Petalidium cymbiforme is arguably among the most unique species in the entire genus. It seems clearly related to other species in the “southern clade”, yet still very different. It also has an extremely limited geographic distribution. I’d love to have been around for its (evolutionary) birth… is it really recent? Why isn’t it more widespread? And WHY isn’t someone cultivating this plant? One of just a few species in the genus with stark white flowers. Perhaps the most beautiful of all.

Wild collected, Namibia, Tripp et al. #2078 (RSA-POM); Photo by Erin Tripp