Gibbaeum dispar

Gibbaeum dispar, commonly known in Afrikaans as duimpiesnuif (little thumb snuff) or papegaaibek (parrot beak), is a dwarf succulent growing a mound of leaves on short branches. The plant typically reaches 2 cm in height.

The leaves tend to change colour from pale or silvery green to reddish or brown in harsh conditions. Several of these tiny mesemb species are referred to as living rocks.

The Aizoaceae, mesemb or vygie family connection becomes evident in the typical flower structure, a whorl or whorls of petals around the stamen cluster. This appearance is a bit daisy-like, but in the Asteraceae family, the real daisies have many, tiny, individual disc flowers or florets in a flowerhead, while vygies have larger, single flowers, the centres of which are filled with stamens, stigmas and sometimes infertile staminodes lacking anthers.

The species distribution is small, only in the Little Karoo near Vanwyksdorp.

The habitat is arid quartz and shale ridges. The species is considered vulnerable in its habitat early in the twenty first century, due to plant collection, quarrying and trampling by livestock.

G. dispar is grown in succulent gardens, often rockeries and containers, or as an indoor plant in many parts of the world. It wants sunlight, or much light if cultivated indoors. The soil should be quick-draining. Over-watering brings negative effects (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Wikipedia; http://redlist.sanbi.org).