Med Library . org

Open Source Encyclopedia

Crassulaceae

Welcome to MedLibrary.org. For best results, we recommend beginning with the navigation links at the top of the page, which can guide you through our collection of over 14,000 medication labels and package inserts. For additional information on other topics which are not covered by our database of medications, just enter your topic in the search box below:

Crassulaceae
Jade plant or Friendship Tree, Crassula ovata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
DC.
Genera

many, see text
Rosularia flower
Sempervivum sobolifera (syn. Jovibarba globiferum subsp. globiferum), Hen and chicks

Crassulaceae, or the orpine family, are a family of dicotyledons. They store water in their succulent leaves. They are found worldwide, but mostly occur in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce. The family includes about 1,400 species in 33 genera.

Contents

Overview

Pig's Ear Flower (Cotyledon orbiculata)

No member of this family is an important crop plant, but many are popular for horticulture; many members have a bizarre intriguing appearance, and are quite hardy, typically needing only minimal care. Familiar species include the Jade plant or "friendship tree", Crassula ovata and "Florists' Kalanchoe", Kalanchoe blossfeldia.

Classification within the family is difficult because many of the species hybridize readily, both in the wild and in cultivation. Some older classifications included Crassulaceae in Rosales, but newer schemes treat them in the order Saxifragales.

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM photosynthesis) is named after the family, because the pathway was first discovered in crassulacean plants.

Genera

References

  • Urs Eggli, ed. Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae (Springer, 2003) ISBN 3-540-41965-9 [Amazon-US | Amazon-UK]

External links