Conophytum wettsteinii

Conophytum wettsteinii

Family: Aizoaceae

Common name: Cone plant, dumplings, button plants

It has a broad top and narrowed base. Individual plants seem circular from above, with fissures up to 4mm long. The plant has a green to blue-green color with a spotted, smooth epidermis which may appear glossy. This species flowers only in autumn, with scentless flowers opening during the day. Flowers are short and wide, ranging in color from magenta to pale pink or rarely white.

Sowing instructions: The small seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sand, any time during the summer months when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a very fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the first 3-4 days cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear Perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on misting can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: January 2024