Conophytum

Conophytum is a genus of South African and Namibian succulent plants that belong to the family Aizoaceae. The name is derived from the Latin conus (cone) and Greek phytum (plant). The plants are also known as knopies (buttons), waterblasies (water blisters), sphaeroids, conos, cone plants, dumplings, or button plants.

Conophytum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Aizoaceae
Subfamily:	Ruschioideae
Tribe:	Ruschieae
Genus:	Conophytum N.E.Br.
Species
See text

Conophytum flavum

Conophytum calculus

Conophytum burgeri

Conophytum breve

Taxonomy

The genus is sometimes wrongly referred to as Conophyton, the name that Adrian Hardy Haworth suggested in 1821: "If this section proves to be a genus, the name of Conophyton would be apt". However, this was too tentative to establish a validly published generic name and also, Haworth himself neither adopted it nor accepted the genus. The genus was neither recognised nor validly named until the name Conophytum was published 101 years later.[1]

Description

Conophytum species are dwarf cushion-forming or single-bodied succulents. Members of the genus are tiny plants with succulent leaves ranging from 1/4" to 2" in length. These leaves are partially or entirely fused along their centers. Each leaf pair (together referred to as a body) ranges in shape from "bilobed" to spherical to ovoid to tubular to conical. Some species have epidermal windows on the top of their leaves. To the naked eye the epidermis ranges from very smooth to slightly rough to hairy, depending on the microscopic epidermal cell shape and structure. In their normal, natural state each stem has only one pair of leaves at a time though one plant may have dozens of stems and thus dozens of leaf pairs. When very heavy rains come to their native habitat they may grow luxuriantly and develop two leaf pairs per stem simultaneously; this is called "stacking up" of the leaves.

Cultivation

Several species of Conophytum are found in cultivation. In temperate regions they are best grown in a specialist medium with the protection of glass, as they do not tolerate temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F).

Conservation

Recently several species have been threatened with extinction due to mining and poaching from the wild for the black market. These plants are mainly sold to collectors in Asian countries, where there has been a high demand for them.[2]

Species

This is a list of species in the genus Conophytum.[3]

Conophytum achabense Conophytum acutum Conophytum albiflorum Conophytum angelicae Conophytum armianum Conophytum arthurolfago Conophytum auriflorum Conophytum bachelorum Conophytum bicarinatum Conophytum bilobum Conophytum blandum Conophytum bolusiae Conophytum breve Conophytum brunneum Conophytum bruynsii Conophytum burgeri Conophytum calculus Conophytum caroli Conophytum carpianum Conophytum chauviniae Conophytum chrisocruxum Conophytum chrisolum Conophytum comptonii Conophytum concavum Conophytum concordans Conophytum cubicum Conophytum depressum Conophytum devium Conophytum ectypum Conophytum ernstii Conophytum ficiforme Conophytum flavum Conophytum francoiseae Conophytum fraternum Conophytum friedrichiae Conophytum frutescens Conophytum fulleri Conophytum globosum Conophytum halenbergense Conophytum hammeri Conophytum hermarium Conophytum herreanthus Conophytum hians Conophytum irmae Conophytum jarmilae Conophytum joubertii Conophytum jucundum Conophytum khamiesbergense Conophytum klinghardtense Conophytum kubusanum

Conophytum limpidum Conophytum lithopsoides Conophytum loeschianum Conophytum longibracteatum Conophytum longum Conophytum luckhoffii Conophytum lydiae Conophytum marginatum Conophytum maughanii Conophytum meyeri Conophytum minimum Conophytum minusculum Conophytum minutum Conophytum mirabile Conophytum obcordellum Conophytum obscurum Conophytum pageae Conophytum pellucidum Conophytum phoeniceum Conophytum piluliforme Conophytum praesectum Conophytum pubescens Conophytum pubicalyx Conophytum quaesitum Conophytum ratum Conophytum reconditum Conophytum regale Conophytum ricardianum Conophytum roodiae Conophytum rugosum Conophytum saxetanum Conophytum schlechteri Conophytum semivestitum Conophytum smorenskaduense Conophytum stephanii Conophytum stevens-jonesianum Conophytum subfenestratum Conophytum subterraneum Conophytum swanepoelianum Conophytum tantillum Conophytum taylorianum Conophytum tomasi Conophytum truncatum Conophytum turrigerum Conophytum uviforme Conophytum vanheerdei Conophytum velutinum Conophytum verrucosum Conophytum violaciflorum Conophytum wettsteinii

Conophytum seitubum

References

1. McNeill, J. et al (eds) "International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Vienna Code). Regnum Vegetabile" 146. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag 2006. KG. ISBN 3-906166-48-1
2. https://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/why-black-market-cacti-succulents-booming
3. Hammer, S.(2002) Dumpling and His Wife: New Views of the Genus Conophytum EAE Creative Colour Ltd. ISBN 0-9539326-1-3