Plants: Pleiospilos bolusii - Living Rock Cactus

The genus Pleiospilos is comprised of four species and four subspecies. The genus name is derived from the greek words pleios (full) and spilos (dots), which refers to the many dots on the plants. The plants are also known as kwaggavy (Quagga mesemb), lewerplant (liver plant), lewervygie (liver mesemb), klipplant (stone plant) and split rock.

The plants may be compact or clustered. The branches have between one to four pairs of fleshy leaves (plants may be unbranched). Leaves are broad and rounded, fused at the base, grey-green to brownish in colour. The leaves are covered in a waxy x which may flake. Flowers appear in autumn or winter. The large fragrant (cocoa suntan lotion) flowers open in mid-afternoon and close just after sunset. The flowers are borne on short pedicels and are yellow to coppery-orange, seldom white or pinkish, in colour, flowers are solitary or appear in clusters. Plants are found in South Africa, mainly in the Little Koo on the border of the Eastern and Western Cape, distribution extends to the southern-parts of the Great Karoo in the Northern Cape, P. comactus subsp. canus is found near Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State. Plants occur in shale or sandstone areas. The Mimicry Stones Cactus make an unusual, yet easy to grow house plant. They prefer full sun and water when dry..
Publisher: Hirt's Gardens