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Cephalophyllum pulchrum

Mesembs are plants in the Ice Plant Family (Aizoaceae), and quite a few of them come into flower in winter. This is very welcome in a garden setting, where splashes of bright color in winter are certainly desirable. At the Ruth Bancroft Garden, we have been trying out various species of Cephalophyllum, since plants in this genus are mostly from the western part of South Africa, where the winter rains match what we get here in California. The plant pictured is Cephalophyllum pulchrum, from the quartz fields near Vanrhynsdorp.

-Brian