The Crassulaceae, also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Flowers generally have five floral parts. Crassulaceae are usually herbaceous but there are some subshrubs, and relatively few treelike or aquatic plants. Crassulaceae are a medium-sized monophyletic family in the core eudicots, among the order Saxifragales, whose diversity has made infrafamilial classification very difficult. The family includes approximately 1,400 species and 34–35 genera, depending on the circumscription of the genus Sedum, and distributed over three subfamilies. Members of the Crassulaceae are found worldwide, but mostly in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa, typically in dry and/or cold areas where water may be scarce, although a few are aquatic.
Crassulaceae
Aeonium arboreum (Aeonieae): Succulent leaves in rosettes
Kalanchoe pinnata (Kalanchoöideae): Corolla tubes
Sempervivum sp. (Sempervivoideae): Apopetaly, actinomorphy, polymery, stamens in 2 whorls
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".
Succulent plants have thickened stems, or leaves, such as this Aloe.
The center rosette of (Aloe polyphylla)
A collection of succulent plants, including cacti, from the Jardin botanique d'Èze, France
Succulents, such as these Adromischus marianae, Crassula deceptor and Conophytum, share an affinity for arid, fast-draining soils, often growing directly on rocks