Pleiospilos nelii

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Pleiospilos nelii
Pleiospilos nelii flower.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae
Genus: Pleiospilos
Species:
P. nelii
Binomial name
Pleiospilos nelii
Synonyms
  • Pleiospilos pedunculatus L.Bolus (1930)
  • Pleiospilos tricolor N.E.Br. (1930)

Pleiospilos nelii, the split rock, splitrock or living granite, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa. It grows in semi-arid areas with rainfall of between 150mm and 300mm, in the Karoo of South Africa. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The species epithet nelii honours the South African botanist Gert Cornelius Nel. The common name "split rock" refers to the appearance of the plant's leaves. [3]

Description

Pleiospilos nelii is a succulent perennial which can reach a height of 5–8 cm (2–3 in) and a diameter of about 10 cm (4 in). This very short-stemmed, nearly stemless plant has one or more pairs of opposite, almost hemispherical, grey-green or brownish leaves. The surface of the leaves has many small dark spots. A new pair of leaves is produced each year, replacing an older pair. This plant closely resembles a small cracked rock (hence the common name), an appearance which may have evolved as a defence against herbivory. The superficially daisy-like flowers are yellow-orange, 6–7.5 cm (2–3 in) across, and emerge from the plant's apical bud. The flowers are large in relation to the size of the plant. Each flower opens in the afternoon and closes at sunset, over a bloom period of several days. [4]

Cultivation

P. nelii is one of several plants cultivated for their rocklike appearance. They are sometimes collectively called mesembs. [5] In temperate regions it is grown under glass for protection from excessive rain and hard freezes. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Lithops</i> Genus of plants

Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος 'stone' and ὄψ 'face', referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. Lithops is both the genus name and the common name. The formation of the name from the Ancient Greek -ops means that even a single plant is called a Lithops.

<i>Pleiospilos</i> Genus of succulents

Pleiospilos is a genus of succulent flowering plants of the family Aizoaceae. It is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. The name is derived from the Greek pleios "many" and spìlos "spot". The plants are also known as kwaggavy, lewerplant, lewervygie, klipplant, split rock or mimicry plant.

<i>Frithia pulchra</i> Species of succulent

Frithia pulchra, the fairy elephant's feet, is a species of flowering plant in the fig‑marigold family Aizoaceae, endemic to Gauteng Province, South Africa. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland with high summer rainfall. A tiny stemless succulent growing to just 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and 20 cm (7.9 in) broad, it has bulbous oblong leaves with leaf windows at the tip; and magenta and white daisy-like flowers in winter. During periods of drought it has the ability to shrink beneath the soil surface, thus avoiding excessive desiccation, but making it extremely difficult to find.

<i>Hylotelephium cauticola</i> Species of succulent

Hylotelephium cauticola, the cliff stonecrop, syn. Sedum cauticola, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to Hokkaido, Japan. Growing to 8 cm (3 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in) wide, it is a carpet-forming succulent perennial with trailing stems of pink-tinged grey-green round leaves, and purplish pink star-shaped flowers in autumn.

<i>Glottiphyllum</i> Genus of succulents

Glottiphyllum is a genus of about 57 species of succulent subtropical plants of the family Aizoaceae. It is closely related to the Gibbaeum and Faucaria genera. The name comes from ancient Greek γλωττίς glottis "tongue" and φύλλον phyllon "leaf". The species are native to South Africa, specifically to Cape Province and the Karoo desert. They grow in rocks and soils incorporating slate, sandstone and quartz. Rainfall in their native areas is between 125 and 500 mm, most of which falls in March and November.

<i>Echeveria elegans</i> Species of succulent

Echeveria elegans, the Mexican snow ball, God's Throne, Mexican gem or white Mexican rose is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert habitats in Mexico.

<i>Oscularia deltoides</i> Species of succulent

Oscularia deltoides, the deltoid-leaved dewplant, dassievygie or sandsteenvygie is a species of flowering succulent plant in the fig-marigold family Aizoaceae that is native to the south-western Cape, South Africa.

<i>Haworthiopsis reinwardtii</i> Species of succulent

Haworthiopsis reinwardtii, formerly Haworthia reinwardtii, is a species of succulent flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of the species of Haworthiopsis that is commonly cultivated as an ornamental.

<i>Conophytum jucundum</i> Species of succulent

Conophytum jucundum is a species of succulent plants belonging to the family Aizoaceae. As its synonym Conophytum gratum, the pleasing cone plant, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Pleiospilos bolusii</i> Species of succulent

Pleiospilos bolusii, the mimicry plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, where it grows at an elevation of 750–1,100 m (2,461–3,609 ft). The species epithet bolusii honours Harry Bolus, a 19th-century South African botanist.

