content
Succulent
Succulent plants, such as this
Aloe , store water in their fleshy leaves
Succulent plants , also known as succulents or fat plants , are water -retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves , stems and/or roots . The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, also known as succulence. In addition to succulence, succulent plants variously have other water-saving features. These may include:
CAM metabolism to minimize water lossAbsent, reduced, or cylindrical to spherical leaves
reduction in the number of stomata
stems, rather than leaves, as the main site of photosynthesis
a compact, reduced, cushion-like, columnar or spherical growth form
ribs enabling rapid increases in plant volume and decreasing surface area exposed to the sun
waxy, hairy or spiny outer surface to reduce water loss via the creation of a humid microhabitat around the plant and a reduction in air movement near the surface of the plant.
Many succulents come from the dry areas of the tropics and subtropics , such as steppes , semi-desert and desert . High temperatures and low precipitation force plants to collect and store water in order to survive long dry periods. Succulents also occur as epiphytes , as such they have limited or no contact with the ground, and are dependent on their ability to store water. Succulents also occur as inhabitants of sea coasts , or salt pans which are exposed to high levels of dissolved minerals.
The best known succulents are cacti (family : Cactaceae ). Virtually all cacti are succulents, but many succulents are not cacti.
Families and genera
Aizoaceae:
Lithops julii , leaf succulent
Apocynaceae:
Pachypodium lealii , stem succulent
Asphodelaceae:
Haworthia arachnoidea , leaf succulent
Cactaceae:
Rebutia muscula , stem succulent
Crassulaceae:
Crassula ovata , stem and leaf succulent
Euphorbiaceae:
Euphorbia obesa ssp. symmetrica , stem succulent
Cylindropuntia imbricata:
stem, woody succulent
Moringaceae:
Moringa ovalifolia , stem succulent
Nolinaceae:
Beaucarnea recurvata , stem succulent
Ruscaceae:
Dracaena draco , stem succulent
Plant families and genera in which succulent species occur are listed below.
Agavaceae Agave Beschorneria Chlorophytum Furcraea Hesperaloe Hesperoyucca Yucca Aizoaceae Acrodon Aloinopsis Amoebophyllum Amphibolia Antegibbaeum Apatesia Aptenia Arenifera Argyroderma Aridaria Astridia Bergeranthus Berrisfordia Braunsia Brownanthus Calamophyllum Carpobrotus Carruanthus Caryotophora Cephalophyllum Cerochlamys Chasmatophyllum Cheiridopsis Conicosia Conophytum Cylindrophyllum Dactylopsis Delosperma Dicrocaulon Dinteranthus Dorotheanthus Dracophilus Drosanthemum Eberlanzia Ebracteola Ectotropis Enarganthe Erepsia Esterhuysenia Eurystigma Faucaria Fenestraria Frithia Gibbaeum Glottiphyllum Halenbergia Hereroa Herrea Herreanthus Hydrodea Hymenogyne Imitaria Jacobsenia Juttadinteria Kensitia Khadia Lampranthus Lapidaria Leipoldtia Lithops Machairophyllum Malephora Maughaniella Mesembryanthemum Mestoklama Meyerophytum Micropterum Mimetophytum Mitrophyllum Monilaria Muiria Namaquanthus Namibia Nanathus Nelia Neohenricia