Curio talinoides

Curio talinoides, syn. Senecio mandraliscae, also known as blue straws, blue chalksticks, dassieharpuis, or narrow-leaf chalk sticks, is a succulent plant of the sunflower family that is native to South Africa.[2] The origin of this plant is dubious and it may be a hybrid.[3]

Curio talinoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Curio
Species:
C. talinoides
Binomial name
Curio talinoides
P.V.Heath[1]

Description
Leaves of blue chalksticks

The bluest of the curio plants, it is about 50 to 70 cm tall with 4.5-9.5 cm long leaves that are thickly and alternately arranged, jammed on the stems, and are set about 0.3-0.5 cm aside. The leaves are linear, rising, sickle shaped and would be narrow at both ends.

Unlike the similar looking Curio repens, its leaves are much narrower and elongated.[4] Curio repens is also easily distinguished by its shorter, often boat-shaped leaves.[5] It is also easily confused with Curio ficoides, which has a similar growth habit. However, the leaves of C. talinoides are rounded-cylindrical in cross section. In contrast, the leaves of C. ficoides are usually somewhat knife-like, flattened laterally.[6]

A hybrid of this and 'repens', known as Senecio 'Trident Blue' exists.

Subspecies and cultivars
  • Senecio talinoides (DC.) Sch.Bip.: (subsp. talinoides) has finer texture
  • Senecio talinoides subs. aizoides (DC.) G.D.Rowley: has 2-8 capitula per inflorescence
  • Senecio talinoides subs. chordifolius (Hook.f.) G.D.Rowley: has the longest leaves and is more droopy
  • Senecio talinoides f. cristatus: has a crested form.
  • Senecio talinoides subs. cylindricus (A.Berger) G.D.Rowley: has cylindrical leaves
  • Senecio talinoides subs. mandraliscae (Tineo) G.D.Rowley: has short spindle-like leaves 5-8 mm as long, later elongating.

References
  1. Heath, P.V. 1999. Calyx 6(2): 55.
  2. Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDGW – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
  3. Curio talinoides var. mandraliscae (Tineo) P.V.Heath by Llifle, The Encyclopedia of Succulents
  4. Curio talinoides (DC.) P.V.Heath by PlantZAfrica.com
  5. Curio talinoides by World of Succulents
  6. G.Rowley (1994). Succulent Compositae: A Grower's Guide to the Succulent Species of Senecio & Othonna. Strawberry Press. ISBN 0912647124, 9780912647128
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