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Tag: aizoaceae

Titanopsis calcarea, a winter flowering succulent with particular cultivation rules

From mid-December to the beginning of January is the flowering time for a rather widespread and highly appreciated succulent plant from an aesthetic point of view: Titanopsis calcarea. The appearance of the leaves, their arrangement, the color and the punctiform reliefs (similar to warts) on the fleshy surface of the leaves themselves make this plant  a small living rock, on a par with the Lithops. And it is no coincidence that the name Titanopsis derives from the union of the Greek terms “titanos” (understood as “gypsum”, “lime”) and “opsis“, i.e. “appearance”. In short, a plant with the appearance of a calcareous rock or a “clump of earth” (the effective definition is by Giuseppe Lodi), we could define it. The Titanopsis genus belongs to the Aizoaceae family (formerly Mesembriantemaceae) and is native to Southern Africa, in particular Namibia and the Cape Province. The cultivation of these plants, and specifically of Titanopsis calcarea, requires some special precautions compared to those we reserve for cacti.

Let’s go into detail and get to know this plant and its needs better in the following article (….).

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Lithops: peculiarities and cultivation rules of the so-called “stone plants” or “living stones”

Also known as “stone plants” or “living stones”, Lithops are a genus of succulents that are always highly appreciated and widespread in cultivation and in collections. These are actually small plants, very particular, aesthetically pleasing and available in an infinite variety of colors and shades. Speaking of Lithops, one thing must be clarified immediately: they are non-cacti succulents. In other words, these plants do not belong to the large Cactaceae family (which includes cacti), but to the Mesembryanthemaceae family. In reality, according to many authors, to date the Mesembryanthemaceae family does not even exist anymore and the genera once attributable to it must be included in the Aizoaceae family. This vast family of succulent plants includes many other genera often widespread in cultivation or in nature also in Europe, such as Carpobrotus, Conophytum, Delosperma, Faucaria, Fenestraria, Lapidaria , Oscularia, Pleiospilos, Titanopsis and Trichodiadema.

Let’s deepen our knowledge of the Lithops genus in this article, in which we will also see the particular cultivation regime that these plants need in order to live in the Northern hemisphere. (…)

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Recognising succulent plants and cactus: a guide to identification and correct classification

Giving a succulent plant a scientific name, in other words correctly identifying a succulent plant, is far from simple. The classification, in general, the so-called taxonomy, is the prerogative of researchers, scholars, true enthusiasts and, in some cases, real maniacs of order. In that boundless land that is the classification of plants – and in the specific case of succulents – there is often great confusion, to the point that it is not uncommon to see the continuous re-denomination of the same plant, first included in one genus, then placed in another, then moved to another one. Some plants are classified in one way by some researchers and differently by others; some tend to simplify and reduce the number of genera, while others are inclined to divide plants as much as possible, according to their peculiarities, into several genera, species, subspecies, forms and varieties. Diatribes between authors and researchers about the classification of this or that plant are the order of the day. Thus, the common grower and the ‘collector’ of succulents are forced to rely on plant tags or try to classify them by comparing the specimen with pictures found on the Internet or in books.

In the following article, we see how to find your way and what you need to know to begin to identify and classify succulent plants. We also learn how to distinguish a cactus from any other succulent plant and how to identify the best-known succulent families. (…)

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The distribution of cacti and succulents in the world: maps with the states where they grow

Have you always wondered what part of the world your cactus or succulent plant comes from? From the Americas or maybe from Asia? From Africa or Europe? The topic of succulent plant distribution is vast and very intricate. However, to begin to simplify, we can say that all cacti are native to the Americas, while succulent plants in general (i.e. non-cactaceous succulents) come from different parts of the world.

In this article and in the two large maps attached, we see how cacti and non-cacti succulents are distributed around the world. We see in particular from which geographical areas the succulents originally evolved. (…)

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