Conophytum stephanii subsp. stephanii is a long-lived winter-growing, summer-resting dwarf succulent and the plants form dense clusters and mats, and  this habit is retained in cultivation. The plants grow in quartz crevices and rocky pockets on east- and south-facing aspects and its highly succulent rounded leaves enable the plant to survive the long dry summer period when the plant goes into its resting phase. The leaves are densely hairy, which enables the plant to trap fog. The shallow fibrous roots are very efficient at absorbing the moisture from  fog or rain. Like most other species of Conophytum, at the end of spring, the moisture from the old fused leaf pair is recycled into a new leaf pair, and the withered remnants of the old leaf pair becomes a white papery covering, and protecting the young leaf pair from wind and sun exposure experienced during the long dry summer months. In autumn, with cooler conditions, the new leaf pair and flower emerge, breaking through the protective covering. The small, simple, white to yellowish flowers are nocturnal and strongly scented. Pollination is by a night flowering insect. After pollination, the fruiting capsule develops, maturing during the summer. The fruiting capsules retain the seeds, like most other species of Conophytum, and are hygrochastic, opening with moisture and closing again with dry conditions, thus it only releases the seeds during a period of rain. The keels expand with moisture and this opens the lids and exposes the seeds to raindrops. The raindrops wash the seeds out of the capsules, scattering them around the mother plant. In this way the offspring stays in this specialist habitat, in this case the quartz cliff face. The small seed has a tuberculate surface, which is ideal for establishment in crevices. 

Fig. 6. Conophytum stephanii subsp. stephanii in its natural habitat in autumn with an open 4-locular capsule exposing the brownish seeds.