Less commonly grown than A. obesum, A. boehmianum nevertheless has some of the most beautiful flowers of the genus. They are 5 cm. (2") or more across, nearly circular in outline with broad, rounded, pink petals spreading perpendicular to the darker red-violet to maroon throat. It is more pachycaulous than caudiciform but under certain conditions (heavy grazing) or training in cultivation it can produce a cuadex. Slightly succulent branches bear terminal rosettes of a few large, leathery leaves, among the largest in the genus, to 15 cm (6") long and half as wide. The species is also notable for being one of the hardiest, along with A. swazicum, tolerant of several degrees of frost. It is native to the summer rainfall areas of northern Namibia and southern Angola. Like its Namibian compatriot Cyphostemma juttae, it tends to begin growth late in the spring or early summer and continues into autumn and can bear flowers for much of the latter part of the growing season. We offer HBG 108134, from seed set on a large specimen growing in Inge Pehlemann's garden in Windhoek, Namibia. $7.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 86 (2), March - April, 2014