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C. nielsii. Photo © Jacquie Koutsoudis
Cotyledon nielsii has only been described in 2021 in Bradleya , but was first discovered by Niels Jacobsen in 1967. The plant has been named after its finder.
It is a small shrub approx. 50cm high with dark green, hairy and leathery leaves who have distinct petioles. Only one other Cotyledon has petioles, C. petiolaris. However C. nielsii can be distinghuished from the latter by its longer petioles and distinct flowers.
C. nielsii leaves have a prominent petiole and a wavy margin
Photo © Jacquie Koutsoudis
Plant shape
Plant shape
C. nielsii is an ascending small shrub up to 50cm, exceptionally taller.
The leaves are oval and flat in shape. Both sides are hairy. The leaf margin is wavy and has a red hard edge. Their base colour is dark green to olive green.
They have a petiole of 1.5cm, so bigger than C. petiolaris.
C. nielsii flowers.
Photo © Jacquie Koutsoudis
Flowers
Flowers
The inflorescence is erect and up to 20cm long and ends in a branched thyrse. The flowers are hairy on the outside and orange-red with a pale green base colour.
The calyx lobes are triangular, 2mm long, green and hairy.
The corolla tube is rather short and about 1cm long while the corollla lobes are an additional 1.1cm. The lobes are recurved. The colour is orange-red.
Variability
Variability
C. petiolaris does not have any described variety.
Where
Where
C. nielsii occurs only on two locations on cliffs west of Durban, Kwazulu-Natal.
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