Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)

Scientific name: Adromischus schuldtianus ssp. schuldtianus (V. Poelln.) H.E. Moore
In: Baileya, 20 (1): 29, 1976

Section: 5 Longipedunculati

Origin:  Central & SW. Namibia( & Northern Cape South Africa?). This is the most north-westerly Adromischus species.

Habitat: Often filling up cracks on granite hills.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Common Names include: Plover eggs, Knuppelplakkie

Synonyms:  

Adromischus schuldtianus
A very pretty tiny, compact, shrub, building a caudex.

Description: A very pretty tiny, compact, shrub, building a caudex, variable in size.up to 7 cm tall ans 15 cm in diameter.
Stem: Short, erect, tapering, basally tuberose up to 4 cm or more, grey to grey green with peeling bark, distal parts 8-10 mm. Younger leave bearing branches 5-7 mm in diameter.
Rottstock (Caudex): Very thickened.
Roots: Fibrous.
Leaves: Rounded, obovate dorsiventrally compressed, easily caducous up to 2.5 cm long, 1.2 cm wide (thickness 0,3-0,7 cm, dusty white-green mottled with few translucent grey-green to maroon spots or unspotted. Margin acute in upper part horny, undulating or crimped and often with a maroon- purplish tinge, upper face flat to convex, base cuneate, apex rounded to obtuse.
Flowers: Dull green to white or tinged to pink, deep mauve in the throat, on a 20 to 40 cm tall inflorescence, corolla tube pale green, peduncle 3-12 mm long.

Cultivation: They prefer well-drained soil in a partially shaded position and require a minimum temperature 5°C (But hardy down to -7°C for short periods), with good drainage and dryness in winter to resist the cold. Let the soil dry between soaking, in the wild, it receives rain mostly in spring and fall. Must have very dry atmosphere. They are vulnerable to mealybugs and rarely scale. It is prone to rotting from the tuberous base or from dried inflorescences. As the plant matures, the centre becomes bare. When it does, restart it from side cuttings and throw away the central part.