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Conophytum calculus,(Berger) N.E. Br. CATAPHRACTA GROUP
Aizoaceae

Distribution:  Northern Cape,
confined to the Knersvlakte.  Found from Holrivier in the South to Bitterfontein in the North.

Flower:  The flowers are autumnal, nocturnal and are strongly scented of cloves. 
The calyx tube is 4-7mm long with 5-6 lobes, the corolla tube is 5-20mm long, there are 35-75 (20mm long 2mm wide) golden yellow to reddish orange petals.  Capsule is 5-7 locular, brown, obovate and maculate.  Many seeds.

Description:  The plant is caespitose.  Mound forming with age.  The internodes are not visible.  The bodies (10 - 35 mm length of base to apex x 10  - 30 mm across apex, transverse to fissure x 10 - 30 mm across apex, along fissure) are globose, very firm.  The immaculate chalky - green to pale green epidermis is glabrous.  The depressed glabrous fissure is 3 - 5 mm long and it never reddens (which is common for the CATAPHRACTA group).   The sheath is persistent, white to pale brown in colour, sheath is smooth.

Point of interest:  Calculus is derived from latin and means "pebbles".

Photographer: Max H. Michael

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