Although these wild-growing Stapeliads, Huernia loesneriana look quite ruined, this little colony is just waiting for the rains to begin and they will begin growing again. Last year, the pictures of the colony looked much the same at the end of winter and fire season but a few months later, the stems were green and flowering
Last summer I found a single loose stem next to the colony, probably scratched out by the guinea fowl that roam the hill and I brought it home and rooted it and it made quite a few more stems. I don't water most stapeliads during winter, except for the species that come from the areas which have a mediterranean climate so the colours are still quite dark but they are waking up now and I noticed that the stems will flower this season too
Look carefully on the left-hand stem, you'll see a flower bud there. The bud on the right is a new stem
You can see the difference more clearly on this plant, Huernia hystrix, on the left, there's a flower bud above and below there's a new stem
Huernia hystrix or Porcupine Huernia is a very similar species that grows wild close to the area where I live and gets its name from the whitened spiky leaves and the flowers are much more spectacular than that of H. loesneriana and it's found in many collections worldwide. I'm happy to grow both outside in pots. (