Fockea EDULIS

Fockea EDULIS - Hottentot bread, Edible fockea, Fockea edulis.

Fockea is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, family Apocynaceae, comprising 6 species endemic to the arid regions of Southern and Eastern Africa. Most species are shrubs or semi-shrubs with climbing shoots and a characteristic swollen underground or semi-underground stem base - a caudex.

In nature, the caudex serves as a reservoir for water storage and in old specimens can reach impressive dimensions - up to half a meter (20 in) and more across. The shoots are thin, flexible, climbing onto surrounding vegetation; the leaves are opposite, lanceolate to elliptical, often with a wavy margin.

The flowers are small, star-shaped, grayish-green or yellowish-brown, with five petals, possessing a faint but pleasant aroma, and are pollinated by flies. The fruits are dry horned follicles; the seeds are equipped with a silky tuft and are dispersed by the wind.

Fockea edulis is a deciduous semi-shrub from the dry regions of Namibia and South Africa, forming a large semi-underground caudex up to 60 cm (24 in) in diameter, from which thin twining shoots up to several meters (several feet) long arise. In indoor cultivation, during repotting the caudex is gradually raised above the soil, and it becomes the main ornament of the plant.

The bark of the caudex is grayish-green, coarsening with age and becoming covered with tubercles. The stems are thin, twining, growing to a considerable length over the season and requiring staking. Flowering in indoor culture is infrequent; the flowers are small, about 1.5 cm (0.6 in), greenish, with a pleasant aroma.

Fockea seeds are flat, brown, equipped with a tuft of silky hairs for wind dispersal, and ripen in dry pod-like fruits. Before sowing, the hairs are carefully removed so they do not interfere with seed contact with the soil.

The seeds are held for 1-2 hours in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, then soaked for 12-24 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. Then they are sown into a loose mineral substrate to a depth roughly equal to the seed thickness, moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film or glass, or placed in a greenhouse, and germinated in warmth at 25-30 °C (77-86 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first seedlings appear within 1-2 weeks; the main germination is usually completed within a month, while individual seeds may delay longer. Sowings are aired daily; both waterlogging and drying out are unacceptable. Pricking out is carried out after the formation of several true leaves, into individual pots, with thickening at the base of the stem beginning to form already in young seedlings.

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Fockea needs a very bright spot, ideally a south-facing window. Shading is required only for the caudex itself on hot sunny days: unaccustomed to direct sun, it dries out and cracks. In nature, plants occur both in full sun and under the cover of shrubs.

In summer, the plant tolerates normal room temperature and heat well. In winter, a dormant period is necessary with dry conditions and a temperature of 8-10 °C (46-50 °F), while some Fockea species drop their leaves during dormancy.

Watering is moderate; the substrate should dry out thoroughly between waterings. In winter, with low light and reduced temperatures, watering is almost ceased, giving water sparingly about once a month. The plant responds well to misting the leaves, but water should not run down the caudex.

The substrate should be loose, permeable, and well-drained, with an acidity close to neutral or slightly alkaline. Ready-made cactus soil with the addition of fine gravel, coarse sand, or zeolite is suitable. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizing is carried out during the growth period, from March to August, every 2-3 weeks with cactus fertilizer. Regular fertilizer for indoor plants is also suitable, but it should be diluted to half the recommended dose.

Repotting is performed in spring, annually, while earthing up the lower part of the caudex. Long shoots are tied to a support or shortened. Cuttings are possible, but rooted cuttings do not form a caudex, so caudex plants are grown only from seed.