Scientific Name
Faucaria felina (L.) Schwantes
Common Names
Tiger Jaws, Cat Chap, Cat Jaws, Wolf Mouth Mesemb
Synonyms
Faucaria acutipetala, Faucaria candida, Faucaria cradockensis, Faucaria crassisepala, Faucaria duncanii, Faucaria felina var. felina, Faucaria jamesii, Faucaria kingiae, Faucaria latipetala, Faucaria laxipetala, Faucaria longidens, Faucaria longifolia, Faucaria lupina, Faucaria militaris, Faucaria montana, Faucaria multidens, Faucaria plana, Faucaria ryneveldiae, Faucaria uniondalensis, Mesembryanthemum lupinum, Mesembryanthemum ringens var. felina
Scientific Classification
Family: Aizoaceae
Subfamily: Ruschioideae
Tribe: Ruschieae
Genus: Faucaria
Description
Faucaria felina is a compact, leaf succulent, forming unusual clumps of fleshy, boat-shaped, toothed leaves up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. Faces of leaves are dark green to grey-green, smooth or with white dots and crystals in the outer walls in certain areas resulting in white dots. The flowers are daisy-like, yellow to orange and up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
Photo via suggestkeyword.com
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
The various species make excellent pot subjects and have been cultivated in Europe for over three hundred years. Some species, such as Faucaria tigrina, are quite hardy, while others can be prone to stem rot.
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… – See more at: How to Grow and Care for Faucaria
Origin
Native to South Africa.
Subspecies, Varieties, Forms, Cultivars and Hybrids
Links
- Back to genus Faucaria
- Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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