Cotyledon pendens, a cliff hanger

Cotyledon pendens is a leaf succulent with pendent leaves and flowers. Pendent Cotyledon flowers characterise the genus of which there are 11 species in South Africa. Pendent leaves as these hanging over a rock in Kirstenbosch are unusual for this genus.

The ovoid (egg-shaped) leaves are slightly flattened and sharply tipped. Translucence of the leaf succulence is brought to notice by the sunlight shining through the yellow-green leaf surfaces in the photo. These surfaces may also be grey-green from a powdery bloom sometimes present upon the leaves. Leaves become up to 2,5 cm long, 1,5 cm wide and 1 cm thick.

The somewhat mottled, red-coloured band along the upper leaf margin, not a ridge, reminds of the hard red ridge on C. papillaris leaves. This plant is, however, considered closely related to C. woodii that is an erect shrublet, also found in the Eastern Cape. The photo was taken in March (www.plantzafrica.com; Manning, 2009).