Adromischus liebenbergii

This small succulent with its few branched rosettes of curved disc-shaped leaves is thought to be Adromischus liebenbergii. The plant is found in the Tanqua Karoo in demanding arid conditions and extreme temperatures. Even on the plant in picture the leaf colour variations are many, ranging from greyish blue to orange-yellow with some pink spottiness near the upper margins. The leaf shape is elliptic with notable tapering to acute tips on some leaves. A whitish ridge is evident on the leaf margins.

Long flower stalks protrude high above the basal leaves with racemes of spaced narrow tubular flowers dangling to one side of the stalks. There is mention of A. liebenbergii subsp. liebenbergii in the literature, but whether this is it, could not be determined. There is a small area in the Eastern Cape where subsp. orientalis grows. The plant has also been found near Laingsburg (iSpot; www.myweb.tiscali.co.uk).