Succulents and Cacti
Agave americana L.
Frost-hardy, succulent perennial with rosettes of spreading, lance-shaped, spine-tipped, grey-green leaves, to 2m long, and panicles up to 8m long, bearing clusters of yellowish-green flowers in summer. [RHSE, Hortus].
Agave americana L. var. marginata
Agave americana L. was first botanically described by Linnaeus in 1853 [Sp. Pl. p.323/1753]. There are a number of variegated forms, with yellow or white leaf margins, e.g. marginata, or yellow or white striped leaves, mediopicta and striata. [RHSE]. Macarthur’s variegata is most likely to be marginata.
Agave boscii (Hornem.) ined.
Short-stemmed Agave with a dense rosette of narrow dark green leaves, to 60cm, some times with fine marginal hairs, and a flowering spike to about 5m, bearing pairs of greenish flowers, flushed red or purple above. [www.mswn.com].
Aloe ferox Mill.
Stemmed aloe, to 4m, with a rosette of thick, tapering leaves, keeled at the back, glaucous, with reddish teeth along the leaf edges and backs, with ornage flowers on a branched inflorescence. [RHSD, Hortus].
Aloe haworthioides Baker
Aloe haworthioides Baker is a frost tender, stemless, suckering succulent with rosettes of lance-shaped, fleshy, grey-green leaves with white marginal teeth, to 6cm long, suffused with red in drought, and terminal racemes, to 30cm long, of tubular orange flowers in summer. To 6cm. [RHSE].
Aloe succotrina Lam.
Aloe with stems to 1.2m, the leaves gradually tapering, pale coloured or glaucous with small white teeth and sometimes blotched at the base, the flowers red in a loose spike, to 30cm high. [RHSD, Hortus].
Aptenia cordifolia (L.f.) Schwantes
Frost tender, freely branching, succulent perennial with broadly ovate, bright green leaves and solitary red-purple flowers in summer or autumn. To 5cm, spreading. A useful plant as a soil-binder. [RHSE, Hortus].
Calandrinia ciliata DC. var. menziesii (Hook.) Macbr.
Calandrinia ciliata var. menziesii is an annual with fleshy, linear, grey-green leaves, to 10cm long, on spreading, erect stems and solitary, axillary, crimson, rose-red, occasionally white, flowers in late summer. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Calandrinia discolor Lindl.
Annual or perennial, leaves purple beneath, flowers bright light purple, to 5cm across in long racemes. To 45cm. [RHSD].
Cereus ferox Haw.
Frost tender, branching, columnar, heavily armed cactus which forms clumps or clambers over rocks, the flowers produced along one side of the stem. [RHSD, Don].
Cereus hexagonus (L.) Mill.
Frost tender, large, columnar or tree-like, erect cactus, usually with 6 strong ribs, short, variable, brown prickles, and solitary flowers, to 29cm long, reddish outside and white inside, followed by dark purple fruits. To 15m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cotyledon orbiculata L.
Frost tender, shrubby, erect, freely-branching succulent with thick, fleshy stems, white-frosted-waxy, white or grey leaves, and long inflorescences of tubular, red, or yellowish red flowers in summer and autumn. To 1m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Crassula acutifolia Lam.
Frost tender, succulent, evergreen perennial with erect, sometimes decumbent, branched stems, with opposite, lance-shaped, fleshy leaves, compressed to round in section, and cream flowers in summer. To 1m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Crassula ciliata L.
Small herbaceous plant with rounded, grayish, succulent leaves and flower spike bearing a terminal raceme of tiny yellowish flowers. [Plantarum historia succulentarum].
Crassula falcata Wendl.
Erect succulent with a leafy base, sickle-shaped grey leaves and flat terminal corymbs of scarlet flowers. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
