Stomatium pyrodorum - varying leaf forms?

[esp]

I have some Stomatium pyrodorum SH397 seedlings from last year, and I see 2 different leaf types. Some plants have spathulate, more or less toothless leaves. Others have narrower, precisely toothed leaves, making neat little "jaws".
Each individual plant seems quite consistent in the form of leaves that it bears.

Are these legitimate variations within the species, or should I suspect some interlopers or hybridisation within the seed?

[topsy]

Hi,

S.pyrodorum should have almost toothless leaves, so one of those pictured looks right. The seed seems to have come from Steve Hammer or at least that was the original source, where did you get it from, could it be hybrid? Maybe it is just mixed seed.

Suzanne

[Terry S.]

Yes, I agree with Topsy, the featured plant facing forward in the lower photo looks more or less right (although more light would not some amiss). The leaves are broad in relation to length and the teeth are reduced to stumps. The plants with narrower leaves and pronounced teeth are something different.

This shows one of the problems in continuing to use a particular collection number for seed-raised plants. A couple of generations down the line, it could have hybridised and morphed into something that does not resemble the original collection. Des Cole used to get annoyed by the continued use of C numbers for his lithops after multiple generations. He only wanted them used for seed directly from his wild collections. Hence the convention of using ex-C123 for seed further removed from the original plants.

The name indicates that the flowers smell of pears. Most stomatium flowers have a strong scent but when I grew and flowered this species, I could not equate the smell to pears.

[esp]

Thank you both for your replies.
The seed source was Succseed.

I've kept them growing a little over winter as I do many 1st year seedlings, trading off a little etiolation for size/robustness. Hopefully they will grow a lot more compact as spring extends into summer.

So, any guesses guess on the identity if the toothy jawed plants? I'd guess flowers are a realistic aspiration for this year.

[iann]

S. pyrodorum was lumped into S. mustellinum. S. pyrodorum has large flat leaves (largeish and flattish, depending on cultivation conditions) with stunted spines if at all. S. mustellinum has smaller upright leaves with distinct spines. If your spiny plants were a little more compact I might think they were S. mustellinum. You could always wait for flowers and see if they smell of pears

This plant was on the BCSS list this year, same collection number although it may be the only one in cultivation. Did anyone grow it?

[esp]

Thanks Ian.
They should grow a bit more compact now, as they are going to be kicked out of the hosue into the cold frame on a permanent basis soon.
If/when flowers arrive, I may repost for further opinions.

[iann]

Same seed probably. You can see both forms and a flower on the more traditional S. pyrodorum.

[esp]

Thanks Iann, interesting to see.
I also had flowers on a few of the spathulate leaved plants, but not on the narrower, more toothy plants.
The flowers smelled of pear drops imo, rather than pears.

[iann]

I found the flower not quite as fruity as some other yellow-flowered species. Pear drops is a good way to describe it.

[Christian]

Lovely to see pictures of this plant. I only have one seedling from last year's BCSS seed - only two seedlings came up and one withered away, but it looks a nice one to grow.