Serpentisulcata
Serpentisulcata is a bushy, waxless species with dense, relatively short spines that are brown when not contaminated by algae . Clumps of stems can exceed 50, but these rarely elongate with age, nor do they metabolize regularly with age like the Black King. Snake balls do not appear to be closely related to any other species and are one of the most common family members. There appears to be less variation within the species than in other species, but this may simply be because the dense spines distract attention from differences in stem characteristics.
Below: Snake Ball (right) and Black King grow together. The two species grow in the same areas but prefer different habitat areas. Snake balls prefer broken surfaces while black kings prefer gravel slopes. The plants in the midground are all black kings.
Among the plants close to the coastal road, the snake ball is the only one that most tourists can see when visiting the dragon claw ball. They are currently in good condition and are in much better condition than in 1996. These coastal plants, many of which have light brown or golden spines (the C. castinea Mr. Ritter mentioned), look more attractive than the core population of plants on the coastal hills that grow at 300-400 meters. Mountain populations are some of the healthiest of any species, with regeneration of small plants and even seedlings in the most favorable locations. In some places the colonies are so dense that there is an average of one plant per two square meters. Plants in mountain populations have "dyed" spines that give the plant a gray appearance. This contrasts with the bright, spiny vegetation often seen in photos taken along the coast and below in foggy areas.
Below: the habitat of the mountain snake ball. Plants grow on the edge of the cliff, extending only 300 meters inland. Notice how the plants change color compared to the plants growing under the fog.
We did not find snake balls during the expedition (the author did not pass the snake ball habitat). To the best of our knowledge, the species is restricted to a 12-km-long lateral and 1-km longitudinal stretch along the northern coast of Chaniyalar. Mountain populations often extend more than 300 meters inland from the edge of the immediate cliff. Occasionally crossed with the Black King.
Black kings can be found near coastal roads, where both species share the same habitat. There is no cross-breeding phenomenon with Dragon Scale Pill or Wart Immortal.
The above are the personal opinions of the editor. If there are any mistakes, flower friends are welcome to correct them in the comment area (remember to like and follow, the editor will work harder to write down).
