Nananthus VITTATUS

Nananthus VITTATUS - Striped nananthus, Nananthus Vittatus, Rabiea ALBIPUNCTA.

Seed series "Living Stones".

Nananthus is a genus of dwarf succulents in the ice plant family (Aizoaceae), closely related to aloinopsis and rabiea. They grow in arid inland regions of South Africa, on rocky plains and gravelly slopes, most often on high plateaus where frosts occur in winter.

The plants are quite small: rosettes rise only a few centimeters above the ground. However, their root is enormous - a thick tuberous turnip-like taproot, up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long in some species, storing moisture during drought. The leaves are fleshy, thick, angular or tongue-shaped, grayish-green or dark green, usually with small pale tubercles.

The flowers are solitary, daisy-like, about 2.5 cm (1 in) across, yellow, in most species with a distinct red stripe along the midline of each petal. They open toward evening and close with the onset of darkness. The fruit is a dry capsule with small seeds.

Striped nananthus is a heavily branching succulent with a large caudex, forming rosettes up to 10 cm (3.9 in) tall. The tuberous, fleshy roots are up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long and significantly surpass the aboveground portion in mass.

The leaves are thick, fleshy, olive-green to dark green, arranged in rosettes. The daisy-like flowers are about 2.5 cm (1 in) across, yellow, with a red stripe along the midline of each petal - to which the species owes its name: "vittatus" means "striped" in Latin. Flowering occurs in winter.

Nananthus seeds are very small, dark, ripening in dry capsules that open with moisture. Soaking such tiny seeds is impractical, so the substrate itself is sanitized: before sowing, it is drenched with a weak potassium permanganate solution and allowed to dry slightly. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is done in a shallow flat with a mixture of 1 part leaf soil and 2 parts coarse sand with perlite, with a spacing of 2-3 mm (0.08-0.12 in) between seeds, pressing lightly and covering with a thin layer of sand no more than 1 mm (0.04 in) thick. The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with film or placed in a greenhouse, and germinated in light, but not under direct sun, at a temperature of 25-30 °C (77-86 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first seedlings appear within 6-7 days, main germination is usually completed in 2-3 weeks, and individual seeds may take longer. The flat is ventilated 1-2 times daily for 10-15 minutes to prevent condensation buildup, moistened as before from a spray bottle, allowing neither waterlogging nor complete drying out. Pricking out is performed after the seedlings have visibly strengthened, into individual deep pots - the taproot develops very early.

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The plant needs bright light, tolerates direct sunlight well, and light partial shade is also acceptable. Flower opening depends directly on light levels: in overcast weather, they may not open at all.

In summer the temperature is 18-25 °C (64-77 °F), in winter not below 10 °C (50 °F). Nananthus tolerates dry air excellently, whereas stagnant air and persistent dampness are hazardous to it.

The main watering occurs during the growth period, from autumn to spring, and is carried out only after the substrate has dried out completely. During summer dormancy, watering is sharply reduced, only occasionally moistening the soil slightly. Excess moisture with poor drainage is the primary cause of plant loss: both the root and the rosettes rot.

The substrate should be rocky, poor, and loose, with neutral acidity. Commercial cactus soils are not suitable due to high peat content. A mixture of light turf soil with coarse sand or fine gravel in equal parts will work, or a mixture of 2 parts turf soil, 1 part leaf humus, 3 parts coarse sand, and 2 parts crushed brick. The prepared substrate is necessarily sanitized before planting. A deep pot is selected to accommodate the long taproot, with drainage placed at the bottom.

Fertilizing is optional: the plant obtains everything it needs from water and substrate. If repotting has not been done for more than 2-3 years, cactus and succulent fertilizer is applied during watering at half dose, no more than three to four times per growing season. Repotting is carried out as needed, usually once every 2-3 years.

With proper care, nananthus rarely suffers from pests or diseases. In winter, fungus gnats, spider mites, and mealybugs occasionally appear: insecticides are used against gnats and mealybugs, and acaricides against mites, strictly according to instructions. Rot of the root and rosettes is treated only by sharply reducing watering and applying a fungicide, though it is best to avoid it altogether.