Lithops - Au Cactus Francophone

✱Lithops Brevis. Folia subaequalia, ad 3.2 cm. longa, parte libera brevi, 5–6
mm. longa, apice per 5 mm. divergente, 1.5–1.6 cm. lata, apice ad 1 cm. diam.,
superne brunneo glauca vel in cultis glauca, pallide roseata suffusa, fenestra
bene visa, sat parva, sordide olivaceo viridi, saepius enotata, margine exteriore
integra vel inconspicue diviso; flores pomeridiani vespertinique; pedunculus
inclusus, ad 1.8 cm. longus; receptaculum ca 3 mm. longum, ad 6 mm. diam.;
sepala 5, brevia 5–6 mm. longa, basi 2–5 mm. lata; petala 1–2 seriata obtusa,
inferne attenuata, aurea, 7–8 mm., vel in flore altero L 1.1–1.2 cm. longa,
ad 2 mm., vel rarius ad 25 mm. lata; filamenta lutea, superne aurea, ad 6
mm. longa, antheris luteis; ovarium supra planum, lobis vix visis; stigmata 5,
6–7 mm. longa; capsula senectissima tantum visa, supra fere plana.
Namaqualand: “Hills 5 miles S.E. of Viool’s Drift,” Orange River, Oct.
183, Pillans, 6608. Fl. Maio Jun. 1932. L. olivacea, L. Bol., valde affinis,
fortasse varietas mera.
4. LITHOPS BROMFIELDII
Lithops Bromfieldii. (Plate 5.) Growths solitary or forming clumps of two
or more; window irregular, very dark olive green, and on this a number of
bifurcated blood red to dark brown red lines, the forks ending in the si
nuses of the outer margin; outer margin lobed or laciniated, the lobes or
laciniae projecting into the window and forming ridges or islands; islands and
lobes bullate, coloured a brown yellow; margin coloured light brown yellow.
Flowers yellow.
Keimoes, Gordonia.
This species is easily recognised by (1) the bullate yellow brown mark
ings of the dark green window, and (2) the many dark to blood red lines.
It is related to L. insularis, which grows in the immediate neighbour hood
of this species, but L. Bromf ieldii differs from L. insularis in that there are
no yellow brown markings in the window. In my own mind, however, I am
not so sure that L. insularis is not a variant form of L. Bromf ieldii and
that it stands at the one end of the breadth of variation of L. Bromf ieldii
and that L. Bromf ieldii, as described by L. Bolus, is at the other end. This
can only be settled by an examination of these two species in their natural
habitat (Fig. 19).
Lithops Bromfieldii. (Plaat 5.) Planteliggaam enkel of 2 of meer in ’n klomp,
venster onreëlmatig, baie donker olyfgroen en in hierdie deursigtige deel ’n
aantal gevurkte bloedrooi tot donker bruinrooi lyne, die vurke eindig in die
inhamme van die buitenste soom; buitenste soom geslip; sommige van die
slippe vorm uitlopers in die venster in en vorm eilande; die eilande en die
slippe opgeblaas, geelbruin; op die eilande ’n groot aantal klein wit stippeltjies;
binnesoom byna reguit; eilande en some lig bruingeel gekleurd. Blomme geel.
Keimoes, Gordonia.
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