Conophytum auriflorum subsp. auriflorum

Conophytum auriflorum subsp. auriflorum is a dwarf succulent that forms clumps. The fused leaf pairs are cone-shaped. While the autumn flowers are already fully developed here, the new leaves are lurking inside the papery husks of their predecessors from last season. They still display the withered rest season look of the dry summer. The young leaves will swell out fully from inside them as the winter rain allows.

The plant is endemic to a region in western Namaqualand. It grows in quartzite or sandy soil, often in crevices or on rocky outcrops. This is where this specimen was found in April, to the west of Springbok (Smith, et al, 1998; iSpot).