Conophytum hians

Description

Section Saxetana is one of the more well-defined groups within the genus, characterized by wedge-shaped bodies with narrow fissures and a preference to sit half-sunken among quartzite or shale. The section name comes from the Latin to come from a rock, and in his Conophytum monograph Dumpling and His Wife, Steven Hammer notes that the choice is not uniquely apt, but might have seemed so in 1920 when edaphic information was still scarce. Dormant plants hold a thin papery sheath that splits cleanly when growth begins in early autumn, and the flowers are mostly nocturnal and restrained in color, ranging from white to cream or pale pink. Despite the consistency of the overall outline, the group shows considerable variation, likely tied to its more Namibian-leaning distribution, with the type species C. saxetanum reaching the farthest north. In cultivation these plants are generally cooperative, handle seasonal wrinkling without issue, and have shorter, more predictable dormancy periods than many of the rounder species, though they grow at a slower pace than the upright members of section Biloba.Conophytum hians is a distinctive species with widely fissured pale grey-green bodies covered in fine trichomes. In habitat it often sits nearly buried in quartzite pans, an indicator of its tolerance for more water than most members of the genus. Flowers appear in autumn, nocturnal and scented, with petal color ranging from white to soft pink or cream. Over time the species forms dense cushions, which can be divided if they begin to destabilize.