Cyphia digitata
Mary Sue Ittner (Fri, 23 May 2008 16:47:01 PDT)

Manning and Goldblatt's Cape Plants describe it as a twining tuberous
perennial. This books says it has a wide distribution from Namaqualand and
the Western Karoo to Port Elizabeth where is grows on sandstone and clay
slopes (habitats I'd expect more likely than grassland for some of those
areas) so must grow in some areas where there is very little rainfall and
that mostly coming in the winter months although those growing in Port
Elizabeth would have different conditions. I looked up some other species
in my Namaqualand field guide and they were described as deciduous
perennials growing from a tuber. Our group never will reach consensus about
what is appropriate for discussion or probably even what is a geophyte and
the leadership has erred on the side of being inclusive and has allowed
pictures of plants with tubers, corms, bulbs, rhizomes, even tuberous roots
to be added to the wiki. Certainly other plants that have a dormancy period
and grow from a tuber are considered geophytes. In nature given where it
grows there would be little to no moisture. Does anyone else grow it who
could offer an opinion about the care it needs in summer to thrive?

Mary Sue