The Split Rock Plant (Pleiospilos nelli) looks for all the world like it is made of small stones, each one dabbed with dots (see the black and white images at the bottom of this story).

Its flower comes out the “split” in the rock, usually quickly but with some apparent shyness. The blossom is very heliotropic—meaning it closes when not in direct sunlight—and doesn’t seem to last long. A short life but one that is very sweet seems an apt way to describe it. Ain’t nature grand?