| Fenestraria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fenestraria rhopalophylla | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ruschioideae |
| Tribe: | Ruschieae |
| Genus: | Fenestraria N.E.Br. |
| Species: | F. rhopalophylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Fenestraria rhopalophylla | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Fenestraria (known asbabies' toes)[2] is a (possiblymonotypic) genus ofsucculent plants in the familyAizoaceae, native to theNamaqualand inNamibia and theCape Provinces of South Africa.[1]
The only species currently recognised in this genus isFenestraria rhopalophylla. Each leaf has anepidermal window, a transparent window-like area, at its rounded tip, it is for these window-like structures that the genus is named (Latin:fenestra).
Fenestraria rhopalophylla appears very similar toFrithia pulchra, though the leaves are a slightly different shape andF. rhopalophylla has yellow flowers, compared to the pink flowers ofF. pulchra.
In the wild, the plant commonly grows under sand, except for the transparent tips, which allow light into the leaves forphotosynthesis. The plant produces optical fibers made from crystallineoxalic acid[3] which transmit light to subterranean photosynthetic sites.
Fenestraria rhopalophylla is native toNamaqualand in southern Africa and toNamibia. The plants generally grow in sandy or calciferous soils under low < 100 mm rainfall, that occurs in the winter.
Two subspecies are accepted.[1]
