Lithops gulielmi

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Since 4 Aug 2013

Lithops gulielmi L. Bolus
Notes Mesembryanthemum [H.M.L. Bolus] 3: 100. 1937 [12 Aug 1937] Remarks: no 'gulielmii', 'guilielmi'.
Family: AIZOACEAE

: Lithops schwantesii Dinter
Sudwestofr. Lithopsart. 14 (1928) Dinter

: Namibia
Type Locality: 10 km NW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia.

Lithops gulielmi L. Bolus

:
Lithops schwantesii Dinter
Sudwestofr. Lithopsart. 14 (1928)
: 49

Lithops dinteri var. marthae (Loesch & Tischer) B.Fearn
Lithops incoronata Dinter
Lithops marthae Loesch & Tischer

Lithops rugosa Dinter

Lithops triebneri L. Bolus

Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis (Dinter) de Boer & Boom

Lithops christinae de Boer
Lithops kunjasensis Dinter
Lithops schwantesii var. kunjasensis (Dinter) de Boer & Boom
Lithops schwantesii var. nutupsdriftensis de Boer
Lithops urikosensis Dinter

:
Lithops schwantesii subs. gebseri (de Boer) D.T.Cole
Lithops Flowering Stones 221 (1988)
: 3

Lithops schwantesii subs. gebseri (de Boer) D.T.Cole

Lithops schwantesii var. gebseri de Boer

Lithops schwantesii subs. gebseri C165 TL: 70 km S of Maltahöhe, Namibia

: Lithops gulielmiSN|11518]]SN|11533]] is one of the innumerable local form of the very variable Lithops schwantesiiSN|11518]]SN|11518]]). It distinguishes for the presence of a rugulose grey‑white surface, with many prominent blood‑red dots or lines in the depressions, the dots forming the prominent feature, lines and dots isolated and not connected with one another. It has the same variable characteristics of the species and cultivated plants can be reliably distinguished from Lithops schwantesiiSN|11533]]SN|11518]] only when seeds or details of wild source are available.
Habit: It is a tiny caespitose succulent that grows almost completely buried in the soil with only the upper truncated portion of leaves visible. Bodies usually forming small groups with 1-3 heads (or more), up to 4 cm high. As with many other species, several varieties and local forms have been described based on the variation of the colour of the tops of the leaves.
Bodies (paired leaves): Truncate in profile, 20-40 mm long, 15-30 mm broad, tops of leaves convex, fissure shallow, faces flush, mostly elliptic-reniform, top of lobe convex slightly rugulose , sides light grey with a narrow deeper grey band near the top; tight grey‑white, in the depressions with many prominent blood‑red dots or lines, the dots forming the prominent feature, lines and dots isolated and not connected with one another; window opaque. Old leaves persist for one year usually, often for two years.
Flower: Yellow, often with longish pedicels, 20-36 mm in diameter.
Blooming season: Autumn.
Fruit: 5(-6) chambered, profile boat-shaped, top more or less flat, faces elliptic to broadly elliptic.

