Tylecodon ectypus started off as a mystery plant of which the origin was unknown. The plant appeared as a photograph on the internet in 2015, which immediately attracted attention because of its distinctness. The hairy leaves (up to 3) were rounded with thick veins on the upper surface, which reminded of T. singularis, a species that is only known from dolomite formations on the Hunsberg in southern Namibia. The new plant’s floral features however were very different to those found in T. singularis. The inflorescence and flowers were much smaller and clearly showed traits of belonging to a group of tuberous rooted species in Namaqualand. Clearly it was new and nothing was known of its origin. Before a species can be named, live plants or herbarium specimens must be studied from a known location.

It was only later, when plants were confiscated from a couple with a succulent nursery who were collecting plants in the Steinkopf district of Namaqualand, and ended up at the Karoo National Botanical Garden in Worcester, that the mystery became clearer, but still no one knew where the plant grew in the Steinkopf district.

Young, intrepid ecology student, Florent Grenier, while studying the pollination ecology of Pelargonium and various species in the Iridaceae, rediscovered this species on cliffs in the upper reaches of a deep gorge south of Steinkopf. He subsequently accompanied the author to the site, where the plant was studied and photographed in habitat. The author later revisited the site whilst the plants were in flower. Flowering material was provided to botanical artist, Marieta Visagie, who completed the illustration (see Fig. 1). The species was then jointly written up for Haseltonia, yearbook of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, in 2020 (Van Jaarsveld & Grenier 2020).

The specific epithet ectypus, meaning ‘embossed’ or ‘in relief’, pertains to its leaves which have a metallic appearance especially the orange copper tints in late spring. In 1925, N.E. Brown described Conophytum ectypus which has a similar decorative leaf texture and also occurs in the same region.

Fig. 4. Tylecodon ectypus in a ceramic container in cultivation at Babylonstoren Farm in late spring, note the bulging veins and change in leaf colour.

Tylecodon ectypus has several features which are unique: the candelabriform branching of the inflorescence and the U-shaped inflorescence branches. Tylecodon ectypus is most closely related to Tylecodon atropurpureus, also growing in the same region but with large, elongated tubers, different leaves, different inflorescence and dark purple flowers (Van Jaarsveld & Koutnik).

Tylecodon is a genus of about 50 species. Prior to 1978, all species of Tylecodon were treated as belonging in the genus Cotyledon, a group of succulents widespread in Africa (Toelken 1978). Helmut Toelken, from the University of Cape Town, erected the genus Tylecodon for all the species with leaves which are spirally arranged, with a winter growing season that become deciduous towards the summer when they flower (Toelken 1978). The flowers of Tylecodon are also smaller than those of Cotyledon and most are pollinated by insects. Tylecodon is an anagram of Cotyledon. Presently there are more or less 50 named Tylecodon species occurring mainly in South Africa and southwestern Namibia. They are very variable in growth form, from large thickset shrubs like the Tylecodon paniculatus (botterboom) to about 2.5 m tall, to tiny geophytes such as T. occultans, T. schaeferianus and T. similis, only a few centimetres high. A few species are scandent shrubs from a tuberous rootstock, such as T. kritzingeri, T. tribblii and T. scandens. Cotyledon is easily distinguished by being evergreen, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs and large, colourful, bell-shaped flowers that are pollinated by birds, the best known being C. orbiculata.