Tylecodon reticulatus subsp. reticulatus shapes copied by potters

The brown, bell-shaped calyces of Tylecodon reticulatus subsp. reticulatus are still in position upon their stalks here. The plant is sometimes called an oukoe, a name of unsure origin; it may refer to an old cow offering very little to drink in emergencies.

Only once these dry flower calyces become loose from their stalks will they masquerade as insects up and down the stalks, serving to suppress some browser appetites, diverting the animals. Erect and spreading, the five narrow fruit lobes curve out at the stem-tips.

The photo is from the Little Karoo in April. New growth will commence on this plant soon, coinciding with the winter rain (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015).