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Lithops bromfieldii var. insularis C057 10 km NE of Keimoes, South Africa

Family: AIZOACEAE · Variety or form of Lithops bromfieldii

Description

Lithops bromfieldii var. insularis is one of the local form of the variable Lithops bromfieldii , which grows in the immediate neighbourhood. It is a small sized plant characterised by bodies (significantly) smaller, darker, and more smooth, devoid of bumps, unless they are very thirsty. The colour of faces tends toward a deep earthy green, dark brown or black, with virtually no orange shine like in var. bromfieldii. The lines and the punctuation are dark and brilliant. The plants cluster profusely and form small cushions. However L. insularis is not a variant form of L. Bromfieldii and it stands at the one end of the breadth of variation of L. Bromfieldii and that L. Bromfieldii, as described by L. Bolus, is at the other end. This can only be settled by an examination of these two species in their natural habitat and cultivated plants can be reliably distinguished from Lithops bromfieldii only when seeds or details of wild source are available.

Desmond Cole field number C057: This population distinguishes for having grey brown top red lines.

Origin and Habitat

10 km North Eat of Keimoes, South Africa.

Habitat: Grows in stonily soils comprising Feldspathic quartzite; sheared pegmatite. Colours of the stony background greyish brown, pink, brown.

Cultivation and Propagation

In the winter season the plant doesn’t need watering, the plant at this time extracts water from the outer succulent leaves, allowing them to shrivel away, and 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

  1. Heidrun E. K. Hartmann “Aizoaceae F – Z” Springer 2002

  2. Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole, Uwe Beyer, Yves Delange “Les Lithops” SUCCULENTES Spécial 2008 AIAPS (now Terra seca). 2008

  3. Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole “LITHOPS Flowering Stones” Cactus & Co. Libri. 2005

  4. Yasuhiko Shimada“The Genus Lithops” Dobun Shoin. 2001

  5. Rudolf Heine “Lithops - Lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986

  6. Bernd Schlösser “Lithops – Lebende Steine” Praktische Anleitung für die Zimmerkultur. Bussiness Point MEDIA. 2000

  7. Steven A. Hammer “Lithops – Treasures of the veld” British Cactus and Succulent Society. 1999

  8. Desmond T. Cole “Lithops – Flowering Stones” Acorn Books CC. 1988

  9. Rudolf Heine “Lithops – lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986

  10. David L. Sprechman “Lithops” Associated University Presses, Inc. 1970

  11. Gert Cornelius Nel “Lithops: Plantae succulantae, rarissimae, in terra obscuratae, e famailia Aizoaceae, ex Africa australi” Hortors Limited, South Africa, 1946

  12. Achim Hecktheuer “Mesembs, mehr als nur Lithops” Books on Demand GmbH Norderstedt. 2008

  13. Werner Rauh “Die grossartige Welt der Sukkulenten” Hamburg and Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey, 1966

  14. Stuart Max Walters “The European Garden Flora: Dicotyledons (Part I)” Cambridge University Press, 1989

  15. Gordon D. Rowley “The illustrated encyclopedia of succulents” Crown Publishers, 01/Aug/1978

  16. Steven A. Hammer “Lithops: Joyaux du veld” Editions Quae, 25/nov/2010

  17. Gustav Schwantes “Flowering Stones and Mid-day Flowers: A Book for Plant and Nature Lovers on the Mesembryanthemaceae” Ernest Benn, 1957

Gallery

Blooming habit. Rebutialand cactus collection Demjén, Hungary.
Blooming habit. Rebutialand cactus collection Demjén, Hungary.© Agócs György · source · CC-BY-SA