![]() ![]() Outer corona about as long as the staminal column, cupular, 10–15-bi- or trifid, appendages deltoid, glabrous, dark purple-brown. Corolla lobes purple to reddish-black, erectly spreading, 12-20 mm long, about 4-7 mm broad at the base, thence gradually tapering to a very acute apex, longitudinally folded outwards, with revolute margins, inside usually papillose, papillae with an apical horizontally curved thick hair. Corolla campanulate, 20-27 mm in diameter, glabrous and pale green outside, with the tips, margins and a stripe down the middle of the lobes and some dots on the tube very dark purple-brown inside minutely papillate-setulose on the lobes and upper part of the tube, rich velvety black-purple on the lobes, pale yellowish dotted with blackish purple in the tube, which is 3-6 mm long and as much in diameter. Sepals 2-4 mm long, ovate, acuminate, glabrous. Pedicels 2-3 mm long, glabrous, holding the flower horizontally. Inflorescence: Flowers in fascicles of 4–15 or more, along the grooves between the angles, usually near the stem tips in the upper 2/3 of the stem.įlowers: Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous. Leaves: Rudimentary, forming the tubercle tooth stipular denticles absent. Tubercles 5-20 mm long, conical, spreading, fused near base into the irregularly arranged angles, glabrous, light green, faintly glaucous, armed with stout, yellowish, hard-pointed acute spines 6-12 mm long, with the apical half of the spines brown. Branches, erect, glabrous, green, sometimes mottled with purple-brown, 15–50 cm tall and 18–36 cm thick, very variable, short and very compact, sometimes with robust tubercles, or slender-stemmed, irregularly or spirally 4–6-angled. Stems: Branching from a single, central stem, erect from base. The inner lobes are shortly erect, incumbent on the anthers, and exceed them.The odour of the flowers is extremely disagreeable.ĭerivation of specific name: The name refers to the stout tubercles with brown apices (From Lat. The corona is stipitate (held on a stalk), dark purple-brown, The outer lobes are erect, bifid, fused to the bases of the inner lobes that form pouches. The corolla is 20-27 mm across, the tube is yellow and purple-spotted. Bunches of 3-15 velvety purple-brown flowers appears in autumn in the upper 2/3 of the stem, and open simultaneously, but are seldom seen in culture. The leaves are transmuted into hard thorns. Quaqua mammillaris or Quaqua pillansii) the other with yellow to cream flowers that are narrower than 25mm.Description: Quaqua mammillaris is a much-branched, robust succulent shrub, up to 50 cm high, and 50-70 cm across, branched in a bushy manner which root from the primary stem only. The species of the second grouping can in turn be divided into two sections: One with purple to dark-brown flowers that are wider than 25mm (e.g. The species of this genus can be divided into two main groups, based on their floral structure: One group bears flowers singly or in pairs the other bears flowers in clusters of between 4 and 20. Plants of the World Online as of As of January 2023 recognizes the following species: Image Its distribution closely mirrors that of related genus Tromotriche. In distribution, the genus Quaqua is restricted to the western (winter-rainfall) region of South Africa & Namibia. Quaqua ramosa, from the western Karoo, locally called "Ou Ram" ("old ram"), is unusual in having rounded tubercles instead of the typical quaqua spikes The flowers of other species however, are larger, reaching a maximum diameter of 27 mm and are dark, papillate, and usually have a repulsive odor of urine or excrement. The flowers of some species are sweet smelling (faintly of honey or lemon), attractive and rather small (between 7 and 15 mm in diameter). There are often ten along each stem, vertically arranged in distichous series. Quaqua flowers are distinctive from those of other southern African stapeliads for their numerous inflorescences emerging from each stem, especially closer to the ends. A few species lack the spikes or have smoothly rounded tubercles. Species of Quaqua are usually characterised by having stout, firm, 4 or 5-sided stems bearing conical tubercles which often have a tough, tapering spike at their ends. Species of the genus Quaqua are exceptionally varied and endemic to southwestern Africa, and locally very common in Namaqualand. All stapeliads, including Quaqua, are Old World stem succulents. The genus Quaqua falls within the tribe of plants known collectively as stapeliads. Quaqua mammillaris (the "aroena"), a widespread and common species from the south-western Cape. ![]()
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