''Glottiphyllum'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 57

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

subtropical

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

s of the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to a ...

. It is closely related to the ''

Gibbaeum ''Gibbaeum'' is a genus of about 21 species of small succulent plants of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the Little Karoo region of South Africa. The name "Gibbaeum" comes from the Latin ''gibbosus'' (hunchback) Description These dwarf suc ...

'' and '' Faucaria'' genera. The name comes from

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

γλωττίς ''glottis'' "tongue" and φύλλον ''phyllon'' "leaf". The species are native to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, specifically to

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope (), commonly referred to as the Cape Province () and colloquially as The Cape (), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa. It encompassed the old Cape Co ...

and the

Karoo desert The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe Khoemana (also known as !Orakobab or Korana) word is a semidesert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its extent is ...

. They grow in rocks and soils incorporating slate, sandstone and quartz. Rainfall in their native areas is between , most of which falls in March and November.

Description

''Glottiphyllum'' plants have thick, soft leaves arranged in pairs that are low to the ground and often graze the soil surface. They also have

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. They sport yellow flowers with narrow petals in the autumn and winter. The flowers are sometimes fragrant and around 5 cm in diameter. The species readily interbreed, making hybridization easy.

Species

''Glottiphyllum'' species accepted by the Plants of the World Online as of November 2022: ref name=POWO> *'' Glottiphyllum carnosum'' *'' Glottiphyllum cruciatum'' *'' Glottiphyllum depressum'' *'' Glottiphyllum difforme'' *'' Glottiphyllum fergusoniae'' *'' Glottiphyllum grandiflorum'' *'' Glottiphyllum linguiforme'' *'' Glottiphyllum longum'' *'' Glottiphyllum neilii'' *''

Glottiphyllum nelii ''Glottiphyllum nelii'' is a species of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae. It is indigenous to the arid Great Karoo region, South Africa. Description The leaves are shiny, green and distichous (produced in two parallel ranks), with smoot ...

'' *'' Glottiphyllum oligocarpum'' *'' Glottiphyllum peersii'' *'' Glottiphyllum regium'' *'' Glottiphyllum salmii'' *'' Glottiphyllum suave'' *'' Glottiphyllum surrectum''

Culture

''Glottiphyllum'' plants can be grown in small pots in poor soil with sand and clay. They require full sun, and need moderate watering in summer and none in winter (during which the plant undergoes a necessary rest period). If overwatered, the plants become deformed.

Gallery of species

File:Glottiphyllum uncatum - Berlin Botanical Garden - IMG 8770.JPG, '' Glottiphyllum longum'' File:1 Glottiphyllum depressum - Bonnievale - Copy.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum depressum'' File:Glottiphyllum ryderae - SBG 8.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum linguiforme'' File:5 Glottiphyllum suave R62 1.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum suave'' File:5 Glottiphyllum carnosum - Calitzdorp.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum carnosum'' File:5 Glottiphyllum cruciatum - Kirstenbosch 3.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum cruciatum'' File:Glottiphyllum difforme 7.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum difforme'' File:Glottiphyllum fergusoniae Barrydale.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum fergusoniae'' File:Glottiphyllum regium - South Africa 1.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum regium'' File:Glottiphyllum peersii -Klaarstroom.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum peersii'' File:Glottiphyllum oligocarpum kz1.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum oligocarpum'' File:Glottiphyllum pygmaeum (25382928443).jpg, ''

'' File:Glottiphyllum surrect Gamkapoort 1.jpg, '' Glottiphyllum surrectum''

References

Bibliography

* Heidrun E. K. Hartmann : Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Aizoaceae F-Z, Éditions Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg/New York, 2001, * Gideon Smith u.a. : Mesembs of the World: Illustrated Guide to a Remarkable Succulent Group, Éditions Springer, 1998, * Heidrun E.K. Hartmann, Horst Gölling: ''A monograph on the genus Glottiphyllum (Mesembryanthema, Aizoaceae)''. In: '' Bradleya''. Band 11, 1993, S. 1–49

External links

* * Aizoaceae genera Succulent plants {{Aizoaceae-stub