Mesembryanthemum barklyi last gasp

The last living stem-tip of this Mesembryanthemum barklyi plant amidst skeletal surroundings gives an idea of the expansive growth habit of plants that were here a season ago.

Profuse blooming had clearly taken place in the times of the sturdy branches. Now on its last leaves, or the last leaves surviving on the usually biennial plant, they are well smaller than in the heydays. The shape of the living rosette is still the same, however, maybe holding out for another summer seasons flowering.

Pale brown sheets of dried leaves hang from some branches, the leftovers indicating the lavish leaf size that could reach 40 cm long and 25 cm wide. Long internodes are visible between the stem marks left by lost leaves.

The flat-topped panicle remains of the inflorescence keep a multitude of dry fruit capsules in position. The last seeds may not yet have fallen out of the husks (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Eliovson, 1990; iNaturalist).