Pseudolithos EYLENSIS

Pseudolithos EYLENSIS - Pseudolithos eylensis, False stone.

SEED SERIES 'LIVING STONES'.

Rare COLLECTIBLE plant for true connoisseurs.

Pseudolithos ('pseudo' - false, 'lithos' - stone) is a genus of unusually appearing plants in the family Apocynaceae, subfamily Asclepiadoideae, consisting of 8 varieties growing in Yemen and Oman in the south of the Arabian Peninsula and in Sudan and Somalia in eastern Africa. Representatives of the genus were first described by Swiss botanist Peter Bally in the first half of the 20th century.

A very unusual plant resembling stones with its leafless spherical stems covered with tubercles, whose color varies depending on lighting from light green to reddish-brown, more rarely silvery or pink. Fast-growing stems of some species have a cubic shape with distinct edges. It can grow as a single stem up to 15 cm (6 in) high and about 5 cm (2 in) in diameter or as a clump. It blooms from late summer to mid-autumn, producing short peduncles from the lateral surface of the stem that bear inflorescences of 5-10 small greenish, pink, burgundy, or brown flowers about 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter. The villous petals often have yellow mottling and tufts at the tips. In contrast to their visual attractiveness, the flowers of many species have an unpleasant smell of decomposition, attracting pollinating flies. It bears fruit in capsules with 15-20 seeds that germinate relatively well.

Pseudolithos eylensis is the largest species of one of the most popular succulents, having round elongated leafless solitary or clumping stems capable of reaching 15 cm (6 in) in height and 12 cm (4.7 in) in diameter. The color and texture of the plant's skin make it resemble a stone. It blooms with typical inflorescences for the genus of reddish-brown flowers with long villous petals.

By seeds and by cuttings. For species with solitary stems, seed propagation is the only possible method.

The seeds are soaked beforehand for 6 hours in a bright potassium permanganate solution, then for another 12-20 hours in water with the addition of stimulants (Zircon, Epin). A sowing mixture of equal parts cactus soil and coarse sand with the addition of vermiculite, charcoal, or crushed brick is thermally treated for 1 hour in an oven beforehand. The seeds are sown superficially with the pointed tip directed down into the substrate. They are moistened with a spray bottle, covered with glass or film, and germinated in light at a temperature of 25-30 °C (77-86 °F). Seedlings need ventilation. It is necessary to avoid overwatering and drying out of the sowings.

Seedlings appear on days 3-14 and are kept in greenhouse conditions for up to 3 weeks. In the fourth week, characteristic wrinkles appear on the seedlings. For species with solitary stems, seed propagation is the only possible method.

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Bright diffused light is required, with light shading from direct sunlight on hot summer days. From excess light, the stems acquire a violet tint; from lack of light, they weaken, and the plant stops flowering. It requires a constant flow of fresh air, but does not tolerate cold drafts. It is grown in summer at a temperature of 25-30 °C (77-86 °F); with constant ventilation, it withstands heat up to 45 °C (113 °F); in winter, the optimal temperature is 18-20 °C (64-68 °F); the temperature should not be dropped below 15 °C (59 °F).

It requires well-drained low-nutrient soil with a high content of perlite or sand. A mixture of 2 parts perlite, 1 part peat, and 1 part sand can be used. It tolerates poor soils. The plant's roots are very sensitive to overwatering and drought, rotting when maintenance conditions are violated. Watering is carried out carefully during the plant's growth period as the soil dries out completely. It does not need spraying. It is fed in spring-summer once a month with half-diluted liquid fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus. It is repotted once every 2 years to refresh the soil into a container of the same size.