Accepted Scientific Name: Lithops verruculosa var. glabra
Succulenta (Netherlands) 45 (7) 107-108 [Jul.1966]
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Lithops verruculosa
back
Accepted name in llifle Database:Lithops verruculosa NelAnn. Univ. Stellenbosch, Reeks A, Wis.- Naturk xxi. Sect. A, No. 1, 9 (1943); cf. Nel, Lithops, 161,178 [1947].Synonymy: 14
- Lithops verruculosa Nel
- Lithops verruculosa C095 (syn. inae) 55 km SW of Prieska, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C120 30 km N of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C129 30 km E of Brandvlei, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C157 (syn. inae) 55 km ENE of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C159 30 km ENE of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C178 90 km W of Kenhardt, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C196 (syn. inae) 85 km S of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C198 85 km SSE of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C200B 80 km SSE of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C229B 90 km S of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa var. inae (Nel) de Boer & Boom
Accepted name in llifle Database:Lithops verruculosa var. glabra de BoerSucculenta (Netherlands) 45 (7) 107-108 [Jul.1966]Synonymy: 4
Cultivars
(2):
back
Description: Lithops verruculosaSN|13065]]SN|13065]] var. glabra distinguish from the similar Lithops verruculosaSN|13065]]SN|13065]] for being more grey in colour, (mostly) without raised islands or small warts on the top of the leaves (or if present fewer, smaller and less conspicuous.). It shows a large variety of flower colours and form small groups up to 7 or more heads (usually 2-4).
Desmond Cole field numbers: C025, C160, C177.
Bodies (Paired leave): Small to medium, up to 20-36 mm long and 15-28 mm wide at the fissure. Top flattened to slightly convex, occasionally slightly concave up to 3 cm tall, bluish with blue margins. Face smooth to slightly rugose without or very few small red warts on top surface, wrinkled, the warts mainly in the wrinkles; The depth of varies and can be 5 to 10 mm deep on the same plant, when the capsule is large the fissure often becomes V-shaped; lobes conjunct. Face elliptic-reniform; lobes equal to unequal; opaque to translucent usually without an obvious window; almost smooth to minutely rugose. Margins dentate with small peninsulas and numerous lines, but not always clearly distinguishable; Channels slightly impressed, irregular; Islands variable in size and dimension, enclosed by the grooves, somewhat irregular. Rubrications absent or relatively few and relatively inconspicuous.
Colours: Face grey, milky-grey, cream or beige tinged with pink or blue. Windows & channels translucent greyish, brownish. Rubrications dark dull red covered with a bluish film, and then obscurely bluish red. Shoulders bluish grey or greyish blue contrasting with the margins.
Flowers: Small to medium sized (25-32 mm in diameter) multicoloured as for var. verruculosa, straw yellow, golden yellow, light orange, bronze, carrot, lime yellow, shell-pink and rose, salmon, cream and near-white; often with a contrasting tint or inner ring of orange, rose-pink, mauve or magenta, which may extend up onto the stamens.
Fruits. Seed capsules 6-8 long 5-7 mm in diameter, (4-)5(-6)-merous, boat-shaped, top flat. Face elliptic to almost round.
Seeds: Yellow-brown, tuberculate.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Lithops verruculosa group
- Lithops verruculosa Nel: It distinguish for the raised red warts on top surface and for the variable flowers colours.
- Lithops verruculosa C095 (syn. inae) 55 km SW of Prieska, South Africa: transparent grey green, red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa C120 30 km N of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa: fine red pimples.
- Lithops verruculosa C129 30 km E of Brandvlei, South Africa: brownish grey top, red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa C157 (syn. inae) 55 km ENE of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa: grey green, many raised red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa C159 30 km ENE of Vanwyksvlei, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C178 90 km W of Kenhardt, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C196 (syn. inae) 85 km S of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa C198 85 km SSE of Pofadder, South Africa: red dots in transparent window.
- Lithops verruculosa C200B 80 km SSE of Pofadder, South Africa: bluish grey, bright red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa C229B 90 km S of Pofadder, South Africa
- Lithops verruculosa var. glabra de Boer: Light grey-blue leaves with very few red dots on top of the leaves.
- Lithops verruculosa var. glabra C025 30 km E of Kenhardt, South Africa: pinkish grey, raised red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa var. glabra C160 TL: 20 km SSE of Kenhardt, South Africa: light grey top, red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa var. glabra C177 25 km SSE of Kenhardt, South Africa: pinkish grey, red dots.
- Lithops verruculosa var. inae (Nel) de Boer & Boom: Greyish green top face with blood-red dots tucked into its grooves.
- Lithops verruculosa cv. Rose of Texas S.A.Hammer: great pink flowers.
- Lithops verruculosa cv. Verdigris S.A.Hammer: Green leaves.
Bibliography: COLE, DESMOND T. and NAUREEN A., (2005) Lithops Flowering Stones, Cactus&Co. Libri
Cultivation and Propagation: Need an open mineral, fast draining mix and the maximum amount of light you are able to give them. The basic cultivation routine is: Stop watering after flowering. Start watering after the old leaves completely dry. (Usually late March or Early April) Water freely during the growing season, soak the compost fully but allow it to dry out between waterings, no water when cold. Some growers fertilize frequently, some hardly ever. Keep them dry during the winter. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid. This plant is best for a well lit area (Bright shade to full sun).
Remarks: After flowering in the autumn and extending through winter season the plant doesn’t need watering, but they will still be growing, the new bodies will be increasing in size extracting water from the outer succulent leaves, allowing them to shrivel away. In fact the plant in this time extracts water and nutrient stored in the outer succulent leaves, allowing them to dehydrate relocating the water to the rest of the plant and to the new leaves that form during this period until the old leaves are reduced to nothing more than "thin papery shells".