Ferraria variabilis

Quick Characteristics:

Ferraria variabilis Goldblatt & J.C.Manning was named in 2005 as a new species to include two previous taxa of Ferraria divaricata, Ferraria divaricata subsp. australis and Ferraria divaricata subsp. divaricata. This species is found on sandy and shale flats and rock outcrops from Namibia to the southern Cape and the Little Karoo. It is 6 to 20 cm tall, often branched just above the base. Leaves are sword shaped to linear, crowded basally, usually without midribs. Flowers last two to three days and are mostly pale to dull yellow to pale to middle brown or dull grey-blue. The limbs are dark brown to blackish purple at the base with scattered dark spots and darker or lighter margins. The claws are pale or dark streaked and the cup is 12 to 15 mm deep and usually slightly putrid smelling. The nectaries are basal and dark colored. The first three photos below were taken by Mary Sue Ittner and Cameron McMaster between Matjiesfontein and the Komsberg in the Roggeveld. The fourth picture was taken near Villiersdorp August 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner. The last photo was taken by Pamela Slate of plants offered from BX 185 that were originally grown from seed labeled Ferraria divaricata. Mary Sue Ittner was unable to get her plants to bloom in Northern California so offered them to the BX in October 2008. They bloomed for the first time for Pamela (in warmer Arizona) in April 2011.

The first two photos below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller at the Karoo Desert NBG in South Africa in 2003. The third picture was taken by Alan Horstmann. The fourth picture was taken by Rod Saunders. The last photo from the book Plants of the Klein Karoo courtesy of Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok.

Namaqualand photos 1-2 taken near Springbok by Andrew Harvie. Photos 3-4 taken by Cameron McMaster near Knersvlakte September 2011.

Photos taken near Nieuwoudtville by Andrew Harvie.