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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