Scientific Name
Faucaria felina (L.) Schwantes
Common Name(s)
Tiger Jaws, Cat Chap, Cat Jaws, Wolf Mouth Mesemb
Synonym(s)
Faucaria felina var. felina, Faucaria acutipetala, Faucaria candida, Faucaria cradockensis, Faucaria crassisepala, Faucaria duncanii, 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 small succulent that forms unusual clumps of fleshy boat-shaped leaves with soft teeth along margins. The leaves are dark green to grey-green, smooth, or have white dots and crystals in the outer walls. They can grow up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. Flowers are daisy-like, yellow to orange, and up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 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 300 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, like 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 kept in the shade in a barely moist medium until the temperature cools down in the fall.
They bloom for several months in the fall or the beginning of winter. The flowers open around midday and close in the late afternoon. They often don't open if the weather is cloudy or if they are in the shade.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Faucaria.
Origin
This species is native to South Africa.
Links
- Back to genus Faucaria
- Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
