Lithops lesliei subsp. lesliei after flowering

Lithops lesliei subsp. lesliei is a complex plant. Apart from there being another subspecies, viz. L. lesliei subsp. burchellii with tiny dark line and dot markings scattered across the pale grey leaf tops, subsp. lesliei is also made up of five or six, possibly recognised varieties on the list of southern African succulents.

This dwarf, nearly stemless stone plant has its leaf pairs fused into a partly underground cone with a flat top showing the central fissure above-ground, a common feature of the genus. L. lesliei subsp. lesliei leaf tops have a dull bluish translucent green colour with scattered beige markings, often near the margins. Colour and markings on Lithops leaf tops are important in species identification.

Some fruit capsules are taking shape in the slits between leaf-pairs in picture. The pinkish remains of the sepals are brown and leaf-like, withering away (Smith, et al, 1998; Smith, et al, 1997).