<<Yes, I've heard of ``D.coccicaulis.'' It first came to my attention
several years ago in one of Allen Lowrie's seed lists. I bought some,
found it a ready germinator, and was pleased with it. It is, however,
not a valid botanical name. Clearly some silly person thought it would
be great fun to invalidly stick a bogus name on a plant. By now, many
people have become confused. By my best attempts at identification
(and Jan's help) it seems the best guess is a vigorous variety of
_D.natalensis_. The identification is relatively straightforward. The
second runner-up is possibly _D.dielsiana_, but I think _D.natalensis_
is more likely.
This plant and the confusion the name has caused is an excellent example
of why people should not foolishly create bogus names for plants.
Especially irritating is the name, ``coccicaulis'', is absurd. Berry-like
stem is the best I can make of it. >>
I think I know where this name came from. Way back when I first started to
grow CP I met a fellow who at that time was still in high school who had a
very impressive S. African Drosera collection. He received a species that
was called, if memory serves me right, D. sp. #4, or some other numbered
species. He kept calling it D. cocciaulis, a name he had found in some
litterature. Subsequently, I have received the same plant under the name D.
venusta from Germany - actually I got seed. Jan what is the history of the
name D. venusta?
I agree that names shouldn't be made up like that, but in his defense if he
is the cause if this confusion at all, he meant well, the cp world was very
fragmented and we (at that time in high school) did not know where to go for
more specialized info. The local libraries did not have it.
Christoph