Carruanthus ringens
Synonyms:
Bergeranthus caninus
Carruanthus caninus
Mesembryanthemum caninum
Mesembryanthemum ringens
Habitat:
Carruanthus ringens is native from South Africa, specifically in the boundary area between Eastern and Western Cape Province. It prefers shady escarpments or cracks among the rocks to develop.
Description:
Carruanthus ringens is a perennial succulent with fleshy roots. It’s a creepy, covering species which tend to form mats. Its leaves are hull-shaped, crowded, arranged in rosettes ,finely toothed (that’s probably the meaning of the species name’s synonym “caninus”. Its stems are very short-branched. Flowers are generally solitary or in pairs, with a diameter of 5 centimeters, yellow. They develop in late winter. Its fruits are capsules (“capsule” is a botanical term to design a specific kind of simple, dry, though rarely fleshy dehiscent fruit). Carruanthus ringens needs raindrops to disperse its seeds. When it rains, the capsule opens, so the raindrops can hit its interior parts and scatter the seeds, which are inside it.
Cultivation:
Carruanthus ringens prefers hot climates, but actually can survive to short frosts and can resist to temperatures until -4/-5ÂșC, if left in dry soil. Water them once every 4 days, waiting each time until the soil dries completely up before watering. The substrate shohuld be well-draining. This plant tend to remain small, so that repotting is necessary only in case of propagation. Put Carruanthus ringens in a sunny position, even if the plant is really adaptable and can survive easily also in semi-shaded or shaded spots.
Propagation:
Propagation is made through leaf cuttings. New plants develop extremely easily.
Curiosity:
The various species of Carruanthus grow spontaneously in a large area of Sothern Africa and in the islands, suc as Canary islands.