Neorhine Nycteranthus Octopoma Odontophorus Oophytum Ophthalmophyllum Orthopterum Oscularia Ottosonderia Pherelobus Platythyra Pleiospilos Polymita Prenia Psammophora Psicaulon Rabiea Rhinephyllum Rhombophyllum Ruschia Ruschianthemum Ruschianthus Saphesia Sceletium Schwantesia Scopologena Semnanthe Skiatophytum Smicrostigma Sphalmanthus Stayneria Stomatium Synaptophyllum Titanopsis Trichodiadema Vanheerea Vanzijlia Wooleya Zeuktophyllum Amaranthaceae Arthraerva Salicornia Amaryllidaceae Boophane Brunsvigia Cyrtanthus Haemanthus Rauhia Anacardiaceae Operculicaria Pachycormus Apiaceae Steganotaenia Apocynaceae Adenium Mandevilla Pachypodium Plumeria
subfamily Asclepiadoideae Asclepiadaceae ): Absolmsia Asclepias Aspidoglossum Aspidonepsis Baynesia Brachystelma Caralluma Ceropegia Cibirhiza Cynanchum Dischidia Dischidiopsis Duvalia Duvaliandra Echidnopsis Edithcolea Fanninia Fockea Glossostelma Hoodia Hoya Huernia Huerniopsis Ischnolepis Larryleachia Lavrania Marsdenia Matelea Miraglossum Notechidnopsis Odontostelma Ophionella Orbea Orbeanthus Pachycarpus Pectinaria Petopentia Piaranthus Pseudolithos Quaqua Raphionacme Rhytidocaulon Riocreuxia Sarcorrhiza Sarcostemma Schizoglossum Schlechterella Stapelia Stapelianthus Stapeliopsis Stathmostelma Stenostelma Stomatostemma Tavaresia Trachycalymma Tridentea Tromotriche White-sloanea Xysmalobium
Araceae Zamioculcas Araliaceae Cussonia Asparagaceae Myrsiphyllum Asphodelaceae Aloe Astroloba Bulbine Chortolirion Gasteria Haworthia Poellnitzia Trachyandra Asteraceae Baeriopsis Coulterella Crassocephalum Didelta Gynura Osteospermum Othonna Polyachyrus Pteronia Senecio Balsaminaceae Impatiens Basellaceae Anredera Basella Begoniaceae Begonia Bombaceae Adansonia Cavanillesia Ceiba Pseudobombax Brassicaceae Heliophila Lepidium Bromeliaceae Abromeitiella Burseraceae Boswellia Bursera Commiphora Cactaceae Acanthocalycium Acanthocereus Ariocarpus Armatocereus Arrojadoa Arthrocereus Astrophytum Austrocactus Aztekium Bergerocactus Blossfeldia Brachycereus Browningia Brasilicereus Calymmanthium Carnegiea Cephalocereus Cephalocleistocactus Cereus Cintia Cipocereus Cleistocactus Coleocephalocereus Copiapoa Corryocactus Coryphantha Dendrocereus Denmoza Discocactus Disocactus Echinocactus Echinocereus Echinopsis Epiphyllum Epithelantha Eriosyce Escobaria Escontria Espostoa Espostoopsis Eulychnia Facheiroa Ferocactus Frailea Geohintonia Gymnocalycium Haageocereus Harrisia Hatiora Hylocereus Jasminocereus Lasiocereus Leocereus Lepismium Leptocereus Leuchtenbergia Lophophora Maihuenia Malacocarpus Mammillaria Mammilloydia Matucana Melocactus Micranthocereus Mila Monvillea Myrtillocactus Neobuxbaumia Neolloydia Neoraimondia Neowerdermannia Obregonia Opuntia Oreocereus Oroya Ortegocactus Pachycereus Parodia Pediocactus Pelecyphora Peniocereus Pereskia Pereskiopsis Pilosocereus Polaskia Praecereus Pseudoacanthocereus Pseudorhipsalis Pterocactus Pygmaeocereus Quiabentia Rauhocereus Rebutia Rhipsalis Samaipaticereus Schlumbergera Sclerocactus Selenicereus Stenocactus Stenocereus Stephanocereus Stetsonia Strombocactus Tacinga Thelocactus Turbinicarpus