Lithops dinteri – Living Stones Seed x20

This Living Stone is native to an area 30km South of Warmbad, Namibia growing in barren mineral terrains. Each species is found in a small area of habitat that does not encroach on others. These habitats are so specialised that Lithops do not naturalize outside their chosen area.

Individual plants consist of one or more pairs of bulbous, almost fused, leaves and almost no stem. The crease between the leaves contains the growing and flowering point from which new leaves and flowers emerge. The top surface of the leaves has a translucent ‘window’ which allows sunlight to enter for photosynthesis. Leaf colour varies between shades of pale green, grey, pink or brown patterned with blood red dots. L. dinteri is the only Lithops known to have bright red markings. 

This genus of plants does not self-pollinate and require pollen from a neighbouring plant. After flowering, a green to pink capsule opens to disperse seeds when there is moisture on it and closes when the moisture dries.

Lithops lives in a particularly harsh environment of course outcrops of pegmatite and are almost buried in soil as a survival strategy against grazing.