Monilaria pisiformis

Description

Monilaria pisiformis, commonly known as “strings of pearls”, is a small clump-forming plants with thickish stems shortly jointed like a bead necklace. These plants are unlike any other in that each year one small bead-shaped leaf persists as the stem. Growing only one ”bead“ each year makes it very easy to guess how old a plant may be. In all parts Monilaria pisiformis is smaller than the other species. It grows in the winter rainfall region from Vredendal to Olifants River Mouth in the Western Cape of South Africa. In summer they tend to go dormant and then watering must be reduced to once every 3 weeks to once  per month. A generous light misting will be suffice.