BRACHYSTELMA BUCHANANII

This member of the Asclepiadaceae* family was describe by Nicholas Edward Brown in 1908. It is found in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre and Zimbabwe, growing in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. The caudex can grow to eight centimetres, the branches from twelve to 30 centimetres length. The large flowers are yellow and dark brown.

The genera name from Greek; brachys meaning 'short', and stelma means 'crown, garland, wreath'; alluding to the short staminal corona of some species. The species is named after John Buchanan, 1819 – 1898, a New Zealand botanist and scientific artist. *)Accordantly to the latest taxonomic system; APG IV 2016, Asclepiadaceae is now part of the Apocynaceae.