Oophytum OVIFORME

Oophytum OVIFORME - Egg-shaped Oophytum, Krapogies.

Seed series "Living Stones".

Oophytum is a tiny genus of highly succulent plants in the ice plant family (Aizoaceae), comprising only two species. Both are endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa and grow on the quartz fields of the Knersvlakte, where white pebbles reflect light and create a special microclimate.

The plants are miniature, consisting of a pair of almost completely fused fleshy leaves that form a smooth egg-shaped body without markings. With age, the plant branches at the base and grows into a dense clump.

The flowers are small, pink or white, opening in autumn and sitting directly in the fissure between the leaves. The fruit is a dry capsule that opens with moisture, containing very small seeds.

Egg-shaped oophytum is a miniature succulent that forms clumps containing up to twenty egg-shaped bodies. Each body is smooth, translucent to light, ranging from greenish to brownish-red in colour depending on the illumination.

The plant has an inverted annual cycle: active growth falls on the cool, wet season from autumn to spring, while in summer Oophytum enters deep dormancy. Flowering is in autumn, with small pink flowers.

Oophytum seeds are very small, dark, light-sensitive: they germinate poorly in darkness. Soaking such tiny seeds is impractical, so the substrate itself is disinfected: before sowing, it is drenched with a weak potassium permanganate solution and dried slightly. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out on the surface, without covering: the seeds need light. The best time for sowing is autumn, at the beginning of the natural growth period. A sterile fine-grained mineral substrate is used, topped with a layer of washed sand. Sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a greenhouse, and germinated under bright indirect light and a temperature of 18-24 °C (64-75 °F), without overheating under direct sunlight.

Under favourable conditions, the first seedlings appear within a week, primary germination is completed in 2-3 weeks, and individual seeds may take up to 4-6 weeks. Sowing containers are ventilated daily, condensation is removed: stagnant moisture is especially dangerous for aizoacean seedlings. Pricking out is carried out only after noticeable strengthening of the seedlings, with minimal root damage.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

The plant needs the brightest possible location with bright indirect light and several hours of soft direct sun. The density of the plant and whether the flowers open depend directly on the light level.

Active growth occurs during the cool part of the year, from autumn to spring, while in the summer heat the plant enters dormancy and is kept drier and cooler. With warmth, weak light, and a moist substrate, tissues stretch out and become vulnerable to rot.

Watering is very careful, in small portions, only after complete drying out of the substrate. During the summer dormancy period, watering is stopped completely: at this time the plant sits inside a dry sheath and moisture is dangerous to it.

The substrate must be very loose, lean, mineral, with a high proportion of coarse sand, fine stone grit, and perlite. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, a shallow container is selected, and necessarily with drainage holes for water runoff.

Fertilizer is applied rarely, only during the period of active growth, with a weak solution of fertilizer for cacti and succulents with low nitrogen content. Excess nutrition disrupts the compactness of the plant.

Repotting is carried out at the beginning of the growth period, in autumn, after which the plant is kept without watering for several days. Dry sheaths of old leaves are not removed; they protect the body from desiccation.