![]() There are no signs that Quaqua mammillaris is threatened by genetic erosion. The shape and mottling of the stems provide a nice camouflage. In spite of their size, the plants are not always very easy to find. (The only Quaqua that is occasionally bigger is Q. Corona 2.3 -3.0 mm diam., purple- or red-brown or purple-black becoming yellow towards base, raised on very short stipe outer lobes ☐.5-1.0 mm long, erect, shallowly to deeply bifid into erect deltoid lobules, laterally fused to bases of inner lobes to form deep pouch around guide-rails inner lobes ☐.5 mm long, adpressed to backs of and usually exceeding anthers, rectangular, truncate to emarginate, dorsiventrally flattened, with erect deltoid or truncate ridge-like or low and rounded dorsal projection in series with outer lobes. Habitat and ecology: Quaqua mammillaris occurs in most Karoo-Veld types, in rocky hills and on lower slopes of hills at 150-1100 m altitude. It is a robust species, forming shrubs of almost half a meter tall and even more in diameter. Corolla 8.0-28.5 mm diam., campanulate (rarely rotate) outside uniformly pale yellow to purple-red or maroon on lobes changing to pale green to white speckled with purple-brown towards base inside tube usually cream or white sometimes with bands of dark purple on white, mouth of tube and lobes speckled with purple-brown on yellow to uniformly dark purple-black, sometimes with upward-pointing bristles in mouth of tube and on base of lobes, otherwise glabrous and smooth tube 2.0-5.5 mm long and ± as broad at mouth, broadly to deeply cupular, corolla thickened around mouth lobes 6-15 mm long, 3.5 -4.5 mm broad at base, ascending to spreading, tapering from base to acute apex (rarely narrowing abruptly at apex to acute tip), folded longitudinally along middle so that upper surface often keeled. Known as the Aroena is a multi-branched plant with toothy (tuberculated) stems, the flowers are dark red to black and borne in clusters on the stems. Inflorescences of 3-10 ± simultaneously opening flowers towards apex of stem pedicel 1-2 mm long, 0.75-2.00 mm thick, ascending to spreading with flowers mainly facing horizontally sepals 1.5-2.5 mm long, 1 mm broad at base, pale green, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, adpressed to corolla. Synonyms: Quaqua mammillaris (L.) Bruyns Boucerosia mammillaris (L.) N.E.Br. The chance to see them in flower is very rare. Quaqua mammillaris is undoubtedly the most widespread species in South Africa, but the plants are often single, wide spaced and difficult to spot. Stems 50-200 mm long, 15-30 mm thick, decumbent, grey-green mottled with purple tubercles 3-15 mm long, deltoid, conical to laterally flattened, arranged loosely into 4-5 angles along stem (not always clearly into angles), each tipped with blunt to sharp grey to yellow and hardened tooth, mostly without stipules. There are no signs that Quaqua mammillaris is threatened by genetic erosion. ![]() or more, rooting freely near bases of side-branches. Succulent forming broad spreading clump up to 0.5 m diam.
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