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A fairly large growing green leaved species from the Atlas Mountains. It is the only species to stray beyond the bounds of Europe. Plants of the World online says: "The native range of this species is Morocco. It is a succulent perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. Alan Smith said: "This is the only representaive of the genus to be found in the African Continent; Great Atlas mountains of Morocco. When it was first collected in 1871 by J. D. Hooker, Maw and Ball, it was described as a variety or subspecies of S. tectorum, to which it only bears a superficial likeness. The rosettes are 4 to 8 cm. in diameter, suberect, often lop-sided and asymmetrical, pale green, flushed red when grown fully exposed to sun. The rosette leaves are pubescent on both faces and abruptly contracted at the tips. Offsets are produced freely on very short stolons so that the plant forms a regular hump of rosettes. Flower-stems are 15 to 25 cm. high, having the tendency to produce flower-buds in the upper leaf axils. Cauline leaves usually coloured bronze-red. Petals pale pink with a deep pink median band; filaments crimson, anthers dull green. The flowers are rarely produced under cultivation. Easy species to cultivata although not too hardy in the severest winters." |
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| 7th November 2008 | ||
