''Gibbaeum'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 21 species of small

succulent plant 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 ...

s of the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

, indigenous to the

Little Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

region of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The name "Gibbaeum" comes from the Latin ''gibbosus'' (hunchback)

Description

These dwarf succulents are characterized by distinctively asymmetrical pairs of leaves, mostly globular or sometimes thick and arcuate. The sizes of the leaves of each pair are nearly always different. Gibbaeums grow in clumps and produce pink or white flowers in spring.

Distribution

Genus ''Gibbaeum'' is predominantly indigenous to the

region of the

Western Cape Province The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

. A few species extend outside of this region. Three species extend north into the

Great Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi- desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ex ...

region: ''

Gibbaeum gibbosum ''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 su ...

'', '' Gibbaeum heathii'' and '' Gibbaeum nuciforme''. Two extend south into the

Overberg __NOTOC__ Overberg is a region in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Western Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the e ...

region: ''

Gibbaeum esterhuyseniae ''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 su ...

'' and ''

Gibbaeum hartmannianum ''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 su ...

''.

Cultivation

Sunny exposure and well drained soil. Their natural range spans the boundary between winter and summer rainfall areas of

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

, and their growth period (emergence of new leaves and flowering) is therefore in summer for some species and in winter for other ones. However, overall most species can be watered primarily in winter. Temperature must stay above 10 °C in winter. Propagation can be done by cuttings or by seeds. Many of the species hybridise easily - with each other and with the related genus ''

Muiria ''Muiria hortenseae'' ("mouse-head") is a rare dwarf species of succulent plant of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to a very small area in the Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa. It is the only species in the monophyletic genus ''Muiria''. ...

''.

List of species

* ''

Gibbaeum album ''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 su ...

'' * '' Gibbaeum angulipes'' * '' Gibbaeum blackburniae'' * ''

Gibbaeum comptonii ''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 su ...

'' * '' Gibbaeum dispar'' * ''

'' * ''

Gibbaeum geminum ''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 su ...

'' * ''

'' * '' Gibbaeum heathii'' * '' Gibbaeum luckhofii'' * '' Gibbaeum nebrownii'' * '' Gibbaeum nuciforme'' * '' Gibbaeum pachypodium'' * '' Gibbaeum petrense'' * '' Gibbaeum pilosulum'' * '' Gibbaeum pubescens'' * '' Gibbaeum schwantesii'' * '' Gibbaeum velutinum'' File:Z Gibbaeum album growing among rocks - RSA.jpg, ''

'' File:Gibbaeum dispar IMG 2483.jpg, '' Gibbaeum dispar'' File:Gibbaeum geminum - SBG 2.jpg, ''

'' File:4 Gibbaeum gibbosum -Touwsrivier - Copy.jpg, ''

'' File:5 Gibbaeum hartmannianum - Overberg Malgas - Copy.jpg, ''

'' File:Gibbaeum heathii varieties.jpg, '' Gibbaeum heathii'' forms File:Gibbaeum velutinum barrydale.jpg, '' Gibbaeum velutinum'' File:6 Gibbaeum petrense Brandvlei Rd - Copy.jpg, '' Gibbaeum petrense'' File:Gibbaeum pubescens - N Barrydale 2.jpg, '' Gibbaeum pubescens'' File:1 Gibbaeum shandii - Kirstenbosch gardens.jpg, '' Gibbaeum pubescens'' var. ''shandii'' File:Gibbaeum schwantesii IMG 1568.jpg, '' Gibbaeum schwantesii'' File:Gibbaeum pilosulum in cultivation - cape town.jpg, '' Gibbaeum pilosulum'' File:Gibbaeum nuciforme.jpg, '' Gibbaeum nuciforme'' File:Gibbaeum nebrownii.jpg, '' Gibbaeum nebrownii''

References

External links

* * Aizoaceae genera Taxa named by N. E. Brown Taxa named by Adrian Hardy Haworth {{Aizoaceae-stub