''Aeonium gorgoneum'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the family

Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Cr ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

. It was first described by

Johann Anton Schmidt Johann Anton Schmidt (6 May 1823-21 January 1905) was a German botanist. Schmidt was born in Hamburg to a merchant family. Under the request of their family, he became a gardener and studied botany in 1843 at the University of Heidelberg (wit ...

in 1852. Its local name is ''saião''. The plant plays a role in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before th ...

for the treatment of coughs.

Description

The plant is a perennial shrub and grows up to about tall. Its chromosome number is 2n=36.''Aeonium gorgoneum''
Tropicos, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis

Distribution and ecology

''Aeonium gorgoneum'' is found on the islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente and São Nicolau at elevations from above sea level. 100 escudos-Aeonium gorgoneum.jpg, A $100

escudo The escudo (Portuguese: 'shield') is a unit of currency historically used in Portugal and its colonies in South America, Asia, and Africa. It was originally worth 16 silver . The Cape Verdean escudo and the former Portuguese escudo (PTE), each ...

coin featuring ''Aeonium gorgoneum''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1156183 gorgoneum Endemic flora of Cape Verde Flora of Santo Antão, Cape Verde Flora of São Vicente, Cape Verde Flora of São Nicolau, Cape Verde