Lithops karasmontana
| Light | Very bright light; several hours of direct sun, especially in the growing season |
|---|---|
| Water | Infrequent and seasonal; water in autumn and spring, keep dry in summer and winter (see Watering) |
| Soil | Sharp, gritty, mostly mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 10–11 |
| Propagation | Seed (primary); division of established clumps |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Lithops karasmontana, the Karas Mountains living stone, is a widely collected living stone from southern Namibia, named for the Karas (Karasberge) mountains where it grows. Its paired, stone-like leaves have flat to gently domed tops in shades of cream, grey and rust, richly patterned with a network of reddish sunken channels, and it produces white daisy-like flowers in autumn. It is one of the more variable and rewarding species in the genus, with many named forms and colour selections.
Description
Like all Lithops, Lithops karasmontana consists of a pair of thick, fused leaves that form a single cone-shaped body split across the top by a central fissure. Each body typically sits 2–4 cm across, buried almost to the top in habitat so that only the flat "window" surface shows at ground level. Plants are often solitary when young but slowly clump into small colonies of several heads with age.
The top faces range from cream and pale grey-brown to warm rust and terracotta, marked by an intricate pattern of reddish to brown sunken lines and dots — the feature that gives the species much of its collector appeal. Colouring and pattern vary greatly from plant to plant, and this variability has been selected into numerous named forms.
Flowers appear from the fissure in autumn: white, many-petalled and daisy-like, opening in the afternoon over a few days. After flowering the plant renews itself, drawing the old leaf pair dry as a fresh pair emerges from within.
Distribution and habitat
Lithops karasmontana is native to southern Namibia, centred on the Karasberge (Karas Mountains) and surrounding arid country. It grows in quartzitic and rocky ground, wedged among stones where its patterned tops blend almost perfectly with the surrounding gravel — a camouflage strategy shared across the genus.
The climate is harsh and dry, with rainfall concentrated in particular seasons and long rainless periods in between. Plants survive drought by shrinking down among the rocks and living off moisture stored in their swollen leaf bodies.
Cultivation
Lithops karasmontana is grown much like the rest of the genus, and the single most important thing is a disciplined, seasonal watering rhythm matched to the plant's growth cycle. Give it the brightest position you can — several hours of direct sun keeps the bodies compact and well coloured; too little light causes stretching and pale, bloated growth.
Use a very sharp, mostly mineral mix in a pot deep enough for the long taproot. Water in autumn (around flowering) and again in spring as the new body emerges, always letting the soil dry completely between waterings. Keep the plant bone dry through the heat of summer and through winter; watering during the summer rest is the commonest way to lose a plant to rot. Do not water while the old leaf pair is being reabsorbed in late winter and spring — the plant is feeding on it. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the standard and most rewarding method. Sown on a fine, gritty surface and kept warm and lightly moist, the seed germinates readily, though seedlings are tiny and grow slowly for the first year or two. Established clumps can also be divided, separating rooted heads carefully and allowing any cut surfaces to callus before replanting. Offsets are not produced in the usual sense — increase comes from the body slowly splitting into multiple heads. See Propagation — seed and Propagation — offsets.
Cultivars
L. karasmontana is a variable species with many recognised forms and selections traded among collectors, differing mainly in the colour and boldness of the top pattern — from pale, softly marked plants to intensely rust-red, heavily channelled forms. Because so much of the variation is natural and seed-grown, most named lines are maintained through careful seed selection rather than as fixed clonal cultivars.
Common problems
- Rot — almost always from watering during the summer or winter rest, or from a mix that holds too much moisture; the body goes soft and translucent.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the bodies elongate upward and turn pale, losing their flat, stone-like form.
- Stacking — watering while the old leaves are still present leads to multiple leaf pairs "stacked" on one plant; withhold water during renewal to avoid it.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff around the fissure and roots) and, less often, spider mites are the usual culprits (see Pests and diseases).
See also
- Lithops — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed · Repotting