Scientific Name
Tacitus bellus Moran & Meyrán
Common Name(s)
Chihuahua Flower
Synonym(s)
Graptopetalum bellum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Genus: Tacitus
Origin
Tacitus bellus is native to Mexico (Chihuahua). It was found by Alfred Lau in 1972 and described by Moran & Meyrán in 1974. Five years later, D. R. Hunt transferred Tacitus bellus to Graptopetalum bellum. According to Prof. Charles Uhl, when the authors include Tacitus in Graptopetalum, they hopelessly muddle the Mexican species' already complicated classification. Therefore, he advises keeping this plant in a genus of its own, Tacitus.
Description
Tacitus bellus, also known as Graptopetalum bellum, is a small succulent that forms rosettes of dark green or grayish-green, somewhat papillose leaves. The rosettes can grow solitary or slowly form a clump and reach up to 3.2 inches (8 cm) in diameter. The leaves are thick, fleshy, obovate to cuneate, measuring up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) long and 1.1 inches (2.8 cm) wide.
The flowers are star-shaped, 5-petalled, and can reach up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter. They are deep rose-colored and appear in erect thyrses with 1 to 4 ascending scorpioid branches, each with up to 3 flowers in late spring and early summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
The rules for Graptopetalum care are similar to those for most succulents. All require lots of sunlight to look their best. They require gritty, porous soil with excellent drainage. Over the summer months, water regularly, letting the soil dry out between waterings. Minimal water is required over winter. Overwatering is a cause of root rots, and the plant can get several pest infestations. Fertilize once during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength.
Graptopetalums are generally easily propagated by seeds, leaf cuttings, or offsets. Any rosette that breaks off can root and start a new plant. Even a leaf that drops off quickly roots below the parent plant and produces a new rosette. The new plant feeds off the leaf until it shrivels and falls off. By then, the new little plant had rooted and sprouted new leaves.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Graptopetalum.
Hybrids
Links
- Back to genus Tacitus
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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