€10,60

🔍 Morphology
Small perennial succulent, low-growing, which can form somewhat open clumps with age and reach about 15 cm in height and 25 cm in diameter. The leaves appear in opposite pairs; they are thick, pale grayish-blue, densely covered in small papillae and hairs, with a very short keel and translucent margins without teeth. The leaf pairs remain separated from each other, giving the plant a characteristic appearance. During dormancy, the outer leaves dry up and form a protective papery sheath around the new growth.

📍 Distribution, habitat and family
Endemic to South Africa, restricted to the central mountains of the Richtersveld, in the Northern Cape province. It grows on quartzite plains and slopes, within Richtersveld shrubland communities and Stinkfontein mountain quartz fynbos. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family. Its range is very limited and it is classified by SANBI as Near Threatened (NT).

🌡️ USDA Zone and temperature
USDA 8a–11. Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −7 ºC when established and completely dry. Resistance decreases if cold coincides with moisture in the substrate.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very high lighting during growth, preferably direct sun or very bright partial shade, with a target exceeding 20 mol of PAR photons/m²/day. High radiation promotes compact growth and the formation of thick, well-pigmented leaves.

🌸 Flowering
It produces solitary flowers, approximately 6 cm in diameter, on a short pedicel. They are pale yellow and, as in other Cheiridopsis, they open during the central hours of the day and close at dusk. Flowering corresponds to the autumn-winter period of the Southern Hemisphere, approximately April-July in South Africa, equivalent to October-January in Spain.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Summer dormancy. It is a species adapted to cool-season rains. Active growth occurs mainly from autumn to spring, while during the summer the old leaves form the papery sheaths that protect the new leaf pair. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In summer, it should be kept practically dry, especially at high temperatures.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with high content of assimilable calcium and potassium is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Aizoaceae, applied during watering and avoiding excessive nitrogen inputs.

This is an inimitable Xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

7 × 7 cm gourmet black pot.

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