Aloinopsis ORPENII

Aloinopsis ORPENII - Aloinopsis orpenii, Prepodesma.

"Living stones" seed series.

Aloinopsis is a genus of succulents in the family Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are dwarf plants, usually forming mats. The genus includes about 15 species. Native to South Africa (Cape Province).

The stems are so shortened that the rosettes appear to consist solely of tightly packed leaves sitting directly on the roots. The plants possess a massive tuberous taproot that stores reserves of moisture and nutrients. The roots can expand considerably, forming a caudex-like structure. The leaves are very succulent, thick, and fleshy, from 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) long. The leaf shape is spatulate, and the surface is often rough or covered with small warts.

The leaves, measuring 1.25-3.8 cm (0.5-1.5 in) in length and nearly 2.5 cm (1 in) in width, broaden toward the apex, and in some species narrow sharply toward the base (broadly spatulate), covered with warts or smooth. The flowers, reaching 1.25-3.2 cm (0.5-1.3 in) in diameter, range from yellow or orange-pink to various shades of pink, often with a darker stripe along the midline of each petal. The stamens, characteristically grouped around the pistil, encircle it closely. Flowers usually open late in the day and close after dark, remaining fresh for 5-8 days.

Aloinopsis orpenii has elongated leaves pointed at the apex, without bristles, finely speckled across the entire leaf. Flowers are yellow and multi-petaled.

Before sowing, seeds are soaked for 5-6 hours in warm water or a weak potassium permanganate solution, the planting container is sterilized for 24 hours in a saturated solution, and the potting mix is scalded with boiling water or baked in an oven. They are then sown in a shallow bowl with a mixture of 1 part leaf mold and 2 parts coarse sand and perlite spaced 2-3 mm (0.08-0.12 in) apart, lightly pressed in and covered with a thin layer of sand no more than 1 mm (0.04 in).

They are moistened with a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in light, but not under direct sunlight at 25-30 °C (77-86 °F). Under such conditions, seedlings emerge in 6-7 days. Seedlings need ventilation and watering. Moistening continues to be done with a spray bottle. Overwatering and complete desiccation of sowings must be avoided. To prevent prolonged condensation buildup, the container is ventilated 1-2 times a day for 10-15 minutes.

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