Curio ficoides
Curio ficoides, syn. Senecio ficoides, also known as skyscraper Senecio and Mount Everest Senecio, is a species of succulent plant, in the genus Curio (Asteraceae), indigenous to South Africa.
Curio ficoides | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Curio |
Species: | C. ficoides |
Binomial name | |
Curio ficoides Curio ficoides (L.) & P.V.Heath (1999) | |
Synonyms | |
Cacalia ficoides L. |
Description
A succulent, spreading shrub, it reaches over 1 meter in height. The brittle, succulent branches lose their leaves lower down. The leaves are blue-green to blue grey, pruinose, succulent, erect, tapering and flattened laterally, with translucent lines down both sides. The flower capitula have no ray florets, and appear on a terminal, branching inflorescence.
Relatives
This is a polyploid species (2n=100). However, its closest relatives are Curio repens, Curio radicans, Curio herreanus, and Curio hallianus, which have a variable number of chromosomes.
It is easily confused with Curio talinoides, which has a similar growth habit. However, the leaves of C.talinoides are rounded-cylindrical in cross section. In contrast, the leaves of C. ficoides are usually somewhat knife-like, flattened laterally.[3]
References
- "Senecio ficoides". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- "Senecio ficoides (L.) Sch.Bip. record n° 98122". African Plants Database. South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève and Tela Botanica. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- G.Rowley (1994). Succulent Compositae: A Grower's Guide to the Succulent Species of Senecio & Othonna. Strawberry Press. ISBN 0912647124, 9780912647128
External links
- UniProt. "Senecio ficoides". Retrieved 2008-05-24.