Lithops is the flowering plant genus commonly known as the “living stones.”
Lithops species are small succulents native mainly to the dry regions of southern Africa. Their paired, fleshy leaves sit close to the ground and often resemble pebbles, which helps them blend into rocky surroundings. Only a narrow fissure is usually visible between the leaf lobes.
The plant stores water in its leaves and replaces its old leaf pair with a new one during a seasonal growth cycle. Many species produce a daisy-like flower, often white or yellow, emerging from the central fissure.
Lithops are often confused with other mimetic succulents, especially Pleiospilos, another southern African genus with stone-like forms. The common name is descriptive rather than a formal taxonomic group. Lithops plants are adapted to intense sun, sparse rainfall, and soils with limited nutrients.