Monsonia patersonii DC. syn. Sarcocaulon patersonii (DC.) G.Don; Sarcocaulon rigidum Schinz - Geraniaceae - Boesmanskers, bushman's candle, Buschmannskerze

Subshrub, up to 0.5 m tall; native to [[https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001064122|Southern Africa (Cape Provinces, Namibia)]]; branches usually more than 10 mm wide; leaf blade narrowly to broadly obovate, 5-26 × 4-16 mm, glabrous; spines thick and straight, 2-5 blunt stalks in axils of spines; petals 15-30 mm long, rose, pale magenta or purple  [[https://www.kyffhauser.com/Plants3/Sarcocaulon_patersonii/Index.htm|kyffhauser.com]]

{{:dihydroambrettolide.png|dihydroambrettolide}} hexadecan-16-olide (dihydroambrettolide)

„... we found comparatively large amounts of hexadecan-16-olide and (Z)-octadec-9-en-18-olide in the smoke of so-called 'Bushman's Candles', waxy remains of Sarcocaulon rigidum found in Namqualand and the Namib desert.“ \\
[Meaningful Scents around the World, Roman Kaiser, Zürich 2006, 146-147] 
 

{{:monsonia_pater.jpg}} \\
Monsonia patersonii, B4 Aus to Luderitz, Karas Region, Namibia (2025) © Bart Wursten [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/|CC BY-SA 4.0]] [[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=590101|inaturalist.org]]