Faucaria tuberculosa Seeds (Tiger Jaws) - Indigenous Succulents

Faucaria tuberculosa Seeds

The genus Faucaria was subjected to an extensive revision by Groen & Van Der Maesen in 1999. The 30 or so recognized species were reduced to only 6. The very variable Faucaria felina absorbing most of the species. This somewhat solve the issue of the numerous nursery plants sold as Faucaria sp: The very large majority of them are just F. felina.

Faucarias form clumps of stemless rosettes. The species are collectively known as 'Tiger Jaws'. This refers to the spiny looking edges of the leaves. The thick leaves are triangular or semi-circular in shape. The genus name Faucaria comes from the Latine for 'jaws'.

Faucarias are mostly spring and fall growers. They need good drainage but with a little shade they will do just fine even with extreme heat, although they do stop growing then, and they need water every few days. When they lack water, as many other mesembs, the stems die and some of the rosettes are not connected to the roots by any living tissue. When found in time, the rosettes can be used as cuttings and keep in the shade in a barely moist medium until the temperature cools down in the fall.

They bloom for several months in winter. The flowers open around midday and close in the late afternoon. Most species will take a small amount of frost.