<i>Aeschynanthus pulcher</i> Species of flowering plant

Aeschynanthus pulcher, the lipstick plant or red bugle vine, is a species of evergreen perennial plant in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Indochina and western Malesia. An epiphytic climber, it produces clusters of red flowers from summer to winter. The common name "lipstick plant" refers to the bright red tubular flowers, about 6 cm long, that emerge from a maroon calyx, which resemble lipstick emerging from a tube. The plant may grow 60 cm to 2 meters tall, with an average spread of 50 cm. The leaves are elliptic and are arranged in pairs, with smooth edges.

<i>Aloe bakeri</i> Species of succulent

Aloe bakeri is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to Madagascar, where it grows on rocky hills at low elevations. Growing to 10–20 cm (4–8 in) tall by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is an evergreen perennial forming multiple rosettes of spidery succulent green or reddish-green toothed leaves, heavily mottled with white. The leaves are typically 10 cm long and bear straight or slightly curved white teeth that are 1 mm long and about 1-2 mm apart. In summer it produces red or orange, green-tipped tubular flowers. These flowers are attractive to birds, bees, and wasps, and are typically 2 cm long, borne on racemes 30 cm tall.

<i>Cleretum bellidiforme</i> Species of flowering plant

Cleretum bellidiforme, commonly called Livingstone daisy, Bokbaaivygie (Afrikaans), or Buck Bay vygie, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is a low-growing succulent annual growing to 25 cm (10 in), and cultivated for its iridescent, many-petalled, daisy-like blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, cream, pink and crimson. In temperate areas it is popularly grown as a half-hardy annual, and lends itself to mass plantings or as edging plants in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. It is still widely referenced under its former names, Mesembryanthemum criniflorum and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.

<i>Kalanchoe pumila</i> Species of plant

Kalanchoe pumila, the flower dust plant, is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to Madagascar. Growing to 20 cm (8 in) tall and 45 cm (18 in) wide, it is a spreading, dwarf succulent subshrub with arching stems of frosted leaves, and clusters of purple-veined pink flowers in spring. As the minimum temperature for cultivation is 12 °C (54 °F), in temperate regions it is grown under glass as a houseplant.

<i>Lithops karasmontana</i> Species of succulent

Lithops karasmontana, is a species of flowering plant in the ice plant family Aizoaceae, native to Namibia and South Africa.

<i>Carruanthus ringens</i> Species of succulent

Carruanthus ringens is from the Carruanthus genus of flowering plants from the ice plant family Aizoaceae. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Crassula ovata</i> Species of succulent

Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide. Much of its popularity stems from the low levels of care needed; the jade plant requires little water and can survive in most indoor conditions. It is sometimes referred to as the money tree; however, Pachira aquatica also has this nickname.

<i>Pleiospilos simulans</i> Species of succulent

Pleiospilos simulans is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, once endemic to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Known populations of the plant in the wild are now extinct due its collection as an ornamental plant for succulent collectors. It is a small, low-growing, perennial with succulent leaves and orange or yellow many-petaled flowers.

<i>Lithops pseudotruncatella</i> Species of plant

Lithops pseudotruncatella is a species of succulent in the family Aizoaceae. Initial confusion associated with Conophytum truncatum is where it derives its name, literally meaning "fake-truncatum". It also received The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The plant is endemic to Namibia.

Stayneria is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Aizoaceae. It contains a single species, Stayneria neilii. It is in the subfamily Ruschioideae and the tribe Ruschieae.

References

  1. "Stone Plant (Pleiospilos spp.) - Plants | Candide Gardening". Candide. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  2. "Pleiospilos nelii". Encyclopedia of Succulents. Llife. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  3. "Pleiospilos nelii".
  4. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  5. "The New Mastering the Art of Growing Mesembs by Steven Hammer". files.nyu.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Pleiospilos nelii " . Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 80. Retrieved 7 May 2018.

Bibliography

  1. AFPD. 2008. African Flowering Plants Database - Base de Donnees des Plantes a Fleurs D'Afrique.
  2. Gibbs Russell, G. E., W. G. Welman, E. Reitief, K. L. Immelman, G. Germishuizen, B. J. Pienaar, M. v. Wyk & A. Nicholas. 1987. List of species of southern African plants. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa 2(1–2): 1–152(pt. 1), 1–270(pt. 2).
  3. Fl. Pl. Africa 47: t.1865B (1983).
  4. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 106: 475 (1986).
  5. Il. Handbook succulent plants: Aizoaceae F-Z : 220 (2001).
  6. Aloe 43[2&3]: 31 (2006).