Othonna herrei

Othonna herrei

Family: Asteraceae

Common names: Richtersveld othonna

It is a shrublet up to 300 mm tall, is sparsely branched from a trunk-like stem. The shape of the plant is really distinctive, it looks like a miniature, old tree, with shiny, silvery black bark. The newly formed bark at the apex of the branches is green to golden. The main stem can be 30 mm thick and the bark is built up from knobby, conical leaf-bases. The branching is erratic, and the branches have the same structure as the main stem.

Sowing instructions: Use a well-drained sandy loam soil mix and cover the seed lightly with sieved coarse river sand to hold them in place. Othonna seeds germinate quite easily, so no special treatment of the seed is needed, and they do well in cultivation. Keep the seed moist and they will germinate after two weeks.

Locality: Jenkinskop. Harvest: May 2024