Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Aeonium spathulatum

(Aeonium spathulatum)

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Description

Aeonium spathulatum is a perennial in the succulent family (Crassulaceae). The plant is endemic to the western Canary Islands. The botanical name Aeonium is derived from the Ancient Greek αἰώνιος, aiōnios (eternal), after the perennial leaves. The species name spathulatum is derived from the Latin 'spathula' (spoon), after the shape of the leaves. Aeonium spathulatum is a perennial herbaceous plant or small shrub with long, branching stems. The round leaf rosettes are small compared to most Aeoniums, with up to 3 cm long, spatula -shaped, finely hairy leaves that feel sticky. The underside of the leaves has linear glands, the leaf margins are covered with transparent hairs. The leaves are initially green but quickly turn red to brown. The inflorescence is an umbel of golden yellow flowers with eight to ten petals each. The plant flowers from March to June. Aeonium spathulatum grows in sunny or slightly shaded places on weathered volcanic soil, from 800 to 2,000 m. The plant is endemic to the western Canary Islands of Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. The heavily branched subshrub reaches a height of between 20 and 65 centimeters. In summer the leaves are shed, except for the youngest. The leaves are between 1 and 3 centimeters long and are icy and more or less flat. They are finely hairy and somewhat sticky. There are translucent eyelashes at the edge of the leaf. The underside of the leaf first has green, later brown, sunken, elongated glands. The flower consists of 8 to 10 golden yellow petals. Flowering time is from March to June. The chromosome number is 2n = 36. Aeonium spathulatum only grows in the Canary Islands, with the exception of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Wall and rock crevices, especially in the pine forest stage, at altitudes of 800 to 2000 meters are preferred as locations. Aeonium, the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek "αιώνιος"/"aionios" (ageless). While most of them are native to the Canary Islands, some are found in Madeira, Cape Verde, Morocco, in East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) and Yemen. The succulent leaves are typically arranged on a basal stem, in a dense, spreading rosette.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Saxifragales
Family:Crassulaceae
Genus:Aeonium
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