Faucaria

Morphological Summary

Faucaria is a genus of small mat-forming or clump-forming succulents in the Aizoaceae family, immediately recognisable by their triangular, fleshy leaves in basal rosettes with toothed or soft-ciliate margins resembling open jaws — the source of the generic name from the Latin fauces (throat, jaws). The flowers are a deep golden yellow, relatively large for the plant's size, and bloom primarily in autumn. A recent taxonomic revision reduced the accepted species count through synonymisation of several previously recognised taxa. All species are endemic to the subtropical shrublands of South Africa's Cape Province.