Trichodiadema barbatum is succulent plant of the genus Trichodiadema, native to the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Description

A small, gracile, erect-to-decumbent plant, with long, slender, fragile, stick-like branches. The internodes are minutely papillate; On young branches the internodes are green, becoming grey on older branches.

Trichodiadema barbatum

The grey-green leaves are slightly triangular in cross-section, and have large bladder cells on their leaf-surface. Bristles (5-7) emerge from the dark tip of the leaf.

Trichodiadema barbatum

The solitary, bright pink-to-purple flowers are born on long pedicels. They have petals with slightly notched apices, small pale filamentous staminodes, and yellow anthers.

Trichodiadema barbatum

The fruit capsule is 5-locular, like that of Trichodiadema burgeri (but unlike some other species in the genus, such as Trichodiadema densum and Trichodiadema marlothii.

It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

References

barbatum

Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces

Plants described in 1926