I've been doing an inventory lately based on the pictures I've got saved on my netbook. Looking at the time stamps I can say when a particular plant was bought or re-potted, had flowers, got two-headed, etc. I have quite some plants from way back, bought in unspecialized stores. Still, I can tell whether they are lesliei or aucampiae or hookeri (these three species also seem to be the most common in german stores). With this little guy I've got no idea whatsoever! But it has a story.
I got it back in 2008 from a hardware store. Actually it was in a big pot with what looked like a big lithops "family", but the most of them were already dead and left behind only dried up skin. This lithops was one of the three still left in the pot, and also the smallest. I brought them home (It took a lot of convincing to get them half-price - even though it was clearly a rescue operation) only to see that all the help was too late for the other two: mealy bugs. This one survived but it's still a mystery because with every annual change it had a new color and pattern.
Any idea what it is? :)
(same plant the years before)
Hi Rika,
ReplyDeleteI would say this is a schwantesii. They have the same color differences between the surface and the sides and this almost orange border. Also these delicate lines and dots look similar.
Could be a C079 or a C080. Judging by the color and markings in the current pic, it could even be a C143B, although that one would probably not be sold in a German hardware store ;-)
Hello Petra! thank you very much for your comment :)
ReplyDeleteNow that you say it, it seems to most likely be a schwantesii indeed. I'll note it under C079/C080, never had these before. Agree that C143B wouldn't be sold just like that, haha. the only lithops cultivars and variations in german hardware stores are normally C036A, aren't they
i'm really curious about this little guy. haven't seen it this year, but if it's bigger now, there's hope that the pattern is clearer and the coloring more stable. i will make photos in ... 6 weeks (yay!)
thanks again :) looking forward to updates in your blog. any sowing plans?
lesliei are so grateful seedlings (waiting for pictures ;) )
ReplyDeletejust saw your adenium - congratulations! from seed to flower! it's a big achievement.
good luck with the otzenianas. my guess is after a certain age they'll stop making troubles :)
oh yes, there are going to be so many pictures once I'm back! and a whole lot of sowing. my sowing plans are gigantic for the next year(s). can't wait to start after a year of deprivation. also, thanks to the blog i hope to document their development much better now :)