Odontophorus nanus leaves

The thick, soft, succulent leaves of Odontophorus nanus grow in pairs joined at the base. Only one or two pairs are produced per short stem, the stem up to 2 cm long. The shape of the leaf-pair is nearly cylindrical low down, to triangular in cross-section once the two leaves are separate in the upper parts. This results from a protruding keel that peaks roundly near the leaf-tip. Leaf dimensions are from 2,5 cm to 5 cm long and from 1,1 cm to 1,8 cm wide.

There are about four to five teeth along the leaf margins and sometimes one on the keel. The teeth are small, whitish, soft and well-spaced. The generic name, Odontophorus, is derived from the Greek words odontos meaning tooth and phoros meaning bearer, referring to the plants as “bearers of teeth”. The Afrikaans common name for O. nanus, meerkatbekkie, suggests leaf resemblance to the maw of a meerkat, depending on the viewer’s imagination.

Leaf size and surface texture vary considerably in this species. The leaf surfaces are often velvety and whitish from a covering of tiny, hairy warts and hairs, but occasionally smooth and shiny (Frandsen, 2017; Williamson, 2010; Van Jaarsveld, et al, 2006; iNaturalist; https://llifle.com).