Mopkop Vygies - the thin end of the wedge

The Succulent Karoo, a semi-arid, winter rainfall region of South Africa, is renowned for its rich succulent flora. A number of vygie species are known from here, many of which are confined to a single locality. What is more, some have not been seen again since their original discovery. Until recently, Pyllobolus caudatus, commonly branded as the Mopkop Vygie, was only known from its type locality near De Doorns, and is currently listed as a threatened plant on the Red Data List. It was collected by Neville Pillans, a botanist from the University of Cape Town, at the beginning of the previous century and was described by Louisa Bolus (from the same university) in 1916 as a Mesembryanthemum. It has now been placed by M. Gerbaulet in the genus Phyllobolus.