€42,40

🌱 Morphology
It looks like a small melon that decided to take root among the stones of the Karoo. Its rounded body, slightly flattened at the top, is marked by perfectly ordered ribs that curve gently toward the apex, forming a geometry so regular it appears intentionally designed. When it blooms, the small flower stalks persist after drying, leaving a curious crown of small woody structures on the plant's body.

It is a dwarf, glabrous, dioecious, and generally solitary succulent, although adult specimens can produce offsets from the base. The stem is globose or subglobose, occasionally becoming somewhat cylindrical with age, approximately 5–15 cm in diameter, with 8–12 well-defined ribs or angles. The epidermis is green and often features darker horizontal bands that are greenish-violet or tan. The leaves are rudimentary, linear, and deciduous, measuring barely 1–3 mm. It has no true spines; the long peduncles of the cyathia can be simple or branched and, upon drying, remain on the stem for quite some time. It produces white latex.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is endemic to South Africa, mainly in the Eastern Cape province, where it grows in arid and semi-arid environments of the Karoo and succulent shrubland areas. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Its range is relatively limited, and it is currently listed as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss and illegal harvesting for the succulent plant trade.

❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 10a–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −1 ºC briefly when completely dry and well-acclimated. Although it comes from a region with cold nights, low-temperature tolerance should not be confused with resistance to prolonged frosts. Cold combined with moisture at the roots significantly increases the risk of damage and rot. Specialized cultivation references also cite maintaining temperatures around 5–6 ºC as a prudent margin during winter.

☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense lighting, with an approximate goal of 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR during growth. Direct sun promotes compact growth and good definition of the ribs and color bands. Specimens grown under lower radiation levels must be acclimated gradually before being exposed to intense sun.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the active growth period, it is recommended to water generously and allow the substrate to dry out completely before the next watering. In winter, watering should be spaced out significantly, keeping the plant practically dry, especially when temperatures are low. Rapid drainage is essential to prevent water from remaining around the taproot.

🌸 Flowering
It is a dioecious species, so male and female flowers appear on different specimens. The small, pale yellowish-green cyathia appear near the apex, grouped in cymes of up to 12 flowers. The peduncles can reach approximately 6 cm, branch out, and remain dry on the plant after flowering. In its habitat, it blooms mainly from late spring to autumn; in Madrid, it may concentrate its flowering during the warmer months.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer specific for succulents with a high content of assimilable calcium, such as Desert CHOICE® Succulents, is recommended, applied once a month when watering.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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