The UN-Delospermas...

Stomatium agninum Giant Form

While Delosperma has gone and become a household name, practically, sold in box stores and practically on every street corner, there is another large genus of ice plants--one that is largely restricted to the colder parts of the karoo--most of the species of which are very old tolerant. This is the genus Stomatium...which suffers a tremendous inferiority complex. For one thing almost all Stomatiums are yellow (except for a few white ones that can be pinkish). Pretty much the same shade of butter yellow to boot. Then there's the problem that their flowers open only at night. These are clumpers--not big mats like so many Delosperma. although these clumps are incredibly variable in their shape and the toothing of the leaves. Worth growing for that alone. And their flowers often smell like Juicy Fruit gum. I kid you not! I obtained the one above from the Huntington botanic garden, where it grows liberally. I find it to be one of the hardiest mesembs. Those leaves are BIG!
 

Stomatium NOT mustellnum ex Naude's Nek E.C.  (probably S. gerstneri)

I'm not sure how this got the wrong name. I'm quite sure it's S. gerstneri. If possible, it's even hardier than the LAST species. John Lavranos collected this on Naude's Nek in the East Cape, where I have seen it subsequently. It makes some of the biggest and densest clumps in the genus                                                                                                                              

Stomatium NOT mustellnum ex Naude's Nek E.C. (probably S. gerstneri)

And here it is in bloom!

Stomatium lesliei

This was a real stunner: was being the operative word--it wasn't hardy where I grew it. I'd like to try it again in my crevice garden. I was surprised that I-Naturalist had no records of this species...

I think this is the same as the Stomatium in the next picture...a pretty tough one I lost the data for. This reminds me a bit of Faucaria--Tiger jaws. Only smaller--how's "Kitten jaws" for a common name?

Kitten-jaws in bloom. I can almost smell the Juicy-fruit fragrance

The next six pictures I took over the three extraordinary August/September visits I took to South Africa in 2022, 2023 and 2024. I wish I had gone in 2025! The areas we traversed were at the margins of the genus' main distribution in the Great Karoo: how I would love to see them there! Localities and dates I took them are shown next to the names. 

Stomatium difforme Laingsburg to Calipzdorp

Stomatium mustellinum ("pyrodorum")Akkerendam Calvinia 

Stomatium mustellinum ("Stomatium pyrodorum' Calvinia nat. res. 08-30-2022

Stomatium sp. Laingsburg 09-14-2023 

Stomatium suaveolens Dankbar dam 09-13-2023

Stomatium villetii Dankbar dam 09-13-2023 

And now I have a sad tale to tell: Stomatium grew in Denver Gardens long before anyone know anything about Delosperma. There was a remarkable Danish perennial grower named Alf Jensen who had greenhouses in Arvada just south of where Ward Road abuts into 44th Avenue near the great curve of I-70. For decades he was the only source of unusual perennials--especially alpines--I remember how he would bring long wooden crates filled with hundreds of tiny clay pots full of Campanula portenshlagiana or Globularia or Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Tiny Rubies' or one of dozens of other treasures to our sale, and sell them pots and all. I'm sure he bought the pots by the thousand from Colorado Clay works back when they actually were a factory that made pots. No fancy soil-less mixes back then--Alf used SOIL! And boy, did his plants grow. His real love, however, was succulents. He had hundreds--probably thousands, in some of his greenhouses. I heard the people who bought his property (some time in the mid 1980's I believe) when he retired were selling off his plants, so I went and was shocked to see huge specimen aloes, and all manner of beautifully grown tender cacti selling for pennies on the dollar. I was sorry I never got to visit while the nursery was active. I heard he had an enormous Yucca brevifolia var. jaegeriana he grew in his garden that he transplanted to Canyon City when he sold his home and nursery. I've always wonder if it made it.

And apparently he grew other succulents in the ground including Stomatium fulleri. He's sold this to a volunteer at DBG who told me about it--she'd been growing it in her garden in Littleton for years. For years before I ever saw a Delosperma or dreamed how this Family (Aizoaceae) would utterly transform my life. I'm embarrassed to relate that when she told me that I didn't believe her....

But Alf was still selling plants, and I got one and grew it in my parents garden before I had my own. She was right--it was hardy. I need to get it again--and apologize to her now that I think of it!