Pleiospilos bolusii, the mimicry plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, where it grows at an elevation of 750-. The species epithet bolusii honours Harry Bolus, a 19th-century South African botanist.
It is a small, stemless succulent perennial growing to 8cm (03inches) tall by 15cm (06inches) wide, with two or four opposite grey-green leaves, quite thick, fused at the base, almost triangular, with entire margins. The leaves are longer and more angular than those of the closely related P. nelii,[1] but in both cases the shape and texture of the leaves resemble a pile of split pebbles, possibly to deter predators. The yellow, many-petaled, daisy-like flowers emerge from the center of the leaves, and are 6- in diameter - large in relation to the overall size of the plant. The flowers are often coconut-scented.[2] The flowering period extends from August to September.
The plant is one of several species cultivated for their rocklike appearance, which are sometimes collectively called mesembs. With a minimum temperature of 7C, in temperate regions it is grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] [4]