|
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga 'Macrantha' - A shrubby succulent to 2-3 feet tall with a stout trunk that holds many branches of rounded fleshy pale green leaves that are edged with red. The showy red orange flowers, that are larger than other Cotyledon, bloom on stiff stalk rising just above the foliage in winter to spring.
This succulent will take light shade or full coastal sun and has low water needs and is cold hardy to 20-25 ° F. Although there has not been a recorded incident of this plant being poisonous to humans there have been cases in California where sheep have died when fed Cotyledon orbiculata. In South Africa, the disease caused by eating these plants, called cotyledonosis, has poisoned sheep and goats but rarely other animals. The meat of animals killed by cotyledonosis also remains toxic.
Cotyledon orbiculata is widespread throughout South Africa where it is most often found on rocky outcrops within grasslands, the shrubby fynbos and semidesert regions. The reason for the name chosen for the genus is a complicated story. The plant, Wall Pennywort or Navelwort, (Umbilicus rupestris) was previously included in the genus. In medieval times and in homeopathic medicine this plant was commonly known as Cotyledon, so this name stuck with the genus, even though the plant it was named for did not. The name for the genus originated from the Greek word 'kotyledon' or 'kotyle' meaning "cupped", "hollowed" or "a cavity". The specific epithet is Latin meaning "round and flat" or "disk-shaped" in reference to the typical leaf shape of the species. The varietal epithet comes from the Latin adjective 'oblongus' that means "somewhat long" or "elongated" and is in reference to this varieties longer leaves. The cultivar name is derived from the Greek words 'makros' meaning "large" and 'anthos' meaning "flower" is a reference to this cultivars flowers being larger than is typical for Cotyledon orbiculata. We first stated growing this in 1998, listing it simply as Cotyledon macrantha, but note that the correct name for this plant is Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga 'Macrantha'. We continued to grow it until we closed the nursery in 2025.
The information displayed on this page about Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga 'Macrantha' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
|
