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Lithops villetii L. Bolus

Family: AIZOACEAE

Publication: Notes Mesembryanthemum [H.M.L. Bolus] 3: 234. 1950 [25 Aug 1950] (non ‘villettii’ nor ‘villeti’

Description

Lithops villetii is a lovely colourful species characterized by greenish-grey or greyish-green range of colours with reddish-brown network pattern on the top and distinct margins and mostly open windows. However it is very variable in colour like many other species, but 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: It consists of a pair of almost stemless succulent leaves that grows solitary or forming clumps of up to 8 or more heads, mostly 2-4.

Bodies (paired leaves): Truncate-cordate in profile, small to medium, 20-30 mm in diameter up to 3 cm high and about 18 mm wide at the fissure. Fissure shallow, 7-13 mm. Lobes conjunct or very slightly divergent. Face flush, elliptic-reniform; lobes equal-unequal. The upper surface is variable in colour, usually greenish yellow, dark grey-green or brownish, slightly convex, while the sides are light greyish-brown or light brown. The large clear windows is more or less occluded, infrequently completely open, islands are always present but vary in number, mostly small, usually distinct, various shades of opaque grey, bluish or pinkish grey, or greyish pink, brown, orange-brown or red, the edges of the islands (yellowish-brown in colour) are not always sharply defined. Margins distinct, somewhat in relief, irregularly and extensively dentate. Channels mostly fairly narrow, irregular, various shades of opaque greenish or brownish grey or greyish green, brown, orange-brown or purplish brown. Dusky dots rarely visible even with a lens, very obscure. Rubrications absent.

Flowers: Daisy-like, diurnal, small to medium, 2-3 cm diameter. Petals satiny white.

Blooming season: Autumn (in habitat blooms in April).

Fruits: Capsules 6-parted. Profile boat-shaped, top flat. Face broadly elliptic. This capsule only opens when moistened, exposing the tiny seeds. In nature, falling rain drops splash out the seeds to a distance of a few centimetres to up to a metre or more from the parent plant. After the capsule dries up it closes again, protecting any seeds left behind.

Seeds: Yellow-brown to light brown, smooth to rugose.

Origin and Habitat

Calvinia District, Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa in a strip extending between North West of Kliprand and North East of Loeriesfontein.

Type Locality: ‘near Loeriesfontein’ (C195).

Habitat: Lithops villetii is native to dry winter rainfall areas where it grows among fine-grained sand-stone, silty sandstone, sandstone with some pegmatite, sandstone with some calcrete, calcrete with some sandstone. Colour of the background grey, grey-white, brown, some red, black. From stand-up viewing height the pebble-like double leaves blend remarkably with the gravelly ground on which they grow and are lost to sight in this environment. When they are found, it is usually due to their large and brightly coloured flowers flowers.

Bibliography

Major refences and further lectures

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

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

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

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

  5. Yasuhiko Shimada (2001) “The Genus Lithops” Dobun Shoin. ISBN 4-8103-4066-X

  6. Rudolf Heine (1986) “Lithops - Lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag.

  7. Bernd Schlösser (2000) “Lithops – Lebende Steine” Praktische Anleitung für die Zimmerkultur. BussinessPoint MEDIA.

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

  9. Desmond T. Cole (1988) “Lithops – Flowering Stones” Acorn Books CC.

  10. Rudolf Heine (1986) “Lithops – lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag.

  11. David L. Sprechman (1970) “Lithops” Associated University Presses, Inc.

  12. Gert Cornelius Nel (1946) “Lithops” Hortors Limited, South Africa.

Cultivars and forms (8)

Subspecies (8)