Adromischus hemisphaericus

Adromischus hemisphaericus is a perennial, succulent plant in the Crassulaceae family. It is commonly called Brosplakkies (brittle patches). The species is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa.

Adromischus hemisphaericus
Adromischus hemisphaericus in situ
Adromischus hemisphaericus flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Adromischus
Species:	A. hemisphaericus
Binomial name
Adromischus hemisphaericus (L.) Lemaire, 1852
Adromischus hemisphaericus distribution
Synonyms
Cotyledon hemisphaerica L. in Sp. Pl.: 429 (1753) Sedum hemisphaericum (L.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 85 (1898) Adromischus rhombifolius (Haw.) Lem. in Jard. FIeur. 2(Misc.): 60 (1852) Adromischus rotundifolius (Haw.) C.A.Sm. in Bothalia 3: 627 (1939) Cotyledon crassifolia (Salisb.) in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 307 (1796) Cotyledon rhombifolia (Haw.) in Philos. Mag. J. 67: 33 (1825) Cotyledon rhombifolia (Eckl.) & Zeyh. in Enum. Pl. Afric. Austral.: 307 (1837) Cotyledon rotundifolia (Haw.) in Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem. 1827: 273 (1827) Cotyledon rotundifolia (Eckl.) & Zeyh. in Enum. Pl. Afric. Austral.: 307 (1837) Echeveria rhombifolia (Haw.) Ed.Otto in Hamburger Garten- Blumenzeitung 39: 9 (1873)

Description

Adromischus hemisphaericus is a small, decumbent, branching plant which tends to vary in its habit. The grey branches mature with peeling bark and reach 8 mm in diameter. Young branches are purplish-green and mature to grey. The leaves, grey with purple spots, can flake with wax. They are mostly flat and ovate, with slightly convex upper and lower faces, and can reach 3.5 cm long and 2.4 cm wide. Mid-summer brings inflorescences reaching 25 cm tall with many tubular flowers. The greenish-brown sepals are topped with triangular, light pink petals.^[1]

Etymology

The genus name, Adromischus, comes from Greek, Adro- meaning 'thick' and -mischus meaning 'stem'. ^[2] The species name, hemisphaericus, means 'hemispherical' in Latin, an epithet for its leaf shape.^[3]

Distribution

Adromischus hemisphaericus is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa.^[1] Populations occur on the Cape Peninsula, and sparsely east of the Hottentots Holland Mountains, and from Caledon to Worcester.^[4]