Larryleachia marlothii maroon flowers in the foreground

Yes, it is a plant, a club-shaped one, partly shaded by the rock in the foreground of the photo! The habitat of Larryleachia marlothii is arid succulent Karoo and semi-desert, the plants often seen exposed among stones.

The small, dark red flowers emerge directly from the upper parts of the barrel-like stems, or on very short stalks. Leaves have very little to contribute in this species. They are nominally represented by the minuscule conical protrusions in the central dip on every stem surface tubercle.

The species is not considered to be threatened in its demanding habitat early in the twenty first century (White and Sloane, 1937; iSpot).