Aeonium
Encyclopedia
Aeonium is a genus
of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plant
s of the family Crassulaceae
.
The name comes from the ancient Greek "aionos" (ageless).
Most of them are native to the Canary Islands
. Some species are found in Madeira
, Morocco
and in eastern Africa
(for example in the Semien Mountains
of Ethiopia
).
The rosette leaves
are on a basal stem. Low-growing Aeonium species are A. tabuliforme and A. smithii; large species include A. arboreum, A. valverdense and A. holochrysum.
Aeonium are not frost-resistant. They are related to the genera Sempervivum, Aichryson
and Monanthes
, which is easy to see from their similar flower
and inflorescence
s. Recently, the genus Greenovia has been placed within Aeonium.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s of the family Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae, or the orpine family, are a family of dicotyledons. They store water in their succulent leaves. They are found worldwide, but mostly occur in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce...
.
The name comes from the ancient Greek "aionos" (ageless).
Most of them are native to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Some species are found in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and in eastern Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
(for example in the Semien Mountains
Semien Mountains
The Semien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Semien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaux separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
).
The rosette leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are on a basal stem. Low-growing Aeonium species are A. tabuliforme and A. smithii; large species include A. arboreum, A. valverdense and A. holochrysum.
Aeonium are not frost-resistant. They are related to the genera Sempervivum, Aichryson
Aichryson
Aichryson is a genus of about 15 species of succulent, subtropical plants, mostly native to the Canary Islands, with a few in the Azores, Madeira and Morocco, and one in Portugal.The species of Aichryson are not frost-resistant...
and Monanthes
Monanthes
Monanthes is a genus of small, succulent, subtropical plants of the Crassulaceae family. The about ten species are mostly endemic to the Canary Islands and Salvage Islands, with some found on Madeira. Its center of diversity is Tenerife, with seven species occurring on this island. On...
, which is easy to see from their similar flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
and inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s. Recently, the genus Greenovia has been placed within Aeonium.
Selected species
- Aeonium aizoon
- Aeonium appendiculatum
- Aeonium arboreumAeonium arboreumThe Tree Aeonium is a succulent, subtropical plant of the genus Aeonium and family Crassulaceae....
- Aeonium aureum
- Aeonium balsamiferum
- Aeonium canarienseAeonium canarienseAeonium canariense is a species of Aeonium, one of the few aeoniums with hairs all over the thick leaves. It tends to grow along the ground but the flowers stand up very tall....
- Aeonium castello-paivae
- Aeonium ciliatumAeonium ciliatumAeonium ciliatum is a species in the genus Aeonium that produces large green rosettes, which can be 50 cm across. The rosettes emerge from a woody stem that branches freely and can become very top heavy. It prefers some shade....
- Aeonium cuneatumAeonium cuneatumAeonium cuneatum is a succulent plant of the genus Aeonium. It has a large rosette and no stem. The leaves are smooth but have a grey shine to the upper surface which can be rubbed. It offshoots easily which makes a large group of aeoniums across the ground...
- Aeonium davidbramwellii
- Aeonium decorum
- Aeonium glandulosum
- Aeonium glutinosumAeonium glutinosumAeonium glutinosum has fairly thick leaves and its appearance varies depending on its growing conditions. One characteristic is the very sticky stem of the inflorescence. The main flower is shown but small stalks with flowers continue to appear for several months...
- Aeonium gomerense
- Aeonium goochiae
- Aeonium haworthiiAeonium haworthiiAeonium haworthii is a species of the stonecrop genus Aeonium which is known by the common names Haworth's aeonium and pinwheel. This stonecrop is native to the Canary Islands, but it has been introduced to other areas of similar climate, such as Southern California in the United States. It is also...
- Aeonium hierrenseAeonium hierrenseAeonium hierrense is a species in the genus Aeonium and has a stem but does not grow very tall. It takes on an attractive purple colour during the summer, being quite green in the winter. It produces whitish pink flowers....
- Aeonium holochrysumAeonium holochrysumAeonium holochrysum is a succulent, subtropical plant of the genus Aeonium and family Crassulaceae. The plant grows as a shrub and sprouts rounded, cone shaped clusters of yellow flowers in July or August....
- Aeonium leucoblepharumAeonium leucoblepharumAeonium leucoblepharum is a succulent plant of the genus Aeonium. It is instantly recognisable by its central tanin stripes and pointed leaves. After exposure to sun it develops this pinky colour to the leaves. There are variants with less pointed leaves but still with the central tanin stripe.It...
- Aeonium lindleyi
- Aeonium manriqueorum
- Aeonium nobileAeonium nobileAeonium nobile is a succulent, subtropical plant of the genus Aeonium and family Crassulaceae....
- Aeonium sedifolium
- Aeonium simsii
- Aeonium smithii
- Aeonium spathulatum
- Aeonium tabuliformeAeonium tabuliformeAeonium tabuliforme is a species of Aeonium that forms a flat rosette often on vertical surfaces....
- Aeonium undulatumAeonium undulatumAeonium undulatum is one of the larger aeoniums with the rosette often over a metre from the ground on a single stem. Other rosettes do not branch off this stem but grow from the bottom, unlike most aeoniums...
- Saucer-plant - Aeonium urbicumAeonium urbicumAeonium urbicum is a species of plant in the Crassulaceae family.-References:*A Bañares Baudet, . Notes on the taxonomy of Aeonium urbicum and A. appendiculatum sp. nova , Willdenowia, 29. : 95-103....
- Aeonium valverdense