Characteristics of pseudolithos, recommendations for growing a stone plant at home, steps for reproduction, difficulties arising from home care and ways to solve them, notes, types. Pseudolithos (Pseudolithos) belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family, representatives of which come from the lands of South Africa, which are located at Cape Horn and the southern regions of the Arabian Peninsula. It prefers to "settle" on stony placers formed by crushed parent rock under the scorching rays of the sun, or can sometimes hide in the shade of the surrounding bushes. The genus includes 8 varieties.
Its scientific name Pseudolithos is due to its appearance, which so resembles a stone, hardly distinguishable on the natural surface of the substrate. Botanists have combined two words in Greek - "pseudo" and "lithos", meaning "false, false" and "stone", respectively. People call it "stone plant". Most of the species of this genus were discovered and described by the Swiss botanist Peter Rene Oscar Bally (1895-1980), who was a great specialist in the study of plants growing in the tropical climate of eastern Africa.
Pseudolithos differs in that its surface is completely devoid of leaves, and the outlines of the stem themselves take on a spherical shape or may be slightly elongated. Although at the very beginning, a succulent (a plant that has the ability to accumulate moisture in itself) differs in the shape of a ball, but with growing up it takes on cubic outlines and often pronounced edges become visible. Shoots grow singly or sometimes they are taken to bush. The diameter of the stems varies in the range of 5–12 cm and they have tubercles that resemble pimples on toad skin. Pseudolithos eylensis (Pseudolithos eylensis), has a stem with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of up to 15 cm. The smallest is Pseudolithos mccoyi - with a height of up to 6 cm, but the stem forms lateral processes, and takes the shape of small groups.
The color and texture of the shoots is very similar to the surrounding pebbles. The color can be light green, light brown or pale gray. However, there are varieties that have shoots of a silvery or even pinkish hue.
Surprisingly, flowers can form on such unusual shoots, albeit rather small in size. Their diameter reaches 1 cm. On the petals there is a fleecy coating, which on the tops of the petals takes the form of brushes. The color of the petals is reddish-brown or brownish-purple, and closer to the central part, it brightens. Sometimes they are covered with a pattern of yellow mottling. The buds are located on the lateral surfaces of the shoots and are collected in inflorescences of 6-10 units, often their number is much higher (up to 30 pieces). They also bloom in groups of 5-10 buds.
The smell that the opened flowers exude is unpleasant and it resembles rotten meat. Thanks to this disgusting "aroma", flowers attract pollinating flies. Pseudolithos begins to bloom from the end of summer and until November can show off with opened buds, but if the succulent is kept in greenhouses, then in winter its stems are decorated with flowers.
After pollination is completed, the fruits ripen, which have the shape of a box with seeds, through which the plant reproduces in such difficult natural conditions. There are almost 20 seeds in the fruit. If the owner of the plant takes the trouble to collect the seed, then it germinates well, especially those species that have a single stem. For such succulents, this breeding method is the only possible one.
Pseudolithos is a rather difficult plant to care for, if we take into account similar representatives of the Aizoaceae family - Lithops, the former are more difficult to care for and, alas, not so long-growing. Even adhering to all the rules of cultivation, the plant is often affected by rot, which quickly spreads over the entire surface of the shoots and it is not possible to save the succulent. Although collectors of exotic representatives of flora appreciate them quite highly.
Recommendations for growing pseudolithos at home
- Lighting. A place with a bright but diffused light is selected, you can also put it on the south window with shading in the heat. Lack of light provokes thinning and weakening of the stems, flowering does not occur.
- Content temperature. In the spring-summer period, the plant is suitable for heat indicators of 23-27 degrees, but if the succulent is not in direct sunlight, then the pseudolithos can transfer indicators of 38 units. When it is at rest, then 10 degrees of heat is recommended, and a minimum decrease to 4.5 degrees will not harm the plant if the soil is almost completely dry.
- Air humidity when cultivating at home, Pseudolithos should be lowered, spraying is strictly prohibited, but in order to avoid stagnation of air, the visit is often ventilated, protecting the plant from the action of a draft.
- Watering. It is this factor that is difficult when growing pseudolithos at home. This is because this succulent reacts very quickly to soil flooding. Just a couple of mistakes and in 2-3 days the plant dies. Therefore, it is better to overdry the potted substrate a little, but not to overmoisten it. In the spring and summer period, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the soil, if its top layer is completely dry, then you can water the "fake stone". In winter, watering is not desirable. When the water flows into the pot holder, it is immediately drained.
- Fertilizers. As soon as the spring days come, then you can start feeding the succulent. For Pseudolithos, the recommended frequency of feeding is once a month with the use of liquid preparations, the concentration of which is halved. At the end of summer, fertilization of the stone plant is stopped so that its growth is inhibited. It is necessary to use fertilizers in which there is a high content of phosphorus, and nitrogen - a low one.
- Transplant and advice on soil selection. After the seedlings of the pseudolithos are transplanted into a separate container, and it must be remembered that this succulent likes it when the pot is a little cramped for him, the transplant is carried out only once every couple of years with the arrival of spring. In this case, the capacity does not change, but the substrate is changed. It is recommended to use small clay pots in which the soil dries out more quickly. After the plant is transplanted, it is recommended to cover its root collar with coarse sand or very fine gravel so that excess moisture can be removed more easily. A similar drainage layer must be placed on the bottom of the pot, it can be like small pebbles, expanded clay or brick chips of the same size. There should be more perlite, pumice or coarse sand in the soil. The substrate is made up of perlite or pumice, peat chips or organic flour, river sand (in a ratio of 1: 1/2: 1/2). Depleted soils work well.
Pseudolites: steps in propagation from seeds and cuttings
Most often, the method of sowing seed is used for reproduction (it is the simplest and most successful), and only occasionally can rooting of cuttings or grafting be carried out.
Before sowing the seeds, you will need to carry out pre-sowing preparation, which consists in soaking the material for 6-10 hours, using a weak solution of potassium permanganate (if it is dark pink, the seeds are easy to burn). After the specified time has elapsed, they are placed in a solution of immunocytophyte in order to accelerate germination. Seeds are recommended to be sown in a substrate made up of coarse sand and cactus soil, taken in equal parts. For looseness, vermiculite, perlite, crushed charcoal or chips from broken bricks are mixed into it. The soil mixture is sieved and then kept for sterilization in the oven or microwave for up to 30 minutes.
Then the soil is poured into a plastic container, in the bottom of which holes are made so that excess moisture flows freely. Before planting, the containers are also thoroughly disinfected by rubbing with alcohol. It is first necessary to pour a drainage layer to the bottom of up to 1 cm, then the substrate is laid so that its layer reaches 4 cm. On the surface of the soil mixture, the seeds of pseudolithos are carefully distributed and, moreover, they are placed with the pointed part down, slightly deepening by pressing. After that, bottom watering is carried out (when water is poured into a stand under the container) using a fungicide solution. It can be 1 gram of foundation, diluted in a liter can of water.
The container must be covered with a transparent lid and placed in a warm place with bright but diffused lighting. If sowing is carried out in winter, then the container is placed in greenhouse conditions, and on spring days it can be installed on the windowsill. The germination temperature is maintained in the range of 25-30 degrees. After 3 days, you can see the first shoots. The rest of the seeds will "tighten" over the next two weeks. From the very beginning, the seedlings of pseudolithos are very reminiscent of the seedlings of astrophytum, but when they are more than 28 days old, their surface begins to cover the wrinkles that distinguish the plant. It is recommended to grow such young succulents up to 25 days in greenhouse conditions, while when the soil dries up, it is sprayed from a spray bottle. Ventilation is required daily (10-15 minutes) so that the accumulated condensate is removed, since high humidity will provoke decay. As the pseudolithoses grow older, the airing time is made longer and longer.
If the soil in the container is too dry, then the surface of young Pseudolithos shrivels, and waterlogging of the soil will lead to rapid decay. Usually, the frequency of humidification depends on the temperature in the room: with heat indicators above 20 degrees, watering is carried out once every 7 days, if the heat rises (at temperatures above 30 degrees), humidification becomes every 3 days, when the thermometer dropped below 15 units, then the plants are not watered. In this mode, "false stones" grow much more slowly, but will not die from decay. When the seedlings become older and stronger, then they are transplanted in separate pots.
