|
Senecio barbertonicus
Senecio barbertonicus, the Barberton groundsel[3] or succulent bush senecio,[4] is an evergreen succulent shrub of the family Asteraceae and genus Senecio, native to Southern Africa,[2] named after one of its native localities Barberton and is now also being cultivated elsewhere for its drought resistance, clusters of sweetly scented,[4] golden-yellow, tufted flower heads in winter and attractiveness to butterflies,[3] the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) in particular.[5] DescriptionA succulent bush growing over 2 m (6 ft) tall and wide with a fleshy trunk, light green, cylindrical, finger-like leaves 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) in length and 6 to 10 mm (1⁄4 to 3⁄8 in) in diameter, densely packed around the stem and curved at the base to lie parallel to the stem and pointing upwards.[6] The fragrant yellow flowers, 1 cm (3⁄8 in) wide and 8 cm (3 in) long, bloom July through September,[4] are terminal and produce seeds with a dense tuft of bristles. Senecio barbertonicus is hardy to at least −4 °C (25 °F).[5] DistributionSenecio barbertonicus grows predominantly in rocky grassland and bushveld in Southern Africa in areas ranging from Eswatini and Mozambique, to Eastern parts of Zimbabwe and South Africa[4] at elevations between 34 and 1,700 m (110 and 5,500 ft).[7] It is locally common in protected areas in eastern, central, and southwestern Eswatini[8] in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West.[7] Gallery
References
Further reading
Information related to Senecio barbertonicus |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
