Dinteranthus microspermus subsp. puberulus (Stone Plant)

Scientific Name

Dinteranthus microspermus subsp. puberulus (N.E.Br.) N.Sauer

Common Names

Stone Plant, Living Stone

Synonyms

Dinteranthus puberulus, Dinteranthus punctatus, Dinteranthus microspermus var. acutipetalus

Scientific Classification

Family: Aizoaceae
Subfamily: Ruschioideae
Tribe: Ruschieae
Genus: Dinteranthus

Description

Dinteranthus microspermus subsp. puberulus is a small stemless, usually solitary or few branched succulent up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) tall. It has only pairs of boat-shaped leaves up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, broad and reddish-grey-green to grey-violet in color. The epidermis of the leaves is velvety and green dotted. The flowers are many-petaled, arranged solitary, yellow or whitish, often tipped with reddish. The fruit is a capsule with 6 to 10 locules and broadly winged valves.

Photo via flickr.com (by Etwin Aslander)

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Adult plants of this genus behave like Lithops: summer expansion leading to flowering in fall, followed by a slow transfer of resources in winter; the main difference is that the presence of two active leaf-pairs is not unusual in some Dinteranthus.

Dinteranthus require slightly less water than do most Lithops. Excellent drainage is essential. Their nutritive requirements are amazingly modest and the root systems of even the healthiest plants are minuscule. What they need most critically is good light, which will give them a bone-white aspect. Older long-stemmed plants can and usually should be turned into cuttings and re-rooted.

The real trouble with Dinteranthus is that the seedlings are so tiny that they are apt to damp off. But if the following rules are observed, success is likely. Sow in high summer; use sterilized soil with extra grit and enough peat to ensure high acidity; do not cover the seeds.. – See more at: How to Grow and Care for Dinteranthus