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Conophytum flavum ssp flavum (ornatum form), N.E. Br. WETTSTEINIA GROUP
Aizoaceae

Locality:  Photograph taken in habitat at Wyepoort Valley, Richtersveld.

Distribution:  Northern Cape,
found  quartzite patches and vertical shales from Steinkopf to Aribes, Blesberg, Concordia and Geselskapbank.

Flower:  The scentless flowers are autumnal and open in the morning.  The calyx-tube is 5-8 mm long with 5 sepals that are 6mm long and green or reddish in colour, 25-60 yellow petals in 2-3 series - 18mm long 3mm wide.  Capsule is 4-7 locular, depressed, obovate, pale tan to deep brown in colour and spotted with tannins.  Seeds are finely tuberculate.

Description:  The plants form mat or low cushions.  The bodies (8 - 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 obconical, truncate, convex (rarely concave) at the apex.   The epidermis is glabrous and pale whitish-green to a deep greyish-green in colour.   There could be numerous tanniniferous idioblasts (they appear as translucent green spots) but they could be quite deeply subcutaneous and therefore appear invisible.   The shallow fissure (2-6mm long) is surrounded by a zone of translucent idioblasts.   The fissure never reddens.

Point of interest:  These plants are named for their clear yellow petals.

Photographer:  Etwin Aslander

/ Antegibbeaum / Cheiridopsis / Conophytums / Dinteranthus / Fenestria / Gibbeaum / Hammeria / Lithops / Pleiospilos /