Orbea carnosa (Stent) Bruyns
subsp. keithii (R.A. Dyer) Bruyns

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Photo: Martin Heigan

Photo: Ton Rulkens
Namaacha district, Maputo province

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Synonyms:	Caralluma forsteri Pillans Caralluma keithii R.A. Dyer Caralluma schweickerdtii Oberm. Ceropegia keithii (R.A. Dyer) Bruyns Pachycymbium keithii (R.A. Dyer) L.C. Leach Pachycymbium lancasteri Lavranos
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Dwarf succulent perennial forming clumps 6-50 cm in diameter, connected by horizontal rhizomes. Stems 4-15 cm long, erect to spreading, grey-green, sometimes mottled with red or purple. Inflorescences up to 6 per stem, 1-3-flowered. Corolla 10-20 mm in diameter, yellow or maroon to pale brown or maroon with irregular cream markings; lobes broadly triangular, 3-5 mm long and 6-8 mm broad at the base. Corona 3-4 mm tall and 4 mm in diameter.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	keithii: named after Donald Robert Keith (1896-1966) agriculturist in Swaziland who collected the type material.
Habitat:	In open stony ground or in shelter of shrubs in Mopane, Acacia or Brachystegia woodland. Occasionally on granite domes with Selaginella or Coleochloa.
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa.
Botswana distribution:	SE
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 26 October 2016
Literature:	Albers, F. & Meve, U. (eds.) (2002). Asclepiadaceae Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants Springer-Verlag Page 189. as Orbea carnosa (Includes a picture). Bruyns, P.V. (2002). Monograph of Orbea and Ballyanthus (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae-Ceropegieae) Systematic Botany Monographs 63 Pages 87 - 91. (Includes a picture). Bruyns, P.V. (2005). Stapeliads of Southern Africa and Madagascar Volume I Umdaus Press, Hatfield, South Africa Pages 249 - 253. (Includes a picture). Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 171. As Pachycymbium keithii Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Apocynaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Pages 214 - 215. Leach, L.C. (1978). A contribution towards a new classification of Stapelieae* (Asclepiadaceae) with a preliminary review of Orbea Haw. and descriptions of three new genera* Excelsa Taxonomic Series No. 1 Aloe, Cactus and Succulent Society of Zimbabwe Page 71. As vPachycymbium keithii Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 21.

Other sources of information about Orbea carnosa subsp. keithii:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: Orbea carnosa subsp. keithii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Orbea carnosa subsp. keithii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Orbea carnosa
African Plant Database: Orbea carnosa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Orbea carnosa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Orbea carnosa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Orbea carnosa
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iNaturalist: Orbea carnosa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Orbea carnosa
JSTOR Plant Science: Orbea carnosa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Orbea carnosa
Plants of the World Online: Orbea carnosa
Tropicos: Orbea carnosa
Wikipedia: Orbea carnosa