Aloinopsis rosulata
| Light | Bright light to full sun; a few hours of direct sun encourages compact growth |
|---|---|
| Water | Water through the cooler growing months (autumn to spring); keep dry during summer dormancy, and water only very sparingly in hard winter cold |
| Soil | Very gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Cool-growing; tolerates light frost if bone-dry, best kept above freezing |
| Propagation | Seed; occasionally division of clumps |
| Toxicity | Not known to be toxic to cats or dogs |
Aloinopsis rosulata is a small, clump-forming succulent in the ice plant family Aizoaceae, native to the arid Karoo interior of South Africa. It forms flat, ground-hugging rosettes of stubby, spatula-shaped leaves whose waxy surfaces bear a few scattered small tubercles, and it sits over a thick, swollen tuberous root. It produces daisy-like flowers, yellow to pale pink and marked with a fine red midline stripe, in the cooler months. It belongs to the genus Aloinopsis, a group of tuberous-rooted mesembs prized by collectors of miniature succulents.
Description
Aloinopsis rosulata grows as a low rosette, or a small cluster of rosettes, of short spatula-shaped leaves pressed close to the soil. The leaves are firm and somewhat angular, their waxy upper surfaces slightly wrinkled and bearing a few scattered small tubercles (platelets) that give a subtly rough, dotted texture and help the plant blend into gritty ground. The colour ranges from grey-green to a bronzed olive, often deepening under strong light.
Beneath the surface sits the plant's most distinctive feature: a stout, tuberous taproot far larger than the modest rosette above it, reaching up to about 20 cm long and 4 cm across. This underground storage organ carries the plant through long dry spells and is frequently raised above the soil by growers who enjoy the caudiciform look.
Flowers appear mainly in autumn and into the cooler part of the year. They are relatively large for the size of the plant, daisy-like in the manner typical of the Aizoaceae, and range from yellow to pale pink, each petal marked with a fine red midline stripe. Blooms tend to open in the afternoon and close again toward evening.
Distribution and habitat
Like most of its genus, Aloinopsis rosulata comes from the arid, autumn-rainfall Karoo of South Africa (Eastern and Western Cape, roughly Beaufort West to Willowmore and Steytlerville), where it grows on stony, rubble-strewn shale flats and lower slopes among low karroid vegetation. Plants root into gritty, well-drained mineral soils, in a region of well under 300 mm of rain a year, and endure hot dry summers, cool nights and only occasional rainfall by retreating into their swollen roots. The rosettes sit flush with the surrounding gravel, an effective camouflage against grazing and sun.
Cultivation
Aloinopsis rosulata is a rewarding little plant for the collector of miniatures, but its needs are the reverse of most houseplants: it is a cool-season grower that wants a genuine rest in the heat of summer. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a deep pot to accommodate the tuberous root, and give it as much bright light as you can — a few hours of direct sun keeps the rosette tight and the flowers coming.
Water through the cooler growing months, chiefly autumn and spring and on into milder winter weather, always letting the mix dry out completely before watering again. Ease right off as summer heat arrives and keep the plant dry through its summer rest, and water only very sparingly during hard winter cold. The species is fairly cold-hardy when bone-dry and can take a touch of light frost, but the reliable enemy is standing moisture, which quickly rots the root and lower leaves. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the usual and most reliable method. Sow onto a gritty, mineral surface kept lightly moist and warm until germination, then grow the seedlings hard and bright. Established clumps can sometimes be lifted and divided, taking care to keep a good portion of root with each rosette, though the plants resent root disturbance and are slow to re-establish. See Propagation — seed and Propagation — offsets for fuller walkthroughs.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the commonest cause of loss, almost always from overwatering, watering in summer dormancy, or a mix that holds too much moisture; the tuber and rosette soften and collapse.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the rosette stretch, pale and loosen, spoiling its compact form.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in leaf crevices and on the roots) and root mealybugs are the usual troublemakers; watch the root when repotting.
See also
- Aloinopsis — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets