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Knopies (Conophytum herreanthus)

Description

Conophytum herreanthus subsp. rex forms a ground-level clump of short branches growing paired, succulent leaf bodies. The bluish-green leaves become up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) long. The angular leaves point up, their inner surfaces triangular and facing the other member of the equal leaf pair in a V-shape. The keel at the back of the leaf gives each of the two outside leaf surface one bulging, curved side, deviating from perfect triangles. The three leaf planes meet at the top in a sharp point. Leaf surfaces are smooth and hairless, pale grey in color. Some leaf tips and keels are slightly rosy. There are sparsely scattered, faint dark spots along the grey surfaces. The white to rose-pink flowers are diurnal and appear in late-autumn. Flower size is up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter. Conophytum is a genus of South African and Namibian succulent plants that belong to the Aizoaceae family. The name is derived from the Latin conus (cone) and Greek phytum (plant). The plants are also known as knopies (buttons), waterblasies (water blisters), sphaeroids, conos, cone plants, dumplings, or button plants. Conophytum species are dwarf cushion-forming or single-bodied succulents. Members of the genus are tiny plants with succulent leaves ranging from 1/4" to 2" in length. These leaves are partially or entirely fused along their centers. Each leaf pair (together referred to as a body) ranges in shape from "bilobed" to spherical to ovoid to tubular to conical. Some species have epidermal windows on the top of their leaves. To the naked eye the epidermis ranges from very smooth to slightly rough to hairy, depending on the microscopic epidermal cell shape and structure. In their normal, natural state each stem has only one pair of leaves at a time though one plant may have dozens of stems and thus dozens of leaf pairs. When very heavy rains come to their native habitat they may grow luxuriantly and develop two leaf pairs per stem simultaneously; this is called "stacking up" of the leaves.  

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum:

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Caryophyllales

            • Family: Aizoaceae

              • Genus: Conophytum