Bijlia CANA

Bijlia CANA - Prince Albert vygie, Bijlia cana, Bijlia dilatata, Cylindrophyllum tugwelliae.

'Living stones' seed series.

Bijlia is a tiny genus of highly succulent plants in the ice plant family (Aizoaceae). All of its members grow in the Karoo, an arid rocky region of South Africa, on gravelly plains and gentle slopes.

The plants are almost stemless, forming a pair of very thick fleshy leaves with pronounced facets, and over time spread into dense cushions up to 12 cm (4.7 in) or more across. Leaf coloration is light green with a glaucous bloom.

Flowers are large relative to the size of the plant, about 5 cm (2 in) across, yellow, more rarely white, emerging from the fissure between the leaves in groups of 1-3. The fruit is a dry hydrochastic capsule opening with moisture, with very fine seeds.

Bijlia cana is the sole species in the genus, and in catalogs it goes by a whole array of names: Bijlia DILATATA, Bijlia TUGWELLIAE, as well as under the old generic name Cylindrophyllum TUGWELLIAE. Modern South African sources cite it as Bijlia dilatata.

The clump is dense, almost flush with the ground, composed of thick faceted leaves. Flowering occurs in August and September; the flowers are bright yellow. The plant tolerates a brief drop in temperature down to -2 °C (28 °F), but it is rarely grown outdoors in the open ground.

Bijlia seeds are very small, dark, and light-sensitive: in the dark they germinate poorly. Soaking such small seeds is impractical, so the substrate itself is disinfected: before sowing, it is drenched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried slightly. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out on the surface, without burying: seeds need light. A sterile fine-grained mineral substrate is used with a top layer of washed sand. The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a solution of growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a greenhouse, and germinated under bright diffused light at a temperature of 18-24 °C (64-75 °F), without overheating under direct sun.

The first sprouts under favorable conditions appear after just a week; main germination finishes in 2-3 weeks, and individual seeds may delay up to 4-6 weeks. Sowings are ventilated daily and condensation is removed: stagnant moisture is especially dangerous for ice plant seedlings. Pricking out is performed only after seedlings have noticeably strengthened, with minimal damage to the roots.

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The plant needs the brightest possible location with bright diffused light and several hours of gentle direct sun. The density of the plant and whether the flowers open depend directly on illumination.

Active growth occurs during the cool part of the year, from autumn to spring, while in summer heat the plant enters dormancy and is kept drier and cooler. With warmth, weak light, and a moist substrate, tissues stretch and become vulnerable to rot.

Watering is very careful, in small portions, only after the substrate has dried out completely. During the summer dormancy period, watering is sharply reduced. Stagnation of water in the tray is impermissible; spraying the leaves is not required.

The substrate needs to be very loose, poor, and mineral, with a high proportion of coarse sand, fine stone grit, and perlite. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot; a shallow container is chosen and must have drainage holes.

Fertilizer is applied rarely, only during the period of active growth, with a weak solution of fertilizer for cacti and succulents low in nitrogen. Excess nutrition disrupts the compactness of the plant.

Repotting is carried out at the beginning of the growth period; after repotting, the plant is kept without watering for several days. Only completely dried remains of old leaves are removed.