For an overview of the species go Huernia a-k
Huernia laevis hybrid
There are a number of plants in circulation at the moment labeled as Huernia laevis; whilst being attractive plants these are hybrids. These are not natural hybrids as the other parent is believed to be Huernia plowesii which comes from Namibia, whilst Huernia laevis is found in Yemen.
Found in Mozambique and Malawi, this species produces long thin almost cylindrical stems to 150 cm in length so is most suitably grown in a hanging basket. Clone 1 merely has locality details of Mozambique, whilst PVB7398 comes from south of Chimoio in the same country.
This species from eastern Kenya forms part of the Huernia keniensis complex and is most closely related to H. keniensis var nairobiensis.
As can be seen the exterior of the long tubular flowers is unusually rough, whilst the interior is densely papillose. Distribution is Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
From the Gauteng, Free State an North West Provinces of South Africa the plant shown here has a collection number of CX455
Huernia longituba has a distribution of Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Free State, Northern, and North West Provinces of South Africa. Whist ssp. longituba can be found across the distribution ssp cashelensis comes only from the Melseter District of Zimbabwe and differs in having 5-6 angled stems and slightly smaller flowers, as opposed to the 4-5 angles of ssp longituba. The plant of ssp longituba shown here was grown from seed IAS1231 collected by Prof. Desmond Cole [Cole S069] at Takabokwane.
This complex grouping of plants has recently been expanded to include amongst others Huernia arabica, H. penzigii, H. macrocarpa v schweinfurthii, and H. macrocarpa v cerasina, all of which can be seen here. The complex has a wide distribution encompassing Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, despite which the plants seem to grow well and flower without the extra heat in winter, which one might have thought necessary.
Found in southern Namibia and the Northern Province of South Africa, the plants shown were collected; [CM0108P] on the Vyftienmyl Se Berg, east of Port Nolloth in 2001, and [DT7224] on the Kabinaberg, north of Steinkopf in 2004. The latter is thought to be the species originally described as Huernia herrei var. immaculata, and later included in H. namaquensis. The flowers have an unusually delicate pink tinge.
A clump forming species found only in the Limpopo (formerly Northern) Province of South Africa. The plant shown is PVB6584 from Vivo, Soutpansberg
This sprawling slender stemmed species which is closely related to Huernia hislopii is a Zimbabwe endemic. The plant shown is an Ernst Specks collection ES3413.
This delightful compact Huernia comes from Angola and Namibia. The plant pictured centre of top row was grown from seed in 1994. In 1998 having flowered in the greenhouse it set seed - of unknown parentage - producing the hybrid shown which has produced a succession of single flowers over a long period, every year since first flowering in 1999.