Lithops francisci

Lithops francisci, a succulent plant in the Aizoaceae family, is endemic to Namibia's arid desert environments. It was assessed by Nicholas Edward Brown in 1925 and features a bi-leaf head separated by a deep fissure, which shelters its stunted stem. Kurt Dinter first sampled the species in 1922 during an expedition, and it was later described and named after Frantz de Laet in 1926. This desert perennial thrives in dry climates with coarse, well-drained soils, typically found on rocky hillsides where metamorphic rocks like schist and gneiss provide camouflage. Annual rainfall ranges from 0 to 99 mm, with temperatures fluctuating between 9–20 °C. Native to the Namib coastal desert, it is specifically found in the southern hills of Kovisberg and Halenberg, and has also been spotted in the Konipberg mountains. Due to its popularity in succulent plant trade, L. francisci was over-harvested, leading to a decline in its endemic population. However, harvesting activity has decreased over the past 15 years, slowing the rate of population decline. Morphologically, it is a short succulent with multiple heads (3-20), each consisting of two thick leaves with rugose surfaces and dusky dots. The leaves are greyish-green with cream or beige bumps, sometimes tinged with pink, green, or yellow, averaging 24 mm in diameter but can exceed 30 mm. In autumn, the plant produces small yellow flowers, one per head, which emerge as buds from the central fissure. As an obligate outcrosser, pollinated flowers develop capsules with five to six locules containing yellowish-brown seeds coated ...