ORBICULATA var. ORBICULATA (engl./ fr.)
Synonyms :
Cotyledon ramosissima Miller (1768)
Cotyledon mucronata Lamarck (1786) / Adromischus mucronatus (Lamarck) Lemaire (1852) / Cotyledon undulata var. mucronata (Lamarck) von Poellnitz (1937)
Cotyledon ungulata Lamarck (1786)
Cotyledon ovata Haworth (1812)
Cotyledon elata Haworth (1819) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. elata (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon ramosa Haworth (1819) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. ramosa (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon decussata Sims (1824)
Cotyledon tricuspidata Haworth (1825) / Cotyledon papillaris var. tricuspidata (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. obovata DC (1828)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. rotundifolia DC (1828)
Cotyledon macrantha Hort. La Mortola ex A.Berger (1900)
Cotyledon flanaganii var. karroensis Schönland & Baker f. (1902)
Cotyledon engleri A.Berger & Dinter (1914) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. engleri (A.Berger & Dinter) Dinter (1928)
Cotyledon ausana Dinter (1932) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. ausana (Dinter) H.Jacobsen (1949 - not as indicated by Tölken and by van Jaarsveld in Ill. Handbook of Succ. Plants, 2003, 1955)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oophylla Dinter (1932)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. viridis Dinter ex Range (1934)
Cotyledon decussata var. dielsii Schlechter ex von Poellnitz (1937)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. higginsiae H.Jacobsen (1952)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. dinteri H.Jacobsen (1949 - not as indicated by Tölken and by van Jaarsveld in Ill. Handbook of Succ. Plants, 2003, 1954)
Cotyledon decussata var. hinrichseniana H.Jacobsen (1956)
Distribution : Southern Angola, Namibia, SA; Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Grassland, Bushveld, usually on rocky outcrops.
Description by Ernst van Jaarsveld in IHSP, 2003) :
Erect to decumbent, to 1 m.
Leaves extremely variable in colour, shape and hairiness, usually glabrous, obovate but also oblong-terete, orbicular, oblanceolate and hairy, to 10.5 x 5 cm, margin often reddish and undulate, base cuneate, apex mucronate.
Inflorescences to 45 cm.
Flowers : Corolla tubular but not bulging, to 20 x 9 mm in diameter, tubes 12 mm, petals 12 mm, recurved, orange, red or yellow, stamens exserted for 2 - 3 mm, anthers yellow, oblong, 1.75 mm in diameter.
Flowering time : Spring and summer.
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Synonymes :
Cotyledon ramosissima Miller (1768)
Cotyledon mucronata Lamarck (1786) / Adromischus mucronatus (Lamarck) Lemaire (1852) / Cotyledon undulata var. mucronata (Lamarck) von Poellnitz (1937)
Cotyledon ungulata Lamarck (1786)
Cotyledon ovata Haworth (1812)
Cotyledon elata Haworth (1819) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. elata (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon ramosa Haworth (1819) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. ramosa (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon decussata Sims (1824)
Cotyledon tricuspidata Haworth (1825) / Cotyledon papillaris var. tricuspidata (Haworth) DC (1828)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. obovata DC (1828)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. rotundifolia DC (1828)
Cotyledon macrantha Hort. La Mortola ex A.Berger (1900)
Cotyledon flanaganii var. karroensis Schönland & Baker f. (1902)
Cotyledon engleri A.Berger & Dinter (1914) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. engleri (A.Berger & Dinter) Dinter (1928)
Cotyledon ausana Dinter (1932) / Cotyledon orbiculata var. ausana (Dinter) H.Jacobsen (1949 - pas comme indiqué par Tölken et par van Jaarsveld dans Ill. Handbook of Succ. Plants, 2003, 1955)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oophylla Dinter (1932)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. viridis Dinter ex Range (1934)
Cotyledon decussata var. dielsii Schlechter ex von Poellnitz (1937)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. higginsiae H.Jacobsen (1952)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. dinteri H.Jacobsen (1949 - pas comme indiqué par Tölken et par van Jaarsveld dans Ill. Handbook of Succ. Plants, 2003, 1954))
Cotyledon decussata var. hinrichseniana H.Jacobsen (1956)
Distribution : Sud de l'Angola, Namibie, Afrique du Sud ; maquis (fynbos et bushveld), Karoo semi-désertique, prairies, habituellement sur affleurements rocheux.
Description (par Ernst van Jaarsveld dans IHSP, 2003) :
Plante érigée à retombante, jusqu'à 1 m.
Feuilles extrêmement variables en couleur, forme et pilosité, normalement glabres, obovales mais aussi oblongues-cylindriques, orbiculaires, oblancéolées et velues, jusqu'à 10,5 x 5 cm, marges souvent rougeâtres et ondulées, base en forme de coin, apex mucroné.
Inflorescence jusqu'à 45 cm.
Fleurs : Corolle tubulaire mais non bombée, 20 x 9 mm de diamètre, tube 12 mm, pétales 12 mm, recourbés, orange, rouges ou jaunes, étamines dépassant de 2 - 3 mm, anthères jaunes, oblongues, 1,75 mm de diamètre.
Période de floraison : Printemps-été.
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This is an exceedingly variable taxon with several distinct local forms recognized as cultivars :
C'est une espèce excessivement variable avec de nombreuses formes locales distinctes reconnues comme cultivars :
'Bashee'
'Oophylla' (syn. 'Boegoeberg')
'Ladismith'
'Rolling Edge'
In habitat - Henties Bay, Namibia :

Photo Jaco Jacobsohn
Garies, Northern Cape :




Locusts eating the flowers :




Photos Andries Cilliers, Cape Town.
Plants in cultivation :
At RBG Melbourne :


A form called 'Silver Waves' :

Photos Noelene Tomlinson

Photo Santino Rischitelli



a different form :





A plant at Weltevrede Succulent Nursery, SA :



At Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Johannesburg, SA. The leaves and the flowers are those of var. orbiculata, however the leaves are not decussate but in whorls of three as indicated for var. flanaganii :
Au jardin botanique de Walter Sisulu, Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud. Feuilles et fleurs sont celles de la var. orbiculata, cependant les feuilles ne sont pas décussées mais verticillées par trois, comme chez la var. flanaganii :





The same plants in a garden - at times with crinkled leaf margins, at times without .... for no obvious reason :




A form with terete leaves at Weltevrede Succulent Nursery, SA :





Also C. orbiculata var. orbiculata :


Different leaf shapes on one and the same plant :




The base of the filaments is hairy :

Photos Jacquie Koutsoudis
A variegated form :

Photo Noelene Tomlinson










Photos Santino Rischitelli