| Lithops lesliei | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Genus: | Lithops |
| Species: | L. lesliei |
| Binomial name | |
| Lithops lesliei (N.E.Br.)N.E.Br. | |
Lithops lesliei is a species ofplant in the familyAizoaceae. The plant is collected for its medicinal properties, and has therefore become threatened.[1]
Lithops lesliei is found in rocky areas of grasslands andsavannah where it grows in the shade of another plant.
This species can be found in the summer-rainfall areas ofSouth Africa although it is not endemic. The plants have recently seen a 15% cut in numbers with predictions that this trend will continue. The plants are being taken to sell in markets for medicinal reasons. The plant continues to be seen in many places but a loss of habitat and predation in urban areas places this as athreatened species in South Africa.[1]
It is commonly used as ahouseplant or for landscaping. Like allLithops, it requires extremely well-drained soil. Like allLithops it also grows in annual cycles, as the leaf-pairs flower, and then each produces a new leaf-pair that replaces the old one (which shrivels away). The principal rule of watering is thatLithops should be kept dry from when they finish flowering, up until the old leaf-pairs are fully replaced.
Of theLithops species,L. lesliei is one of the species which is most tolerant of occasional incorrect watering, and therefore among the easiest to cultivate (together withL. salicola,L. hookeri andL. aucampiae). This plant is a recipient of theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[2]
