Abnormalities in Lithops include:
Multi-lobed plants:
These abnormalities seem to appear more frequently in cultivation than in
nature. In cultivation tri-lobed plants are relatively common.
Generally these plants occur as seedlings and after one season revert
to their normal form. In most cases the plant becomes multiheaded one
season after being multi-lobed. The multi-lobed form seldom persists.
A L.pseudotruncatella has been recorded with 8 lobes.
Some of our tri-lobes in cultivation
Abnormally fissured plants:
These plants occur with fissures that are:
-angled
-central/incomplete
-peripheral/incomplete
-kinked/incomplete
-multi-fissured
Multi-fissured plants are very rare and all recorded to date have been
sterile forms.
See diagram of these abnormalities
Incorrect flower colour:
Lithops, depending on the species concerned have yellow or white flowers
or yellow flowers with white centres. The exception to this rule is found
in L.optica (pink petal tips); L.vallis-mariae (traces of bronze or pink);
L.verruculosa (varying colours). The abnormality occasionally appearing
is a yellow flowering species bearing white flowers.
Abnormal flower bud:
Occasionally a plant is found with a flower bud resembling a small
imperfectly shaped lithops plant. This is also usually for one season
only.
One of our lithops(L. julii) with this abnormality.
Others:
D.T.Cole mentions various
other freaks and curiosities in his
book Lithops:Flowering Stones and these
include a plant which had ingrowing roots and one that was skewered
by grass shoots.
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