''Titanopsis'' 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 10 species of

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 arid regions 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 ...

and

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

. The name ''Titanopsis'' is derived from the Greek (god), '' Titan'', the sun, and ''opsis'', appearance, from the sun-like appearance of the flower.

Distribution

The genus has a disjunct distribution, occurring in three separate areas of southern Africa: southern Namibia, the region around the south-eastern border of Namibia and a larger area spanning between the former Cape Province and Orange Free State in

. This unusual distribution means that the different ''Titanopsis'' species live in different rainfall systems - either summer or winter rainfall depending on the species.

Description

Titanopsis hugo-schlechteri - Cape Town cultivation

They are small plants, with rosette up to 10 cm high. Leaves are up to 3 cm with truncate tip and rough warty little tubercles at the apex of the leaves. They look like limestone and are hard to see in the wild. Yellow flowers with 2 cm diameter appear in late fall.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepts the following species:

Cultivation

Cultivation is easy with full sun, very well-drained soil, and attention to the natural rainfall of the particular species' habitat. The more popular species from the eastern areas, such as '' Titanopsis calcarea'', ''fulleri'' and ''luederitzii'' are adapted to summer rainfall, while those from further west, rarer species such as ''Titanopsis schwantesii'' and ''hugo-schlecteri'', are adapted to winter rainfall, when they also flower. The plants are

calcicole A calcicole, calciphyte or calciphile is a plant that thrives in lime rich soil. The word is derived from the Latin 'to dwell on chalk'. Under acidic conditions, aluminium becomes more soluble and phosphate less. As a consequence, calcicoles grown ...

(=they appreciate calcareous soils), but any typical loose succulent soil mix is suitable. Division of larger clumps is possible in some cases, but as most species have tuberous rootstocks and offset slowly, seed production is the most common method of propagation.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138435 Aizoaceae Aizoaceae genera