Synonyms:

Cotyledon cuneata
Cotyledon deasii
Cotyledon pillansii

Habitat:

Cotyledon undulata is native to Cape Provinces

Description:

Cotyledon undulata is a perennial succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant has a branched habit and reach up to 70 cm in height. The plant is stemless and forms a dense rosette of leaves. The leaves are fleshy, flat, obovate, tipped at the apex, greyish green tot bluish green in color covered with a white pruina that gives the plant a dusty appearance. The wavy margins of the leaves make this plant unique and very suitable for decorations and compositions. Blooming occurs from the early spring to the late summer but the plant does not produce flowers before three years of age.

Cultivation:

The plant has a slow growth rate but it is easy to cultivate. The best sun-exposure is in bright place but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. Long exposure to direct sun-light can cause burns and burnt spots. The maximum resistance to cold is 7 °C so it is recommended not to expose the plant to lower temperatures. Too low temperatures can cause the stem or leaves to break due to water freezing inside the tissues. Temperatures between 10 and 15 °C allow the plants to enter vegetative rest which is essential for the flowering of the following year. Plants should not be placed inside the house where average temperatures of 20 degrees prevent vegetative rest. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. The pumice should always be placed on the bottom of the pot. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering is very important for this species and should be done well. During the vegetative period you can water the plant every 5 days with half a glass of water, checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. Decrease the amount of water if the plant is kept indoors or if the pot is smaller than 12 cm. The plant is used to growing in poor soils, for this reason it does not need abundant fertilization, it is sufficient to fertilize once in spring and once in summer. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil; it is usually done every 3-4 years. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. It is advisable to use rooting hormone at the base of the cut to energize root development. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

Their name comes from the typical shape of a spoon of its leaves, from the Greek word kòtile (cavity) because of its leaves with a hollowed shape. It has got the same root as the word “cotyledons”, used in botany to indicate the two halves of the same seed or legume. The specific epithet “undualata” refers to the wavy margins of the leaves.

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