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Description
It is among the easiest species to grow but very nice and worth to be collected. It has quite large bodies with two lobes and showy yellow flowers in autumn. Family: Mesebrianthemaceae (Aizoaceae) Scientific name: Conophytum christiansenianum L.Bolus BILOBA GROUP Origin: Namaqualand. Habitat: Growing in a well drained soil with some water in winter and some sun.
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Description: C. christiansenianum is a robust caespitose plant, stemless or short stems develop with time. Size: Thickness: 3 centimetres Height: 7 centimetres Profile: The leaf-tips (lobes) are free and are 10-40 mm long and triangular in shape and keeled Colours: The margins are green to red or deep purple in colour. The epidermis is slightly velvety, it is whitish-green to glaucous-blue green Flower: Scentless up to 3 cm (The largest of the genus) Blooming season: The flowers are autumnal (rarely in summer) and diurnal. | |
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Conophytum christiansenianum is now considered to be a synonym for C. bilobum ssp bilobum. Whatever its taxonomy, this plant from provides a lovely splash of colour when it is covered by its yellow flowers. Cultivation: C. christiansenianum is easy to grow. These plants grow on winter rain and head for summer dormancy. They require little water; otherwise its epidermis breaks (resulting in unsightly scars). Water minimally in summer, (only when the plant starts shrivelling), but it will generally grow even in summer if given water. Water regularly in winter after the previous year's leaves have dried up. Requires good drainage. Keep cool and shaded in summer, it needs full sun or light shade. Hardy to -2°C. Ensure a very good ventilation. Avoid to repot frequently. This plant may stay in the same pot for many years. Propagation: It can be reproduced both by cuttings and seeds. Take the cutting from a grown-up mother plant. Each cutting must contain one or more heads along with a fraction of root. |