Conicosia pugioniformis

Scientific name: Conicosia pugioniformis
Family: AIZOACEAE
Common name: gansies

Plant Description

Beautiful groundcover to add in any garden.

Conicosia pugioniformis is a succulent groundcover that has narrow green leaves. It grows as high as 40cm with a thick taproot and trailing branches with long, triangular angled leaves. The flowers appear between September and November, and they are large, yellow, and beautiful. 

This special plant is called conicosia. The word derives from the Greek word konikos, which refers to the conical shape of the capsule. Pugioniformis refers to the shape of the leaves, which are dagger-shaped.

Growing and maintenance of Conicosia pugioniformis

The plant grows on sandy flats, mostly on the coasts, Namaqualand and the Eastern Cape. It thrives in full sun and can be planted in water-wise, coastal gardens and rockeries. Additionally, it can be used to stabilize the soil. It attracts bees, beetles and other insects.

Propagate from seeds sown in late autumn or early winter.

• Collect seeds when they are ripe.
• Place seeds in a seedling tray filled with a well-drained medium such as sand.
• Spread compost or sand lightly over seeds.
• Seeds must be placed in a room with enough light until germination takes place.
• They normally germinate in two to three weeks.
• Once true leaves begin to appear, pot seedlings into moist but well-draining soil.

Useful plants

 

Propagating Osteospermum moniliferum

Bietou is a rounded shrub with small clusters of radiate, yellow flowerheads in autumn and winter. It grows up to 1.5 m and has grey to green toothed leaves that are sparsely woolly on the young parts. It produces fleshy, edible green fruits that turn purple-black when ripe.

Osteospermum moniliferum

Scientific name: Osteospermum moniliferum

Family: ASTERACEAE

Common name: bietou

Plant Description 

Bietou is a rounded shrub with small clusters of radiate, yellow flowerheads in autumn and winter. It grows up to 1.5 m and has grey to green toothed leaves that are sparsely woolly on the young parts. It produces fleshy, edible green fruits that turn purple-black when ripe.

Osteospermum is derived from the Greek osteon meaning bone and sperma means seed referring to the hard fruits. Moniliferum means 'bearing a necklace referring to the shiny, fleshy fruits arranged in a ring on the margins of the daisy flowers.

Growing and maintenance of Osteospermum moniliferum

O. moniliferum is a pioneer plant often appearing after fires. It grows well in full sun and well-drained soil such as sandy soil. Use it to stabilise dunes and as a temporary filler. Plant in a water-wise, fynbos, strandveld and coastal garden as it is drought and wind tolerant. It is ideal for small and large gardens. Water moderately and prune back after flowering to keep it tidy. It invites a diversity of birds, butterflies, honeybees and insects. 

Propagate from cuttings and seeds sown in spring.

Seeds

• Collect seeds from ripe fruits and remove fleshy parts of the fruit leaving the hard seed.
• Sow seeds in spring.
• Place seeds in a seedling tray with a well-drained medium such as sand or river sand well-decomposed pine bark and sow 1 cm deep.
• Cover seeds lightly with soil and keep moist.
•  Seeds must be placed in a room with enough light until germination takes place. 
• Seeds usually germinate within six to eight weeks.

Cuttings

• Take cuttings early cool hours of the day.
• Take 20-30 mm long heel or stem cuttings from semi-hardwood, from healthy plants.
• Remove the leaves from the lower third of the cutting.
• Dip cuttings into a rooting hormone and place into a tray filled with 50% milled pine bark and 50% perlite.
• Place the trays in a propagation unit with overhead mist and bottom heating.
• Once the cuttings are rooted, pot them up in 1-litre plastic bags. 
• Young cuttings must be watered well and kept under shade for about three to four weeks until hardened off, which after, they should be grown in full sunlight.

References

Goldblatt, P & Manning J.C. 2000. Cape plants: A Conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. National Botanical Institute. Cape Town and Missouri Botanical Garden.

Joffe, P. 2003. Easy Guide to Indigenous Shrubs. Briza Publications, Pretoria.

Manning, J. 2007. Field Guide to Fynbos, Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town.

van Jaarsveld, A. 2001. Osteospermum moniliferum. PlantZAfrica.com. Online http://pza.sanbi.org/osteospermum-moniliferum.