Still usually seen in cultivation as Sarcocaulon crassicaule, the genus Monsonia has priority and is recognized by botanists as including the woody/succulent sarcocaulons as well as the usually herbaceous plants traditionally known as Monsonia. However, all share radially symmetrical, five-petalled flowers unlike the zygomorphic pelargoniums. M. crassicaulis is the most widespread of the woody, resinous-stemmed species that are known by the common name of “Bushman’s candle”. Should you ever find yourself in possession of a dead plant, you can set it alight with a match and see for yourself how long it burns. We offer seedlings of this natural bonsai with white flowers, native to the winter rainfall regions of the North and West Cape Provinces of South Africa and adjacent Namibia. HBG 126031, $7.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 88 (3), May-June, 2016