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Pachyphytum
Oviferum, the “Sugaralmond plant” (also poetically named "Moonstones").
The leaves are covered with a blue-white bloom which marks if the leaves
are rubbed. This white coating is also present on the flowering stems
and the large bracts and sepals of the flowers.
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The
Pachyphytum are fascinating plant because not only look exceptional but
also produce unusually beautiful inflorescences. Truly beautiful!
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Family: Crassulaceae
Scientific Name:
Pachyphytum oviferum J. A. Purpus
Origin:
Northern
Mexico.
Habitat:
Often found clinging on steep cliffs in crevices on the rocks.
Synonyms :
Common English Names include:
“Moonstones”,
"Pearly Moonstones”, “Sugar Almond plant”
Etymology:
The genus
name Pachyphytum comes from the Greek “pachys (παχυς)”
= "thick, fat"
and “phyton (φυτον)” = “plant, tree” and implies 'Fat
plant'.
The name oviferum, was given because its leaves resemble
flattened eggs (from Latin “ovum” = “egg” and Latin
“fero” = “to bear, carry, bring”)
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Description: Small to medium-sized slow-growing Mexican member of
the succulent family Crassulaceae, it has characteristic loose rosettes
with 'silvery globes' leaves. It grows in both shrub-forming and almost
stemless rosettes and eventually forms dense clumps up to 20-25 cm tall
and 30 (or more) cm in diameter. Several forms exist but the more
popular is the round, egg-shaped leaf form. Pachyphytum rosettes will
not die after flowering (polycarpic, versus monocarpic).
Stem: Short, prostrate, greenish to whitish.
Leaves: Up to 5 cm long and 3 cm wide, closely packed together,
extremely smooth, plump and fleshy, obovate, grape-shaped, ± flattened
spoon-like or tubular often reminding of Sugar almond. Range in colour
from ghostly silver blue-green with a pearly shine to lovely pinkish
blue, orange and even purple and may have a dense white powdery coating
called farina, these characters
preserve moisture and protect from strong sunlight.
Flowers: Up to 7-15 flowers grow on a 8-15 cm long arching,
spikey inflorescences. They are small, pendant, bell-shaped, about
1 cm long, the outer is greenish-white and the petals are cream-colored
to deep red-orange.
Blooming season: Winter to early spring.
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Easy to flower and easy to grow, it is a favourite of many hobbyists.
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Cultivation:
These plants
are fairly hardy, and are common houseplants, they will require a free draining
compost. Needs regular water in summer,
but reduce watering during winter month , fairly drought tolerant
elsewhere.
They love
full sun, with some shade during the hottest part of the day. A
good light exposure helps to keep the plants compact and encourage leaf
colour and flowering. The white pruinose stem coatings of the plants in our
collection sometime is not so intense as those of the plants in their
natural habitat but the difference in coating is thought due to the
higher humidity and less intense sunlight of our climate.
However, like
Graptopetalum and Echeveria, pachyphytum is
sensitive to being handled, as skin oil can damage leaves, in particular
those with a pearlescent colouration or farina.After growing
for several years
tend to
become untidy, and should be cut very short or restarted from cuttings.
Frost
Tolerance: Hardy to -7°C.
Pachyphytum are sensitive to
mealybugs.
Propagation: Cuttings, seeds. New plants can be also propagated from
orphaned leaves.
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