''Lapidaria'' is a monotypic genus of dwarf succulent plants in the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

. The only species it contains is ''Lapidaria margaretae'', also known as the Karoo rose.

Description

''Lapidaria margaretae'' resembles those genera within the family Aizoaceae to which it is most closely related; namely ''

Lithops ''Lithops'' is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words () 'stone' and () 'face', referring to the stone-like appearanc ...

'', ''

Dinteranthus ''Dinteranthus'' is a genus of plants in the family Aizoaceae. It occurs in the arid northwestern parts of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa and the south-eastern parts of Namibia. Description and taxonomy The plants are mesembs, and res ...

'' and ''

Schwantesia ''Schwantesia'' is a genus of plant in the family Aizoaceae. It is named in honor of the German botanist and archaeologist Gustav Schwantes (1881 - 1960).Genaust, Helmut (1976). ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen'' ''Sc ...

''. However, while ''Lithops'' and ''Dinteranthus'' will typically only have one pair of leaves, ''L. margaretae'' has two to four pairs of leaves. Each leaf is 1.5–2 cm long and 1 cm wide. Clumps of up to three heads may be formed with age. The plant is mostly dormant during the hot summer and cold winter, only growing during the spring and autumn, with flowering occurring in the latter, or in early winter. It flowers with a single 5 cm wide yellow flower that can eclipse the plant. This flower contains 6 or 8

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s, up to around 100

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s (always a multiple of three) and 300–500

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. It opens during the day. The flowering might be solitary, or succeeded by up to two others.

Distribution

This species is native to dry areas (250 mm per year) in southern

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, around Warmbad and the Northern Cape areas adjacent to Warmbad in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, at an elevation of above sea level.

Habitat

''Lapidaria margaretae'' grows sunken into the ground on white quartz plains, in crevices, in red sand or on loose stone. It is usually located on Northeast-facing gentle hill slope in full sun, or under dwarf shrub in a succulent steppe. It often grows near other stone-like succulents, such as ''Lithops'' species.

Cultivation

Even though there are no commercial uses for ''L. margaretae'', it is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant. They need full bright sunlight throughout the year and will grow strongly at any time when the weather is warm and sunny and water is available. Plants are frost tolerant to .

Notes

References

* ''Southern African Wild Flowers: Jewels of the Veld'' page 160–161
SIBIS: Lapidaria margaretea
Aizoaceae {{Aizoaceae-stub