs of fused leaves as in Lithops (the Living Stones), Conophytum, Argyroderma, Dinteranthus, Pleiospilos.

But also there are the so-called "Shrubby Mesems" in such genera as Delosperma, Drosanthemum, Lampranthus, Leipoldtia, Mestoklema, Oscularia.

Bromeliads. We grow a limited range of mostly xerophytic terrestrial species e.g. Dyckia, Encholirium, Hechtia, Orthophytum. Also a few others which suit dry gardens (e.g. Aechmea, Neoregelia, Vriesea).

Books: there are many books but few available in New Zealand.

One we recommend as a starting point is Miles Andersons book "The Ultimate Book of Cacti and Succulents" (also published under several other names) available from Unity Books in Auckland.
Phone Auckland (09) 3070731; 19 High Street, Auckland.

For mail-order books on cacti and succulents try Rainbow Gardens.
http://www.rainbowgardensbookshop.com/
Mail order books also from Touchwood Books, Box 610, Hastings New Zealand.
www.touchwoodbooks.co.nz

Cactus and Succulent Tour Index
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