Cheiridopsis purpurea leaf pairs

The blue-green leaf pair of Cheiridopsis purpurea becomes about 3 cm tall. Each young leaf has a flat upper (or inner) surface, smaller than the two almost flat lateral surfaces formed by the margins and the deep leaf keel (at the back) that is rounded at its top.

The pale leaf surfaces are covered in scattered spots, tiny, darker than the rest and appearing translucent. The leaf margins and keel are slightly thickened or ridged.

In nature, Cheiridopsis usually presents only two leaf pairs at a time, one on top of the other on the “stem”. If all goes well in cultivation, a third pair may be present, reflecting the easy life. In picture, the old leaves have lost or are losing their shape in desiccation.

Cheiridopsis plants sometimes display marked differences in the shapes of consecutive leaf pairs (Williamson, 2010; Smith, et al, 1998; Herre, 1971; iNaturalist).