Cheiridopsis

Cheiridopsis is a genus that consists of 100 species of flowering succulent perennial plants, native to semi-arid regions in the far west of Namibia and South Africa.

Cheiridopsis
Cheiridopsis denticulata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Aizoaceae
Subfamily:	Ruschioideae
Tribe:	Ruschieae
Genus:	Cheiridopsis N.E.Br., 1925
Species
See text

Description

C.inspersa

A selection of Cheiridopsis species in cultivation in South Africa.

C.denticulata

C.brownii

Most species are clump-forming, a few are shrubby. The leaves are opposite and triangular in section, rarely flattened, the surface more or less velvety, which makes them easy to distinguish from species of the allied genus Argyroderma. Daisy-like flowers open during the day in summer, are borne singly and usually have yellow, rarely purple or red, petals.

The name comes from the Greek "cheiris", meaning "sleeve". Each succeeding pair of leaves differs from the previous one in form, size, and relative unity of the leaves. Those most united wither in the resting period and form a papery sheath covering the succeeding pair of leaves during dormancy in dry, hot summer.[1]

Distribution

The genus occurs in the far west of South Africa and Namibia. Here it occurs from the Western Cape Province northwards through the Namaqualand, into Namibia.

Cultivation

The species are mostly adapted to a very arid, winter-rainfall climate. The tender species C. peculiaris requires cultivation under glass in temperate regions.[2]

Aizoaceaeː Cheiridopis pillansii.

Species

Cheiridopsis acuminata Cheiridopsis alata Cheiridopsis amabilis Cheiridopsis aspera Cheiridopsis aurea Cheiridopsis bifida Cheiridopsis brownii Cheiridopsis bruynsii Cheiridopsis candidissima Cheiridopsis carinata Cheiridopsis caroli Cheiridopsis caroli-schmidtii       Cheiridopsis cigarettifera Cheiridopsis cuminata Cheiridopsis delphinoides Cheiridopsis denticulata Cheiridopsis derenbergiana Cheiridopsis dilatata Cheiridopsis excavata Cheiridopsis gamoepensis Cheiridopsis glomerata Cheiridopsis herrei Cheiridopsis imitans Cheiridopsis marlothii Cheiridopsis meyeri Cheiridopsis minima

Cheiridopsis minor Cheiridopsis namaquensis Cheiridopsis nelii Cheiridopsis pearsonii Cheiridopsis peculiaris Cheiridopsis pillansii Cheiridopsis pilosula Cheiridopsis ponderosa Cheiridopsis pulverulenta Cheiridopsis purpurata Cheiridopsis purpurea Cheiridopsis robusta Cheiridopsis rostrata Cheiridopsis rudis Cheiridopsis schlechteri Cheiridopsis speciosa Cheiridopsis subaequalis Cheiridopsis truncata Cheiridopsis turbinata Cheiridopsis umbrosa Cheiridopsis umdausensis Cheiridopsis vanbredai Cheiridopsis vanzijlii Cheiridopsis velox Cheiridopsis verrucosa

References

1. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
2. "RHS Plant Selector - Cheiridopsis peculiaris". Retrieved 16 July 2013.

• Lord, Tony (2003) Flora : The Gardener's Bible : More than 20,000 garden plants from around the world. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36435-5
• Botanica Sistematica