The dwarf succulent genus Conophytum N.E.Br. is one of the most species rich in the Aizoaceae. Primarily restricted to the arid winter-rainfall region of the Northern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa and southwestern Namibia, the genus is most closely associated with the Succulent Karoo biome, a region of high floral endemism and biodiversity. Many taxa are niche-specialists and almost a third of all Conophytum are severely range-restricted and can be considered to be pointendemics. The genus as a whole is vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts and many species are threatened by activities such as mining, agriculture and climate change
