Scientific Name
Conophytum herreanthus subsp. rex S.A. Hammer
Scientific Classification
Family: Aizoaceae
Subfamily: Ruschioideae
Tribe: Ruschieae
Genus: Conophytum
Description
Conophytum herreanthus subsp. rex forms a ground-level clump of short branches growing paired, succulent leaf bodies. The bluish-green leaves become up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long. The angular leaves point up, their inner surfaces triangular and facing the other member of the equal leaf pair in a V-shape. The keel at the back of the leaf gives each of the two outside leaf surface one bulging, curved side, deviating from perfect triangles. The three leaf planes meet at the top in a sharp point. Leaf surfaces are smooth and hairless, pale grey in color. Some leaf tips and keels are slightly rosy. There are sparsely scattered, faint dark spots along the grey surfaces. The white to rose-pink flowers are diurnal and appear in late-autumn. Flower size is up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter.
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How to Grow and Care
Conophytums are usually grown in dish gardens where they spread slowly but make good ornamental plants for window gardening. They also do well in rockeries where they can be grown in crevices.
The Conophytum vegetate during the winter season. They must then be kept dry during hot, gradually wet upon autumn arrival: the moisture stimulate the release of new root hairs and the plant will grow for the entire winter season, foliar issuing new pairs from inside the existing ones. Flowering usually occurs in autumn and the color of the flowers is extremely variable from species to species.
The cultivation is quite easy, but care must be taken to avoid excess water and to prevent rot: the plants themselves communicate their water needings with a slight wrinkling of the epidermis. They do not particularly fear the cold weather and can resist also at temperatures of 23°F (-5°C), as long as the soil is completely dry and the temperature returns rapidly to rise… – See more at: How to Grow and Care for Conophytum.
Origin
Native to South Africa (northern Cape Province).
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