Description
Ruschia pungens. It is a branched shrublet that grows to 20 cm. The robust stems are erect and spreading, red when young, later pale grey and woody. The leaves are succulent and cylindrical to three-angled, blue-green in colour and often with red tips. Leaf length varies from 2 cm to 5 cm; the width is about 5 mm. The purple flowers grow in branched inflorescences. They may cover the plant in colour after rain in late winter and spring. Sowing : The small seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sand, any time during the summer months when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a very fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the first 3-4 days cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear Perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on misting can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow. Locality: De Rust. Harvest: September 2021
