Argyroderma delaetii C.A.Maass

Argyroderma delaetii EvJ14049A

Argyroderma delaetii C.A.Maass

Origin and Habitat: South Africa (Knersvlakte, Little Namaqualand)
Habitat: Grows in one of the most strange ecozones on Earth, the quartz fields of coastal Namaqualand in northwest South Africa . This region consists of flat plains or gently rolling hills - that seem to just go on for miles in every direction - completely covered with small (2 cm to fist size) chunks of white quartz atop rocky, saline soil. Hidden among the the pure white quartzite or clustering on top of them argyrodermas make their yearly set of leaves, flower and set seed. And their reproductive abilities are impressive. In a good year, with enough winter rain to supplement the frequent fog that keeps the whole ecosystem surviving, some quartz patches are so dense with Argyroderma that the ground is blue with them rather than white and it's impossible to walk (even on tip-toe) without stepping on them. Some plant in habitat have scars or burst in their skins, just like they do at home.

Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Stone Plants, Living Rock, Silver Stoneflower, Living Stone

Description: This plants remain solitary or slowly clump and form clusters of little “eggs” at the ends of short prostrate stems, They consist of a pair of fleshy leaves, either in clusters or singly, up to 3 cm hight. It is extremely variable and also plants from the same seed capsule may show different flower colours, reflected by the great numbers of synonyms.
Body (Paired leaves): Silvery-blue to blue-green eggs-shaped cut almost in two along their width, with a v-shaped fissure extending along the cut. Each half of the cut open egg is actually a greatly thickened leaf, and each year a new set of leaves appears in the fissure, arranged perpendicularly to the preceding pair of leaves.
Flowers: The flower are large daisy like from the junction. The colour is quite variable in this species, even in the same population. purple, pink, violet, or rarely white, but Argyroderma delaetii also exists in several shades of yellow - you never know.
Blooming season: Flowers appear late in autumn.
Remarks: These succulent plants are popular among cacti and succulent plant growers, although rather rare in collections in spite of being very interesting plant for their unique shapes and colourful flowers. What appeals to most people is the fact that the plants will often resembles chubby, quartz egg-shaped pebbles with a silvery sheen of the land they are native too. The plants evolved to look like stones in order to evade detection and consumption by animals.

Argyroderma delaetii (llifle.com)

https://youtu.be/j51lLIacG1M