Uebelmannia Weberbauerocereus Weberocereus Yungasocereus Campanulaceae Brighamia Capparidaceae Maerua Caricaceae Carica Jacarathia Chenopodiaceae Cochlospermaceae Commelinaceae Aneilema Callisia Cyanotis Tradescantia Tripogandra Convolvulaceae Ipomea Sictocardia Turbina Crassulaceae Adromischus Aeonium Afrovivella Aichryson Cotyledon Crassula Cremnophila Cremnosedum Dudleya Echeveria Graptopetalum Hylotelephium Hypagophytum Kalanchoe Lenophyllum Meterostachys Monanthes Orostachys Pachyphytum Perrierosedum Phedimus Pistorinia Prometheum Pseudosedum Rhodiola Rosularia Sedella Sedum Sempervivum Sinocrassula Thompsonella Tacitus Tylecodon Umbilicus Villadia Cucurbitaceae Apodanthera Brandegea Cephalopentandra Ceratosanthes Citrullus Coccinia Corallocarpus Cucumella Cucumis Cucurbita Cyclantheropsis Dendrosicyos Doyera Eureindra Fevillea Gerrandanthus Gynostemma Halosicyos Ibervilla Kedostris Marah Momordica Neoalsomitra Odosicyos Parasicyos Syrigia Telfairia Trochomeria Trochomeriopsis Tumamoca Xerosicyos Zehneria Zygosicyos Didiereaceae Alluaudia Alluaudiopsis Decaria Didierea Dioscoreaceae Dioscorea Doryanthaceae Doryanthes Ericaceae Sphyrospermum Eriospermaceae Eriospermum Euphorbiaceae Cnidoscolus Euphorbia Jatropha Fabaceae Delonix Dolichos Erythrina Neorautanenia Pachyrhizus Tylosema Fouquieriaceae Fouquieria Geraniaceae Monsonia Pelargonium Gesneriaceae Aeschynanthus Alsobia Chirita Codonanthe Columnea Nematanthus Sinningia Streptocarpus Hyacinthaceae Albuca Bowiea Dipcadi Drimia Hyacinthus Lachenalia Ledebouria Litanthus Massonia Ornithogalum Rhadamanthus Rhodocodon Schizobasis Urginea Whiteheadia Icacinaceae Pyrenacantha Lamiaceae Aeollanthus Dauphinea Perrierastrum Plectranthus Solenostemon Tetradenia Thorncroftia Lentibulariaceae Loasaceae Schismocarpus Loranthaceae Tapinanthus Melastomataceae Medinilla Meliaceae Entandrophragma Menispermaceae Chasmanthera Stephania Tinospora Moraceae Dorstenia Ficus Moringaceae Moringa Nolanaceae Nolana Nolinaceae Beaucarnea Calibanus Dasylirion Nolina Orchidaceae Epidendroideae Phalaenopsis Oxalidaceae Oxalis Passifloraceae Adenia Pedaliaceae Pterodiscus Sesamothamnus Uncarina Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthus Phytolaccaceae Phytolacca Piperaceae Peperomia Portulacaceae Amphipetalum Anacampseros Avonia Calyptrotheca Ceraria Cistanthe Dendroportulaca Grahamia Lewisia Parakeelya Portulaca Portulacaria Schreiteria Talinella Talinum Rubiaceae Anthorrhiza Hydnophythum Hydrophylax Myrmecodia Myrmephythum Phylohydrax Squamellaria Ruscaceae Cordyline Dracaena Sansevieria Sapindaceae Erythrophysa Saxifragaceae Sterculiaceae Brachychiton Sterculia Urticaceae Laportea Obertia Pilea Sarcopilea Viscaceae Viscum Vitaceae Cissus Cyphostemma Xanthorrhoeaceae Xanthorrhoea Zygophyllaceae
For some families, most members are succulent; for example the Cactaceae , Agavaceae , Aizoaceae , and Crassulaceae .
The table below shows the number of succulent species found in some families:
See also
© jGames.co.uk 2007 (some content from Wikipedia under GDL )
!-- ValueClick Media 468x60 and 728x90 Banner CODE for jgames.co.uk -->
