Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii

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Tylecodon wallichii (Harv.) Toelken. subsp. wallichii

Family: Crassulaceae

Common names: pegleg butterbush, quiver bush (Eng.); kokerbos, kandelaarbos, krimpsiektebos, krimpsiekkandelaar, nenta, bandjiesbos, tnjoemsganna, koni-ganna, karkeibos, poppebos (Afr.)

View other plants in this family View other plants in this genus

Introduction

A succulent shrub with thick, knobby branches and many nodding, pale greenish-yellow flowers on long stems in early summer. It is widely spread in dry, winter-rainfall parts of the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape of South Africa. Its unusual spiky stems and attractive, upright habit make it a striking ornamental plant, best suited to dry gardens or containers.

Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii in flower. Photo Alexey Yakovlev

Description

Description

Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii is a deciduous, succulent shrub about 600 mm tall, with sparse and thick branches. The stem is grey-green to grey-brown and is covered with knobby outgrowths; these are phyllopodia, which are old, hardened, elongated leaf scars left on the stem after the leaf drops off. The size of the phyllopodia varies greatly. The leaves are yellowish to grey-green, up to 150 mm long, cylindrical, thin and narrow, erect and crowded at the tip of the branch.

Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii stems. Photos Tony Rebelo

These plants flower in early summer, producing a cluster of nodding yellowish-green flowers on short stalks at the tip of a long peduncle, 300 to 600 mm in length. The flowers are about 10 mm long, cylindrical to urn shaped with recurved or recoiled lobes.

Inflorescence of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii. Photos Alexey Yakovlev

Tylecodon wallichii has a twin species named T. cacaliodes and they are almost impossible to differentiate in the vegetative stage, but they can be told apart by their flowers: those of T. wallichii are considerably shorter and on the inside of their corolla tubes there are glandular hairs.

Conservation Status

Status

According to the Red List of South African Plants, Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii is not threatened or endangered and is therefore listed as Least Concern (LC). Because the plants are toxic to grazing animals, they are often removed by farmers and although the full extent of the ecological consequences of this practice are unkown, it could cause the species to become threatened in future.

Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii in habitat. Photo Tony Rebelo

Distribution and habitat

Distribution description

Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii is a South African endemic plant, found in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape. This plant grows naturally in the sandy and gravelly soils of Namaqualand, the Great and Little Karoo, from near Kamieskroon to near Oudtshoorn, on mountain tops, rocky ridges, stony flats and on lower lying slopes. This plant flourishes in a winter-rainfall climate, where they experience hot dry summers and cold frosty winters. These plants are drought-tolerant and can survive a period of time without water.

Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii in habitat. Photo Alexey Yakovlev

Derivation of name and historical aspects

History

In the past, all the plants in this genus were placed under the genus Cotyledon, but this was changed in 1978 by taxonomist Helmut Toelken. He moved all the deciduous plants and plants with a spiral leaf arrangement to a new genus, Tylecodon. The name Tylecodon is an anagram (word formed by rearranging letters of another word) of Cotyledon. Tylecodon currently has 46 species, making it the second largest genus in the Crassulaceae family. Most species are endemic to southern Africa and occur in the dry regions of South Africa and Namibia.

The specific epithet wallichii is in tribute to Nathaniel Wallich (1785-1854), who was a Danish surgeon and botanist. Nathaniel Wallich played a big role in the development of the Calcutta Botanical Garden. He collected numerous botanical specimens in Asia and South Africa, which led to the development of a large herbarium collection that was distributed to herbaria in Europe.

Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii in leaf. Photos Alexey Yakovlev

Ecology

Ecology

Tylecodon flowers attract and are pollinated by the long-proboscis horsefly (Masarina tylecodoni), sunbirds (long-billed nectar-feeding birds), and long-tongued pollen wasps.

Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii is deciduous during the dry summer months, when it drops its leaves. New leaves appear in autumn, at the start of the rainy winter growing season. The leaves are dry when it flowers in early summer. Its fleshy stems allow it to thrive in arid regions and survive long periods of drought.

Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii has formed hybrids with T. wallichii subsp. ecklonianus, T. paniculatus and T. cacalioides, which is a result of how closely they grow in their natural habitat.

Flower of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii. Photos Danie Palm

Uses

Use

Plants in this genus, including T.wallichii are poisonous to livestock, causing a disease called Cotyledonosis or Krimpsiekte which affects the digestive system of the animal. The plants contain cotyledoside, a neurotoxin that attacks the nervous system, leading to paralysis and death. The leaves and stems of the plants are poisonous when eaten, and it is not recommended that people with livestock, pets or children grow this plant.

The leaves are warmed and used as a poultice, plaster or compress to treat blisters, wounds and boils, and pounded stem is used to treat whitlow finger.

Tyledodon wallichii can be grown as a pot plant, planted in a waterwise rockery garden and used in xeriscaping. Its upright habit and thick stems give it the appearance of a succulent bonsai.

Tylecodon wallichii in Kirstenbosch. Photos Alice Notten

Growing Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii

Grow

Tylecodon wallichii is easy to grow and can be propagated through both seeds and cuttings. The best time to sow seeds and make cuttings is in autumn. This gives the plant a full winter to develop before dormancy. Seeds are ready to be sown when they are harvested. Sow these tiny seeds uncovered, in a layer of coarse sand, on top of potting soil suitable for succulent plants that must be well-drained (e.g. with added river sand). The seeds germinate easily, in just 8 weeks you can start to see the first leaf above ground although in will take 10-20 years for the plant to reach maturity. Cuttings must be planted in well-drained soil. Please water the plant consistently before the roots form.

