South Africa, Namibia and south western Angola are home to the Bushman Candles, the Monsonia species known as sarcocaulons. These hardy plants inhabit dry areas of low and erratic rainfall as well as deserts. The flowers are remarkable in both their beauty and symmetry and are sometimes borne in such profusion that the branches that hold them are barely visible. These fascinating plants have been the focus of ecologically based studies by the two authors for a period of some sixty years between them. Much of the information presented in the text is unique with detailed reference as to how each of the 15 species is not only adapted to but also thrives in its specific environment. The book is dedicated to the late Ellaphie Ward-Hilhorst, a well known botanical artist of extraordinary talent. Each of Ellaphie’s paintings featuring the sarcocaulon species is meticulously reproduced life size in the book
