Description
Lithops bromfieldii is a non-halophytic, medium sized Lithops, easily recognised by the bullate yellow-brown markings of the dark-green window, pinkish-grey facial colour and the many dark to blood-red rubrications. This species is quite variable and the colours and face pattern varies in plant from different provenance. As with many other Lithops species, several varieties have been described on the basis of variation in the colour of the tops of the leaves, the status of these uncertain, but all conforms to the typical Lithops morphology: two thick, fleshy windowed leaves separated by a crack from which a yellow flower appears. The windowed part allows light into the inner portion of the leaf where the process of photosynthesis is carried out.
Habit: Growths solitary or forming clumps of two to 10 or more heads, (mostly 2-4) to 1,5 cm high.
Bodies (paired leaves): Mostly about 25 X 20 mm obconical, truncate. The fissure is shallow, 4-8 mm; lobes conjunct, top surface flat or slightly convex and bullate generally reddish coloured. The face is elliptical to kidney-shaped more or less equal with window present ans irregular, very dark olive-green or more or less absent, and on this a number of bifurcated blood-red to dark brown-red lines, the forks ending in the sinuses of the outer margin, the surface is impressed by valley-like channels and raised islands, and bright to dark-blood red, orange-red rubrications sometimes scattered with dots, hooks and dashes in the channels.. Dusky dots dull dark greyish green. Outer margin lobed or laciniated, the lobes or laciniae projecting into the window and forming ridges or islands; islands and lobes bullate, coloured a brown-yellow; margin coloured light brown-yellow.
Flowers: Yellow, small to large 25-35(-45) mm in diameter.
Fruits: 5-chambered, profile boat-shaped, top flat.
Seeds: Yellow-brown, rugose.
Origin and Habitat
Type Locality 15 km East-North-East of Upington, South Africa
Cultivation and Propagation
In the winter season the plant doesn’t need watering, the plant in this time extracts water from the outer succulent leaves, allowing them to shrivel away, relocating water to the rest of the plant and to the new leaves that form during this period. This plant is best for a well lit area (Bright shade to full sun). Water sparingly only when warm, no water when cold.
Bibliography
Major refences and further lectures
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Heidrun E. K. Hartmann “Aizoaceae F – Z” Springer 2002
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Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole, Uwe Beyer, Yves Delange “Les Lithops” SUCCULENTES Spécial 2008 AIAPS (now Terra seca). I 2008
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Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole “LITHOPS Flowering Stones” Cactus & Co. Libri. 2005
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Yasuhiko Shimada“The Genus Lithops” Dobun Shoin. 2001
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Rudolf Heine “Lithops - Lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986
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Bernd Schlösser “Lithops – Lebende Steine” Praktische Anleitung für die Zimmerkultur. Bussiness Point MEDIA. 2000
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Steven A. Hammer “Lithops – Treasures of the veld” British Cactus and Succulent Society. 1999
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Desmond T. Cole “Lithops – Flowering Stones” Acorn Books CC. 1988
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Rudolf Heine “Lithops – lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986
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David L. Sprechman “Lithops” Associated University Presses, Inc. 1970
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Gert Cornelius Nel “Lithops: Plantae succulantae, rarissimae, in terra obscuratae, e famailia Aizoaceae, ex Africa australi” Hortors Limited, South Africa, 1946
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Achim Hecktheuer “Mesembs, mehr als nur Lithops” Books on Demand GmbH Norderstedt. 2008
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Werner Rauh “Die grossartige Welt der Sukkulenten” Hamburg and Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey, 1966
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Stuart Max Walters “The European Garden Flora: Dicotyledons (Part I)” Cambridge University Press, 1989
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Gordon D. Rowley “The illustrated encyclopedia of succulents” Crown Publishers, 01/Aug/1978
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