About Conophytum ficiforme (Haw.) N.E.Br.
The specific epithet "ficiforme" is Latin for "fig-shaped", and refers to the shape of the plant's body, which is raised, globose, and keeled. This species can be distinguished from most other Conophytum species by its distinctive spots, which clearly form angular, horseshoe-shaped lines across the tops of its bodies. It produces pale pink flowers. This species is indigenous to the Robertson Karoo vegetation of the Breede River Valley, Western Cape, South Africa. It is especially common in the mountains north of Worcester, in McGregor south of Robertson, and in Bonnievale. Its natural habitat consists of rocky crevices and outcrops, where it grows in clumps in sheltered or partially shaded locations. It receives most of its annual rainfall during the winter, and enters dormancy within dry leaf sheathes during the summer.