Grow Tylecodon wallichii in full sun, in well-drained, sandy or sandy loam soil. Plants grow in winter and are dormant in summer. Water moderately in winter and reduce watering in spring. During dormancy (in summer), it needs little or no water. Overwatering or poor drainage will cause the plant to rot.

References

  • Botha, C.J. & Van Wyk, A.E. 2022. What is in a name? Scientific name changes of potentially poisonous plants and fungi in South Africa. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 93(2): 1-6. https://dx.doi.org/10.36303/JSAVA.160.
  • Cheeke, P.R. 1989. Toxicants of plant origin, Volume II, Glycosides. CRC Press, USA.
  • Court, D. 1981. Succulent flora of southern Africa. Balkema, Cape Town.
  • Eggli, U. (ed.) 2003. Illustrated handbook of succulent plants: Crassulaceae. Springer, Berlin.
  • Gess, R. 2001. Tylecodon cacaloides and a long-proboscid horse-fly. Veld & Flora 87(3):1271. Available at http://pza.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/info_library/tylecodon_cacalioides_pdf.pdf.
  • Gess, S. et al. 1998. Birds, wasps and tylecodons: pollination strategies of two members of the genus Tylecodon in Namaqualand. Veld & Flora 84: 56-57. Available at http://pza.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/info_library/tylecodon.pdf.
  • Glavich, T. 2017. Beginner’s guide to the smaller Tylecodon. Cactus and Succulent Journal 89(1): 34-37.
  • Harvey, W.H. & Sonder, O.W. 1861-1862. Flora Capensis: Being a Systematic Description of the Plants of the Cape Colony, Caffraria and Port Natal, and Neighbouring Territories. Hodges, Smith and Co., Dublin.
  • LLIFLE. Encyclopedia of succulents. Tylecodon wallichii (Harv.) Toelken. http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Crassulaceae/17349/Tylecodon_wallichii. Accessed 05/07/2022.
  • Manning, J. 2009. Field guide to wild flowers of South Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town.
  • Nortje, J.M. 2011. Medical ethnobotany of the Kamiesberg, Namaqualand, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Dissertation for Master of Science in Botany, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Oliver, I. & Reynolds, Y. 2002. Tylecodon paniculatus (L.f.) Tölken. (Crassulaceae). PlantZAfrica. Online. http://pza.sanbi.org/tylecodon-paniculatus.
  • Palm, D. 2021-12-19. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii, Breede Valley Municipality, WC. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103296335.
  • Palm, D. 2021-12-22. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii, Breede Valley Municipality, WC. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103473778.
  • Plug, C. 2021. Wallich, Dr Nathaniel (botany). S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. Online. https://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=3033.
  • Raimondo, D., Von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. & Manyama, P.A. (eds) 2009. Red list of South African plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
  • Rebelo, T. 2012-04-27. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii. Tankwa Karoo National Park, Northern Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10816833.
  • Rebelo, T. 2012-08-10. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii. Tankwa Karoo National Park, Northern Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10847440.
  • Rebelo, T. 2015-09-24. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii. Hammelhoek-á Game Farm, Northern Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11120788.
  • San Marcos Growers online. Tylecodon wallichii - Pegleg butterbush. https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=4642. Accessed 06/07/2022.
  • Smith, G.F., Crouch, N.R. & Figueiredo, E. 2017. Field guide to succulents in southern Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town.
  • Tölken, H. 1977. New taxa and a new combination in the genus Cotyledon. Bothalia, 12(2):191-194.
  • Tölken, H.R. 1985. Crassulaceae. Flora of Southern Africa 14: 1–229.
  • Vleggaar, R. et al. 1997. Krimpsiekte, associated with thalamic lesions, induced by the neurotoxic cardiac glycoside, cotyledoside, isolated from Tylecodon wallichii subsp. wallichii. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 64:189-194.
  • World of Succulents. Tylecodon wallichii (Pegleg butterbush). https://worldofsucculents.com/tylecodon-wallichii-pegleg-butterbush/. Accessed 06/07/2022.
  • World of Succulents, Succulentopedia. How to grow and care for Tylecodon. https://worldofsucculents.com/grow-care-tylecodon/. Accessed on 10 Jul. 2019.
  • Yakovlev A. 2017-09-10. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii, Nieuwoudtville Waterfall, Northern Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/143993923.
  • Yakovlev A. 2021-12-13. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106967014.
  • Yakovlev A. 2021-12-14. Observation of Tylecodon wallichii ssp. wallichii, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape. iNaturalist. Online. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/106880996.

Credits

Zamasodi Mkhungo
Pretoria National Botanical Garden
and Lufuno Nenungwi & Matetoane Bontle
Free State National Botanical Garden
July 2023

Acknowledgements: the authors give thanks and acknowledgement to Tony Rebelo, Danie Palm and Alexey Yakovlev for allowing the use of their beautiful pictures.

Plant Attributes:

Plant Type: Shrub, Succulent

SA Distribution: Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape

Soil type: Sandy, Loam

Flowering season: Early Summer

PH: Acid, Neutral

Flower colour: Green, Yellow

Aspect: Full Sun

Gardening skill: Easy

Special Features:

Drought resistant
Feature plant
Good potplant
Poisonous
Medical plant

Horticultural zones

Zone 2 Coastal winter rainfall, frost free

Zone 3 Winter rainfall Karoo, light frost