| Family |
Aizoaceae |
| Name |
Lithops Spp. |
| Common Name |
Living stones |
| Featured Plant |
May 2004 |
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Lithops is a genus of extreme succulents that come from desert areas of Southern Africa.
The plant consists of a taproot and one or more pairs of leaves.
The leaves are very succulent and have a translucent window on top.
In the wild, most of the leaf except for the top is buried under sand.
The translucent top allows light to enter the leaf.
By being buried under the sand, transpiration is reduced.
The leaves are shaped like stones - to act as camouflage against plant predators.
Each pair of leaves lasts one year and is renewed every spring.
The old pair of leaves feeds the new and gradually shrivels.
In late Summer, each pair of leaves will send up one daisy looking flower, followed by a seed capsule that can take up to a year to ripen.
|
Flower
Unknown seedling |
Baby
These are three year old seedlings of L. hallii var. Ochracea ×L. pseudotruncatella subsp. dendritica. Notice the different colours and markings. |
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