€15,90

🌱 Morphology
  It is not in the sea... but this small perennial succulent of the Aizoaceae family has a compact and tufted growth habit, reaching about 10 cm in height. It features opposite and heteromorphic leaves, with bases partially fused to form a short sheath. The leaves are very fleshy, triangular to semi-cylindrical in section, smooth, and grey-green to blue-green in color, with apices slightly curved upwards. Its silhouette resembles the head or back of a small dolphin, hence the epithet delphinoides. Older leaves dehydrate during dormancy and form a protective wrapper around the new growth.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Endemic to South Africa, known from Bulletrap, in the Springbok region, Northern Cape, within Namaqualand. It lives in a very particular geological formation: a whitish, powdery deposit derived from Nama shales. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family and is adapted to an arid environment with predominantly winter rainfall. SANBI considers it Vulnerable (VU D2) because its only known location could be affected by trampling and overgrazing.

❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9a–11b. It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −7 ºC in dry conditions. The available hardiness reference is horticultural and does not come from a specific experimental field assessment.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very high lighting during growth, with a target DLI PAR greater than 20 mol/m²/day. Direct sun promotes compact growth and good leaf coloration. During extreme heat episodes, it is advisable to combine high light levels with ventilation and protection from the most intense radiation.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Summer dormancy. Like other Cheiridopsis, it is adapted to grow during the cooler season and be dormant in summer. During dormancy, the outer leaves dehydrate and form protective sheaths around the new growth. In autumn, winter, and spring, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. During summer, it should be kept practically dry.

🌸 Flowering
It produces solitary flowers, large in relation to the size of the plant, intense yellow in color, which open during the central hours of the day. Flowering occurs during the active period; in Madrid, it can be expected mainly between March and May.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a 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 with substrate activated by mycorrhizal fungi.

7 × 7 cm gourmet black pot.

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