Braunsia

Braunsia is a genus of leaf succulent shrublets in the Aizoaceae or mesemb family. The low-growing plants bearing woody stems are prostrate or erect, rooting at nodes. The stems lengthen from new leaf-pairs grown from stem-tips, multiply from branching occurring there in a compact structure.

The dull-green, opposite leaves are paired, nearly equal, three-angled to bulging and fused in their lower halves. The latter feature distinguishes the plants from Lampranthus. Leaf dimensions are about 25 mm long and 15 mm wide. 

The leaf margins and keels are cartilaginous and finely serrated. Only Braunsia apiculata has small, leaf-tip spines, while B. vanrensburgii has pink leaf margins. The thick, waxy leaf skins are velvety from minute papillae over the stomata.

The flowers grow solitary or up to three in cyme-shaped groups, mostly on short pedicels, rarely sessile. Two of the five sepals are flattened, the others have membranous margins.

The pink, to purple and rarely white petals grow in one to five rings around the erect, bunch of stamens and staminodes in the flower centre. The flowers are around 4 cm in diameter.

The filaments are slightly ciliate or papillate. The nectary forms an inconspicuous, notched or toothed ring in the flower base. The ovary is a little raised or concave with four to seven stigmas, mostly five.

Flowering happens from midsummer to early winter. The flowers open around midday and close late afternoon.

The fruit capsule has the same number of locules as the stigmas in the flower. The capsule is Lampranthus-like but not as big. The expanding keels are parallel. Covering membranes and valve wings are present but no closing bodies.

The seeds are somewhat bristly and globose. An earlier generic name, Echinus, meaning hedgehog refers to the bristly seeds. This seed feature distinguishes the genus, but the spiny aspect is minute, observed via a sufficient hand lens.

There are only five Braunsia species, all occurring in the southwestern part of South Africa. The plants mainly grow in gravelly places in soils derived from sandstone, shale or limestone.

Several species feature in horticulture. None of them is palatable to game and stock (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Smith, et al, 1998).