Tylecodon reticulatus subsp. reticulatus narrowly oval leaves

Tylecodon reticulatus subsp. reticulatus lives in arid climates where temperatures reach extremes. This plant is coping with a bare, rocky hillside. Kind treatment by gardeners entails growing the plant in full sun with a little of water, mainly in winter.

The leaves grow to 3,5 cm long and 1 cm wide. The dense, pale green to blue-green, sometimes pink-tinged leaf covering is deciduous or seasonal, while the bare, stocky stems topped with intricate patterns of dry flower stalks hold their own charm.

Some people in the Little Karoo eat T. reticulatus subsp. reticulatus leaves. Tylecodon as a genus is well-known for plant part toxicity. How the exception was discovered and the item added to human dietary options is unknown. What is most important is to make very sure of plant identification before any leaf tasting is done. There is also the concern that some people can eat stuff that others are allergic to (Louis Jordaan, personal communication; Smith, et al, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015).