Stats

Lifespan

Perennial

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Arid shrubland

Range

Southern Africa

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Uncommon

About

This succulent grows on rocky slopes across the arid regions of South Africa. Its thick leaves are coated in a white powder that reflects intense sunlight to prevent dehydration.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Saxifragales

Family

Crassulaceae

Genus

Cotyledon

Species

Cotyledon orbiculata