Glottiphyllum Depressum on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''Glottiphyllum depressum'' is a common
It can be distinguished from its relatives by its leaves, many of which are apically hooked. The clear appearance of a hook at the leaf tip is due to the impression of the opposite leaf against it when the leaf-pair was first emerging. The walls of the leaves' bladder cells are also noticeably undulate.
The flowers and fruits do not have long stalks, and are therefore held close against the plant.
The seed capsule has a very soft, round, spongy base, and thick valves raised up in a high (>3 mm) rounded dome shape at the top. The capsule's surrounding rim is low and depressed. The stalks of the capsule disintegrate rapidly, allowing the capsule itself to fall. The rounded capsule then rolls and spreads the seed further (tumble fruit).
Like many ''
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of 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 ...
plant, 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 ...
, native to 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 ...
.
It is probably the most widespread species of ''Glottiphyllum
''Glottiphyllum'' is a genus of about 57 species of succulent subtropical plants of the family Aizoaceae. It is closely related to the ''Gibbaeum'' and '' Faucaria'' genera. The name comes from ancient Greek γλωττίς ''glottis'' "tongue" an ...
'', after ''Glottiphyllum longum
''Glottiphyllum longum'' is a species of succulent plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa.
It is the most widespread ''Glottiphyllum'' species, and the most common one in cultivation.
...
'', and one of the most commonly found in cultivation. Though not as common as ''G.longum'', it is far more variable in its form.
Description
It can be distinguished from its relatives by its leaves, many of which are apically hooked. The clear appearance of a hook at the leaf tip is due to the impression of the opposite leaf against it when the leaf-pair was first emerging. The walls of the leaves' bladder cells are also noticeably undulate.
The flowers and fruits do not have long stalks, and are therefore held close against the plant.
The seed capsule has a very soft, round, spongy base, and thick valves raised up in a high (>3 mm) rounded dome shape at the top. The capsule's surrounding rim is low and depressed. The stalks of the capsule disintegrate rapidly, allowing the capsule itself to fall. The rounded capsule then rolls and spreads the seed further (tumble fruit).
Like many ''Glottiphyllum
''Glottiphyllum'' is a genus of about 57 species of succulent subtropical plants of the family Aizoaceae. It is closely related to the ''Gibbaeum'' and '' Faucaria'' genera. The name comes from ancient Greek γλωττίς ''glottis'' "tongue" an ...
'' species, its stems grow horizontally along the ground, with its green, fleshy leaves growing in two opposite rows (distichous).
Regional variation
This species is extremely variable, and while some varieties of ''G.depressum'' have leaves that lie decumbent along the ground, others have ascending leaves that do not have very clear hooks at their tips. Some varieties have flat, strap-shaped leaves, which sometimes even resemble those of ''Glottiphyllum longum
''Glottiphyllum longum'' is a species of succulent plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa.
It is the most widespread ''Glottiphyllum'' species, and the most common one in cultivation.
...
''. However their leaves narrow slightly towards the leaf apex.
Other varieties have leaves that are laterally compressed and triangular in cross-section. If they are also upright or ascending in their angle, they can sometimes resemble the leaves of ''Glottiphyllum suave
''Glottiphyllum suave'' is a species of succulent plant, in the family Aizoaceae. It is indigenous to arid areas of the western Little Karoo, in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Description
Each growth point bears a small number of compact, fles ...
''.
However all varieties have some of their leaves with twisted and hooked tips.
Distinction from ''G. longum''
This species is sometimes confused with the even more widespread ''Glottiphyllum longum
''Glottiphyllum longum'' is a species of succulent plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa.
It is the most widespread ''Glottiphyllum'' species, and the most common one in cultivation.
...
''. However ''G.depressum'' has clear hooked tips on its leaves, which are also sometimes slightly more erect. The cell walls of its leaves' bladders cells are undulated. The flowers and fruits of ''G.depressum'' do not have long stalks so they are held close against the centre of the plant. Its seed capsule also has a very soft, spongy base, and falls away soon. The top of the seed capsule has very thick, raised valves in a tall dome, which is surrounded by a low inconspicuous rim.
'' G. longum'' has long, flat, strap-shaped leaves that often lie slightly more prostrate on the ground. They are, at most, only slightly curved at the tip, not strongly hooked. The bladder cells at the rounded leaf-margins are oriented horizontally and not elongated. ''G. longum'' fruits are born on long stalks. The seed capsules are flatter on the top, with lower valves and a higher rim, and 9 or more locule
A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus).
In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...
s. The capsules are also long-lasting, and can be seen persisting on the stem for many years.
Distribution
Widespread in the Western Cape Province,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 ...
. It occurs from the Ceres Karoo, across 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, and eastwards.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5881430 depressum Taxa named by Adrian Hardy Haworth