The Succulent Plant Page   goes to

Overview of Succulent Plants
    and how they are grouped into families

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More than 60 plant families, split into some 300 genera, have evolved succulent species as an adaptation to limited availabiity of water.
What is a succulent plant ?
 
This page summarises plant families and genera that include succulent species, linked to further specific information.
 
Plants illustrated on this site can be seen as a
list of names or thumbnail images.

 
 Find plant genus of interest
  
 
 Find plant family of interest
  
  • Notes:
  • Amaryllidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Hyacinthaceae and Orchidaceae are often excluded from succulent plant shows.
  • Many families listed below include only a few succulent species.
  • Non-succulent genera within families are generally not listed. However, succulence may be somewhat in the eye of the beholder.
  • Genera may be grouped quite differently for show purposes, especially caudiciforms.
  • Taxonomy is often controversial, changing frequently. This page attempts to follow the APG II system incorporating recent molecular analysis, but APG III (2009) has already changed many things.

Monocotyledons  (Plants with a single seed leaf)

go to top Asparagales

joshua tree  
The Agavaceae, Dracaenaceae and Nolinaceae have been variously grouped together, but recently demerged into separate families. However, APG III (2009) has made further rearrangements.


haworthia


  • Orchidaceae   -   Orchids
    Very incomplete list.
  • Acampe
  • Aerangis
  • Ansellia
  • Bolusiella
  • Bulbophyllum
  • Calanthe
  • Cirrhopetalum
  • Cyrtorchis
  • Eulophia
  • Liparis
  • Oberonia
  • Oeceoclades
  • Polystachya
  • Tridactyle
  • Vanilla

go to top Order Commelinales


go to top Order Dioscoreales


go to top Order Poales



Dicotyledons  (Plants with two seed leaves)


go to top Order Apiales



go to top Order Asterales



go to top Order Brassicales


go to top Order Caryophyllales

  • Aloinopsis
  • Argyroderma
  • Bijlia
  • Braunsia
  • Carruanthus
  • Cephalophyllum
  • Cerochlamys
  • Chasmatophyllum
  • Cheiridopsis
  • Conophytum
  • Cylindrophyllum
 
          and other genera.
  • Dracophilus
  • Ebracteola
  • Faucaria
  • Fenestraria
  • Glottiphyllum
  • Imitaria
  • Jacobsenia
  • Juttadinteria
  • Lampranthus
  • Lapidaria
  • Lithops
  • Machairophyllum
  • Monilaria
  • Nananthus
  • Odontophorus
  • Pleiospilos
  • Psammophora
  • Rhombophyllum
  • Ruschia
  • Schwantesia
  • Titanopsis
  • Trichodiadema

 
  • Subfamily Pereskioideae: broad leaves, no glochids.
    Pereskia, Maihuenia
    (or Maihuenia may be separated into Subfamily Maihuenioideae.)
     
  • Subfamily Opuntioideae: fleshy round leaves present or absent, glochids present.
    Austrocylindropuntia, Brasiliopuntia, Cylindropuntia, Cumulopuntia, Grusonia, Micropuntia, Opuntia, Pereskiopsis, Pterocactus, Quiabentia, Tacinga, Tephrocactus, Tunilla.
     
  • Subfamily Cactoideae: no leaves*, no glochids.
    Ariocarpus, Astrophytum, Aztekium, Carnegiea, Cereus, Cleistocactus, Coryphantha, Echinocactus, Echinocereus, Echinomastus, Epithelantha, Escobaria, Ferocactus, Geohintonia, Hylocereus, Leuchtenbergia, Lobivia, Lophophora, Mammillaria, Matucana, Neolloydia, Obregonia, Parodia, Pelecyphora, Pilosocereus, Pediocactus, Rebutia, Rhipsalis, Sclerocactus, Schlumbergia, Stenocactus, Strombocactus, Thelocactus, Trichocereus, Turbinocarpus, Uebelmannia and all other genera.
     
    *Except that some species have seed leaves.
     




go to top  Order Celastrales


go to top Order Cucurbitales


  • Cucurbitaceae   -   Gourds
  • Acanthosicyos
  • Cephalopentandra
  • Coccinia
  • Corallocarpus
  • Cucurbita
  • Dendrosicyos
  • Gerrardanthus
  • Ibervillea
  • Kedrostis
  • Maximowiczia
  • Momordica
  • Neoalsomitra
  • Seyrigia
  • Xerosicyos
  • Zygosicyos


go to top Order Ericales



go to top Order Fabales


go to top Order Gentianales



go to top Order Geraniales


go to top  Order Lamiales




go to top Order Malpighiales

  • Monadenium
  • The Family Monadenium has been absorbed into Euphorbia. The genera below are therefore obsolete but will be seen for some time in old books and on plant labels.
  • Cridoscolus
  • Elaeophorbia
  • Endadenium
  • Jatropha
  • Monadenum
  • Pedilanthus
  • Phyllanthus
  • Stenadenium
  • Synadenium


go to top Order Malvales

adansonia digitata
  • Bombacaceae
  • Adansonia
  • Bombax
  • Cavanillesia
  • Ceiba
  • Chorisia
  • Pseudobombax

go to top Order Myrtales


go to top Order Oxalidales


go to top Order Piperales


go to top Order Ranunculales


go to top Order Rosales


  • Urticaceae   -   Nettles
  • Caution ! Some species of Urticaceae have stinging hairs.
  • Pilea   without stinging hairs.
  • Sarcopilea

go to top Order Sapindales



go to top Order Saxifragales


go to top Order Solanales


go to top Order Vitales


go to top  Order Welwitschiales


go to top  Order Zygophyllales