Huernia namaquensis, the good and the bad

Defiance in adversity! This Huernia namaquensis plant living in a desert-like place has grown a clump of green, blue and purple stems. They are healthy with natural succulence, all the resources present for facilitating strong flowering.

Look carefully, signs of severe devastation abound around the plant. Many dead stems bear witness to a recent war that has been lost. There is no Red Cross here to help removing the bodies.

The Richtersveld is home to many of these plants, well settled among the rocks. Threat to the life of plants does not equate to threat to their species. Regions thriving and suffering at different times are common in nature. The seed of some species can wait for long periods for the return of favourable conditions.

The region accommodates many goats and other livestock that roam freely and trample as they eat. H. namaquensis is not palatable to goats, so most of the destruction is normally collateral damage from the animals searching for food in the barren land.

True grit and a dose of defiance are necessary survival kit items for plants and animals. The tougher the challenge, the more vivid the manifestation of these attributes. Some appear less resilient but survive in those conditions that suit them. All programmed differently, all intent upon a future for their species on earth.