Lithops Are Amazing "living Stones". Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Interesting and very peculiar lithops are characterized by an equally interesting, and sometimes somewhat strange for our perception, cycle of development. Their flowering or immersion in hibernation is largely influenced by the length of daylight hours. The process of changing the leaves of this bizarre plant also looks very amusing. In short, growing luxurious lithops and observing them is a pleasure

Development cycle of beautiful lithops

The so-called annual development cycle has emerged as a result of evolution so that lithops can better adapt to dry climates. These genetically fixed cycles are practically unchanged. Along with humidity and temperature, the length of daylight hours is also important for Lithops.

It should be noted that the names of the seasons are rather arbitrary. This is due to the fact that the periods of precipitation in different regions can be broken in time or extended, as well as fall in both winter and summer periods.

Lithops are dormant during the dry season, which is characterized by rather long daylight hours. But with the onset of the precipitation period (which, by the way, in many regions begins in autumn), wonderful lithops begin to grow actively. On adult plants, flowers are first formed, and a little later, fruits ripening over several months in the form of funny bolls. Quite large flowers are often almost completely covered by the lithops themselves.

If several lithops bloom at the same time, there is a great opportunity to get not only fruits, but also seeds for the subsequent breeding of these beauties. In this case, the fruits should be left on the lithops until the formation of new leaves, then for six months they must still be allowed to ripen, and only after that the seeds will be ready for sowing.

The dry season can be not only with long daylight hours, but also with short ones. This is, of course, winter. At this time, lithops are in a state of imaginary dormancy, because from inside the old pair of leaves, at the very base, where the growth point is located, another new pair of leaves is formed, which gradually begins to vegetate. The new leaves are surrounded by reliable protection and feed on the substances contained in the old leaves. As a result, from the old leaves there remains a skin that has dried up somewhat resembling paper, which bursts with the onset of the precipitation season and releases new young leaves into the white light. After that, the old pair of leaves, having completely dried out, disappears. By the way, it is by no means worth removing the old shells in order to speed up the process of the appearance of young leaves - if the old shell is removed too early, the new leaves often die, and the plant itself is also unlikely to survive. So everything has its time.

Thus, every year the old pair of leaves is replaced by a new one. The cracks in the new pairs are almost perpendicular to the cracks in the old ones. It also happens that instead of one pair, two couples standing side by side, endowed with a common root system, may appear. Moreover, over time, any of these pairs can be divided into two more. Thus, after several years, just one pair of leaves can turn into a solid colony.

With the onset of the spring period of precipitation, the place of the old pair of leaves is finally taken by a new one. All leaves due to water reserves increase markedly in volume.

During the dormant period under natural conditions, lithops' leaves are drawn into the ground almost entirely, leaving only their upper flat parts with windows on the surface.