Lithops gulielmi L. Bolus: top surface tight grey-white with many prominent blood-red dots or lines in the depressions, the dots forming the prominent feature, lines and dots isolated and not connected; window opaque. Dostribution: Klein Karasberge.
Lithops kuibisensis Dinter ex H.Jacobsen: white-grey top and in the depressions purple-red dots or short lines and round these lines or dots a purplish border giving the whole top a suffused purplish tint. Distribution: Kuibis and adjacent areas. Namibia
Lithops schwantesii Dinter: Windows and channels obscurely to pellucidly translucent grey-green, rubrications rarely absent, usually a prominent network of bold lines
Lithops schwantesii C076 70 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: pinkish grey, mottled red lines.
Lithops schwantesii C077 Near Helmeringhausen, Namibia: orange grey, pink tinge.
Lithops schwantesii C079 25 km SW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: orange grey, stonelike.
Lithops schwantesii C080 30 km SW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: rusty pink, brilliant.
Lithops schwantesii C106 80 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: transparent dots and lines.
Lithops schwantesii C143B 60 km NNE of Aus, Namibia: mustardy, with red streaks.
Lithops schwantesii C144 (grey Form) 55 km NNE of Aus, Namibia: pinkish grey body, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii C145 55 km NE of Aus, Namibia: reddish grey, clear dots.
Lithops schwantesii C146 55 km NE of Aus, Namibia: red dots and lines, grey body.
Lithops schwantesii C150 (syn. kuibisensis) 25 km E of Aus, Namibia: stone grey body, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii C164 25 km SW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: grey brown mottled top.
Lithops schwantesii C184 (syn. gulielmi) TL: 10 km NW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: orange brown top, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii C185 Near Helmeringhausen, Namibia: pinkish grey, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii C190 70 km SW of Maltahöhe, Namibia: salmon red, faint pattern.
Lithops schwantesii C191 60 km NW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: soft pink stonelike top.
Lithops schwantesii C211 10 km SE of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: puce pattern, stonelike.
Lithops schwantesii C250 (grey Form) 120 km SE of Aus, Namibia: few red lines, dark grey body.
Lithops schwantesii C265 45 km N of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: suffused with red-blue-grey.
Lithops schwantesii subs. gebseri (de Boer) D.T.Cole: Windows absent, channels reduced to a network of grooves or furrows, largely taken up by rubrications, faces opaque to very obscurely translucent shades of brown or brownish grey.
Lithops schwantesii subs. gebseri C165 TL: 70 km S of Maltahöhe, Namibia: brainy texture.
Lithops schwantesii var. marthae (Loesch & Tischer) D.T.Cole
Lithops schwantesii var. marthae C148 60 km SSE of Aus, Namibia: grey pink, smooth.
Lithops schwantesii var. marthae C249 TL: 60 km SSE of Aus, Namibia: tiny bodies, gemlike.
Lithops schwantesii var. marthae C299 120 km SSE of Aus, Namibia: pinkish grey, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. marthae C411 75 km SE of Aus, Namibia: pale tops with subtle markings.
Lithops schwantesii var. rugosa (Dinter) de Boer & Boom
Lithops schwantesii var. rugosa C192 60 km NW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: indented pink grooves.
Lithops schwantesii var. rugosa C247 TL: 40 km NW of Helmeringhausen, Namibia
Lithops schwantesii var. triebneri (L. Bolus) de Boer & Boom: Mustardy coloured tops. It is an heavy bloomer with yellow flowers in autumn.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis (Dinter) de Boer & Boom
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C074 (syn. christinae) 50 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: grey top, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C075 (syn. nutupsdriftensis) TL: 35 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: Plant with very flat grey top and dark reddish lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C083 Near Bethanien, Namibia: light grey, red lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C105 TL: 100 km NW of Maltahöhe, Namibia: pink lines, grey body.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C107 (syn. christinae) 20 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: grey green,red lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C186 (syn. kunjasensis) 5 km NE of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: grey with red lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C210 (syn. christinae) TL: 45 km W of Maltahöhe, Namibia: grey top, dark lines.
Lithops schwantesii var. urikosensis C248 (syn. kunjasensis) 15 km NE of Helmeringhausen, Namibia: gemlike pink-grey.

: Major refences and further lectures
1) Heidrun E. K. Hartmann “Aizoaceae F – Z” Springer 2002
2) Achim Hecktheuer “Mesembs, mehr als nur Lithops” Books on Demand GmbH Norderstedt. 2008
3) Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole, Uwe Beyer, Yves Delange “Les Lithops” SUCCULENTES Spécial 2008 AIAPS (now Terra seca). 2008
4) Desmond T. Cole & Naureen A. Cole “LITHOPS Flowering Stones” Cactus & Co. Libri. 2005
5) Yasuhiko Shimada “The Genus Lithops” Dobun Shoin. 2001
6) Rudolf Heine “Lithops - Lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986
7) Bernd Schlösser “Lithops – Lebende Steine” Praktische Anleitung für die Zimmerkultur. BussinessPoint MEDIA. 2000
8) Steven A. Hammer “Lithops – Treasures of the veld” British Cactus and Succulent Society. 1999
9) Desmond T. Cole “Lithops – Flowering Stones” Acorn Books 1988
10) Rudolf Heine “Lithops – lebende Steine” Neumann Verlag. 1986
11) David L. Sprechman “Lithops” Associated University Presses, Inc. 1970
12) Gert Cornelius Nel “Lithops” Hortors Limited, South Africa 1946
13) Edgar Lamb "The illustrated reference on cacti and other succulents" Blandford Press. 1978
14) Christopher Brickell, Royal Horticultural Society "RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants: K-Z., Volume 2" Kindersley, 2008
15) G. C . Nel “Lithops: Plantae succulantae, rarissimae, in terra obscuratae, e famailia Aizoaceae, ex Africa australi” Hortors Limited, 78, Bree Street, Cape Town, South Africa 1946

: They need an open mineral, fast draining mix and the maximum amount of light you are able to give them. The basic cultivation routine is: Stop watering after flowering. Start watering after the old leaves completely dry. (Usually late March or Early April) Water freely during the growing season, soak the compost fully but allow it to dry out between waterings. Some growers fertilize frequently, some hardly ever. Keep them dry during the winter. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid.
Notes: In the winter season the plant doesn’t need watering, but they will still be growing, the new bodies will be increasing in size as the old outer leaves begin to shrivel. In fact the plant in this time extracts water and nutrient stored in the outer succulent leaves, allowing them to dehydrate relocating the water to the rest of the plant and to the new leaves that form during this period until the old leaves are reduced to nothing more than "thin papery shells".

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