Aptenia is a small genus

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 succulent plant

Succulent plant

Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...

s in the family Aizoaceae

Aizoaceae

The Family Aizoaceae or Ficoidaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1900 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds. Species that resemble stones or pebbles are sometimes called mesembs...

 that is endemic to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. The name is derived from the Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 word απτην (apten), meaning "wingless" or "unfledged." It refers to the wingless capsules.

Members of the genus are extremely drought-resistant but intolerant of frost. They grow profusely and are covered with bright pink flowers most of the year in mild climates. Aptenia cordifolia

Aptenia cordifolia

Aptenia cordifolia is a species of succulent plant in the iceplant family known by the common names heartleaf iceplant and baby sun rose. Perhaps the most common plant seen under this name is actually Aptenia 'Red Apple, a hybrid with red flowers and bright green leaves, whose parents are A....

is a common garden groundcover

Groundcover

Groundcover refers to any plant that grows over an area of ground, used to provide protection from erosion and drought, and to improve its aesthetic appearance .- Ecosystem :...

 and an introduced species

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 on other continents.

Species

• Aptenia cordifolia
  Aptenia cordifolia
  Aptenia cordifolia is a species of succulent plant in the iceplant family known by the common names heartleaf iceplant and baby sun rose. Perhaps the most common plant seen under this name is actually Aptenia 'Red Apple, a hybrid with red flowers and bright green leaves, whose parents are A....
  
  (L.f.) Schwantes – Heartleaf Iceplant
• Aptenia geniculiflora
• Aptenia haeckeliana
• Aptenia lancifolia L.Bolus
• Aptenia 'Red Apple' (A. cordifolia × A. haekeliana)

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment