ithstand these temperature fluctuations.
The pollinators of Khadia species are unknown, as this aspect of their biology has not yet been studied.
Khadias are not very popular as garden plants. They have been used traditionally as a fermentation agent, but traditional brews containing these plants are becoming increasingly scarce.
Attractive garden plants when planted in the right setting, species of Khadia can be a colourful addition to a rockery. It forms a compact, low-growing clump, which increases in size with age . Plants like aloes or other succulents requiring similar growing conditions are recommended as companion plants. Soil should be well drained and porous, containing a good deal of humus. As Khadia is a summer rainfall genus, it should be watered very well in summer (southern hemisphere). Water very sparingly in winter.
The most attractive species is K. acutipetala as it has the largest flowers of the brightest pink hue, standing out in a rockery when flowering.
These plants make excellent potplants and are prized by succulentophiles for their compact nature and attractive flowers.
Recent studies (Knoll & Hankey 2003) have shown that Khadia beswickii can be propagated by rooting the leaves in a well-drained growth medium such as river sand mixed with peat-based potting soil. Most species of Khadia grow from seed and stem cuttings, but plants take quite long to reach a noticeable size when grown from seeds.
Some species are susceptible to leaf scale and this can even be seen in populations growing in the wild. Conditions that are too moist with insufficient air -flow can lead to red spider invasions, which are difficult to eradicate.
All six species in the genus are confined to summer rainfall areas in the northern provinces of South Africa.
K. acutipetala (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. was the first species to be described and is also the type of the genus. This is the species most frequently used as an additive to alcoholic fermentations and it can be distinguished by its large, bright pink flowers. It is the most common species and is found from the Magaliesberg in the North-West Province to just south of Heidelberg, Gauteng. More collections may indicate a wider distribution. See more info below.
K. acutipetala (N.E.Br.) N.E.Br. usually grows in shallow soil between quartzitic rocks. The capsules have six to eight locules that always return to the closed position after they have opened. This is not an endangered species, but the habitat is being lost as housing in Gauteng expands.
K. alticola Chesselet & H.E.K.Hartmann was described in 1995 and is found along the Steenkampsberg, Mpumalanga, the surrounding high-lying areas and also to the south in northern KwaZulu-Natal . See more info below.
K. alticola . Its name is derived from its occurrence at high altitudes. It also grows in rocky places. The flowers are pale pink or white and the capsules tend to gape open once wetted, never closing completely again. Although plentiful in habitat, its occurrence is not widespread.
K. beswickii (L.Bolus) N.E.Br. is found between Heidelberg and Nigel in Gauteng and was once considered to be extinct, but populations of these plants have recently been rediscovered. It forms large, flat clumps that grow in quartzitic rocks. See more info below.
K. beswickii is found between Heidelberg and Nigel in Gauteng and was once considered to be extinct, but populations of these plants have recently been rediscovered. It forms large, flat clumps that grow in quartzitic rocks. The flowers can be very pale pink to deeper pink and the capsules have five to eight locules, sometimes gaping once wetted. It is listed as critically endangered in Gauteng as habitat loss due to urbanization is a threat to this species.
K. borealis L. Bolus is an outlier found in the province of Limpopo. It differs in its creeping habit, with rooting nodes and long internodes. It grows in shallow soils overlaying flat rocky plates at high altitudes where the plants receive mist. The name is derived from the fact that this is the northe rnmo st species of the genus. The f