Prismatic Tanquana | Prismatic Stone
€10,60
Tanquana prismatica (Schwantes) H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede — “Prismatic stone”
🌱 Morphology
Small perennial succulent of the Aizoaceae family, compact and cespitose, which can form clusters of numerous heads. Each growth normally develops a single pair of opposite and unequal leaves, very thick, firmly fleshy, and with a triangular-prismatic cross-section, with a flat or slightly concave upper surface. Its smooth epidermis can be green, grayish-green, coppery, or acquire bronzed and reddish tones under intense lighting, and features small dark dots. Unlike Pleiospilos, the leaves of Tanquana lack a marked keel.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to South Africa, in the central and southwestern Western Cape province, especially in the Tanqua Karoo and parts of the Great Karoo. It inhabits stony surfaces and shale outcrops where the soil is very scarce and drainage is rapid. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family. SANBI currently considers it Least Concern (LC), with a stable population.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9b–11. It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −4 ºC in dry conditions. The hardiness reference is secondary and should be interpreted with caution, especially with moist substrate.
☀️ Lighting
Requires very high light levels during growth, with a target DLI PAR greater than 20 mol/m²/day. Intense sun encourages the bronzed and reddish tones of the leaves, although during periods of maximum heat, it may appreciate some protection from the most extreme radiation.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Summer dormancy. It is a mesemb that grows primarily in winter, adapted to a regime of scarce rainfall concentrated in the cold season. Growth takes place approximately from September to March in the Northern Hemisphere, while it goes dormant in summer and should be kept practically dry. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering.
🌸 Flowering
Produces solitary, intensely fragrant flowers up to about 4 cm in diameter, with numerous yellow petals. Flowering is autumnal in the Southern Hemisphere, approximately between February and May depending on the populations; in Madrid, this corresponds approximately to August-November.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and potassium is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Aizoáceas, applied during watering and avoiding excessive nitrogen inputs.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
7 × 7 cm gourmet black pot.
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