''Pleiospilos'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to a ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Cape Provinces The Cape Provinces of South Africa is a biogeographical area used in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It is part of the WGSRPD region 27 Southern Africa. The area has the code "CPP". It includes the Sou ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The name is derived from the Greek ''pleios'' "many" and ''spìlos'' "spot". The plants are also known as ''kwaggavy'' ("

Quagga The quagga ( or ) (''Equus quagga quagga'') is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra that was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. It was long thought to be a distinct species, but mtDNA ...

mesemb"), ''lewerplant'' ("liver plant"), ''lewervygie'' ("liver mesemb"), ''klipplant'' ("stone plant"), split rock or mimicry plant. ''Pleiospilos'' species have two or four opposite, very fleshy, grey-green leaves growing from a short stem that may be underground. The leaves, with their hemispherical shape and pitted texture, often strongly resemble a pile of split pebbles to deter predators. Flowers emerge from the center of the leaves, and may be very big in relation to the overall size of the plant. They reproduce both sexually and asexually. Vegetative offshoots emerge from the root system. The species ''P. bolusii'' and '' P. nelii'' are cultivated as ornamentals. Pleiospilos01

Species

Four species, and one natural hybrid (nothospecies) are accepted: * '' Pleiospilos bolusii'' * ''

Pleiospilos compactus ''Pleiospilos compactus'', called living rock, is a species of flowering plant in the Aizoaceae, ice plant genus ''Pleiospilos'', native to the southwestern Cape Provinces of South Africa. A succulent, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Societ ...

'' ** ''P. compactus'' subsp. ''compactus'' ** ''P. compactus'' subsp. ''canus'' ** ''P. compactus'' subsp. ''minor'' ** ''P. compactus'' subsp. ''fergusoniae'' ** ''P. compactus'' subsp. ''sororius'' * ''

Pleiospilos nelii ''Pleiospilos nelii'', the split rock, splitrock or living granite, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa. It grows in semi-arid areas with rainfall of between 150mm and 300mm, in the Karoo of South Afric ...

'' * '' Pleiospilos × purpusii'' * '' Pleiospilos simulans''

References

Aizoaceae genera Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Taxa named by N. E. Brown Succulent plants {{Aizoaceae-stub