Difficulties arising in the home care of pseudolithos and ways to solve them
The biggest problem when growing a stone plant is waterlogging or stagnant water in the pot. In this case, Pseudolithos cannot be saved, since in just a couple of days the stem of the plant is transformed into a mass resembling jelly. When it comes to pests, the mealybug can be a problem. This insect is manifested by the formation of cotton-like whitish lumps on the surface of the succulent, which cover the stem or the spaces between the shoots. It is possible to remove this pest by soaking a cotton swab in an alcoholic solution of calendula. Since spraying is undesirable, only manual collection of insects may be appropriate in this case.
Notes for flower growers and photos of pseudolithos
Among the plants of this genus, the species Pseudolithos dodsonianus (Pseudolithos dodsonianus) is especially distinguished, since it has the ability to form hybrid forms that do not appear under natural growth conditions. For example, such a hybrid succulent, resulting from the crossing of Pseudolithos dodsonianus and Pseudolithos migiurtinus, became the owner of a stem with a pyramidal contour and a grayish-brown color of the epidermis surface.
Types of pseudolithos
- Pseudolithos caput-viperae may be referred to as Psvedolithos viper head. The plant is common in Somalia. The species name “caput-viperae” comes from the Latin “caput” (head) and the Latin “vipera” (viper, snake), probably due to the shape of the plant. A succulent, a perennial that mostly has a single stem, but occasionally can branch out. The height of the shoots is up to 2 cm with a length of about 1.5–6 cm, but the grafted plant can reach large sizes. The stem grows oval, flattened towards the soil, with a clear four-sided curly shape with rounded corners and a lumpy, bare surface, which very much resembles the head of a viper lying in the dust. Its color can vary from light green (especially for grafted plants in a shaded area) to olive / gray or reddish brown (under direct sun). The roots of the plant are fibrous. Buds, gather in small inflorescences on short shoots scattered around the stem. Each inflorescence contains about 4-30 buds (usually 20), with several flowers that open synchronously. Their smell resembles rotten meat, which makes them attractive to pollinating flies. Ripening bolls have seeds inside, with the help of which reproduction takes place. When grown at home, grafting can be done.
- Pseudolithos cubic (Pseudolithos cubiformis) bears the second name Pseudolithos kubiformis. It also grows in Somali lands and has the characteristics of a succulent. The shape of the stem gave the plant a second specific name, as it resembles a cube, reaching 12 cm in height and width. The surface is painted in a greenish-brown or olive shade. Due to the fact that the shoot is covered with tubercles, its texture resembles a lizard skin. The shoot is covered not only with flat pimples, but also has bizarre wrinkles. The older the plant becomes, the more clearly its four facets become apparent. When blooming, buds bloom with a corolla with a reddish-brown pharynx color, the petals are elongated, their shade is brown, the surface is covered with fleecy gray pubescence. Flower buds are laid on the lateral surface of the shoots. During flowering, there is a characteristic smell of rotten meat, pollination occurs by flies.
- Pseudolithos migiurtinus (Pseudolithos migiurtinus). Synonymous names are Pseudolithos sphaericus, Lithocaulon sphaericus, and Whitesloanea migiurtina. The native habitat is Somalia. The shape of a single miniature stem is spherical, but when the plant becomes fully adult, the thio takes on a cylindrical shape. In this case, the formation of lateral shoots occurs. The stem reaches 9 cm in diameter, its surface is hard. Shoot with tubercles, it is covered with flattened warts, casting a yellowish-green color. Usually, when flowering, buds are not formed from growth points, but flower buds laid on the side walls of the stem. The flowers have a brown-purple color of the petals, on which there is a pattern of small mottles of yellow color. The flowers are collected in lush inflorescences. When fruiting, pods ripen with double outlines of a light green color. When they are fully ripe, they burst, revealing access to the seeds. The number of seeds varies from 30 to 80 units. Their color is dark brown. Each seed has a "parachute". It is made up of whitish hairs, which are attached in the form of a bundle on the narrowed part of the seed - this allows the wind to fly away from the mother plant.
