Cotyledon orbiculata var. dactylopsis

The very variable Cotyledon orbiculata plant spreads low branches in the open, while those in thicket become elongated and tall. The species is adapted to many living conditions reflected in habit, shape and colour.

The succulent leaf bodies are a bit like slender seals, erect in searching the sky for the source of a smell that tickles their purple-red noses. The common name of finger pig’s ear exists, beside the formal one of C. orbiculata var. dactylopsis. The Greek words, daktylos, meaning finger and -opsis meaning appearance tell the story.

The almost terete (cylindrical) Cotyledon orbiculata leaves were seen near Springbok in Namaqualand, where the plant is known as the pêpêbos (pêpê bush), an onomatopoeic name referring to the flower stalk used as a flute by hunters to make a sound, pêpê, resembling the call of the young klipspringer. This sound attracts klipspringers, making them easy prey.

The fleshy inside of a C. orbiculata leaf is sometimes applied by people to soften and remove hard corns and warts.

Var. dactylopsis is distributed in parts of the Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

The habitat is arid flats in the central parts of South Africa. The variety is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).