Lithops olivacea

Lithops olivacea, sometimes called the olyflithops (olive lithops) in Afrikaans, is a succulent perennial consisting of one, but mostly a small clump of paired leaf bodies. There used to be two varieties of the species, var. nebrownii in which the pair of leaves diverge and var. olivacea in which the leaves of each pair cohere closely. These varieties are apparently no longer upheld.

The species distribution in the Northern Cape is limited, ranging from Pofadder to Aggeneys, the plants present through most of Bushmanland.

The habitat is arid, gravelly vygieveld and quartzite shrubland, often rocky spots. The habitat population is deemed vulnerable early in the twenty first century, due to plant collection and habitat loss (Frandsen, 2017; Van Jaarsveld, et al, 2006; Smith, et al, 1998; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).