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A very prickly young plant. There is no flexibility at all in the leaves. It becomes much more upright as it matures. Plants of the World onine says: "The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Somalia. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome." Glasshouse Works say: "Cylindric grooved dangerously rigid leaves form a stiff fountain outline--appearance of a S. cylindrica becoming a trunked miniature tree. Handsome weapon. We have observed many varied plants under this name; our Kew Gardens clone remains distinct from any others we maintain --little agreement among "experts" can be expected on nomenclature." A note by Sebsebe Demissew in the entry for S. phillipsiae in the Flora of Somlia lays out the taxonomic situation and points out that the distinction between S. phillipsiae and S. gracilis has not yet been clearly resolved: "However, the relationship between this, S. phillipsiae and S. gracilis s. lat. obviously needs to be further studied." |
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| 11th April 2007 | ||
