365Caws is now in its 16th year of publication. If I am unable to post daily, I hope readers who love the natural world and fiberarts will seize those days to read the older material. Remember that this has been my journey as well, so you may find errors in my identifications of plants. I have tried to correct them as I discover them. Likewise, I have refined fiberarts techniques and have adjusted recipes, so search by tags to find the most current information. And thank you for following me!
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Huernia Zebrina, Lifesaver Plant
Day 338: Huernia zebrina (Lifesaver Plant, named for the donut-like structure in the flower's center) is rapidly turning into one of my favourite houseplants. In the first place, as a member of the cactus family, it's very forgiving of neglectful watering even though it's lived in a hot window all summer. If that didn't win me over, its enthusiasm in putting on a show of bizarrely shaped flowers over a fairly long span of weeks would move it into the top ranks. The blossoms only last a few days once they've opened, but the development of them is fascinating to watch. From the tiny bud just below the dime in the upper image to reach the origami-like star of the middle phase requires almost two weeks. When the flower finally bursts open and the petals furl back from the center, its unusual form is a traffic-stopper. I have yet to dissect one to investigate the interior of the "lifesaver," but I am intensely curious about its role in the plant's biology.
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