Having been raising succulents for so long, do you really understand the origin of succulents? Do you know what kind of climate the succulent prefers? Knowing the place of origin, the cultivation of succulents has a certain guiding significance, many people will feel that succulents are tropical plants, not afraid of heat, after reading this article you may be able to know why succulents are not all from Africa, all from the tropics, not afraid of heat, you will understand why some succulents have difficulties in summer and winter.
The origin of succulents is not like cacti, limited to North and South America, but spread all over the world except the Antarctic continent, but there are more in Africa and the Americas, especially in Africa.
1． Distribution of succulents in African regions
Africa is the hottest continent in the world, but one should not assume that succulents are all fond of heat. In fact, there are only three small regions in Africa with a large number of succulent species, namely South Africa and Namibia, the Canary Islands and madeira, as well as Madagascar and East Africa's Somalia and Ethiopia. Below we describe the habitat characteristics and main distribution species of these three regions.
Succulents of the apricot family of African origin
(1) South Africa and Namibia: This is a region with a cold climate and one of the richest plant species. Because there is a significantly longer dry season every year, it is the region with the largest variety of succulents in the world. Most of the species of the apricot family and lily family are distributed here, as are the species of Sedum, Radix and Macrophyllaceae. South Africa is also a region with a very diverse topography and microclimate, roughly bounded by 25 degrees east longitude, with annual rainfall in the east exceeding 500 mm in the winter; Therefore, succulents native to South Africa are very different in habits, and are referred to as "summer"-type species (summer growth, winter dormancy) and "winter-type" species (winter growth, summer dormancy) in cultivation. For example, the genus Lycaenidae of the Sedum family and the genus Purslane can be strictly divided into two types, and the species of the genus Ileus can even be distinguished in appearance between the "winter" and "summer" species. Among the genus Ofs, which are generally considered to be dormant in summer, there are three species, Namely Jade, Zixun and Lady Lee, which are distributed in the Transvaal and Orange in eastern South Africa, and do not dormant in summer.
Namibia's climate is drier than South Africa's, and the coastal areas bordering the Atlantic Ocean are affected by the strong Benguela Cold Current, with less rain and fog, and a special climate, forming a large cold coastal desert ——— the Namib Desert. Locally distributed succulents such as the centaur orchid and the trichocaulon family of the oleander family ( Kodo ) are rare and endangered species that are very difficult to cultivate and reproduce.
(2) Canary Islands and Madeira Islands: The Canary Islands and Madeira Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean were originally composed of volcanoes and have fertile soil. However, due to the impact of the cold Canary current nearby, there is not much rain. The succulents of the island are mainly the Sedum family Aeonium, Monanthes, and Aichryson. A total of about 100 species of plants in these three genera are not distributed in other regions and are endemic to these two archipelagos. In addition, some species of the chandelier genus of the family Radix are distributed here. The dragon's blood tree of the Euphorbiaceae family is also a specialty here, and the tall plant often forms a unique landscape.
(3) Madagascar and East Africa's Somalia and Ethiopia: Although Madagascar is only 400 kilometers away from the African continent, the flora and fauna on the island constitute a unique system. The island's climate is very different in the northeast and southwest. Succulents are mainly distributed in the tropical dry and wet climate zone in the southwest. Plants of the family Longaria, which are taxonomically related to the Cactaceae family, are endemic to the island. Sedum is widely distributed, but is most concentrated on the island, with more than 50 species. The oleander family's African overlord tree, with a tall trunk and beautiful shape at 8 meters, together with palm plants, constitutes a unique scenery of the island. The Pachypodium geayi and Pachypodium brevicaule, which belong to the same genus, are specialties of the island, but they are relatively rare. Succulents of the cucurbitaceae family are currently popular internationally, with two species of the genus Pyrene drum and the genus Shihuss being endemic to the island.
Spectacular baobab trees in Madagascar
East African countries across the sea, including Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia, are also important succulents. In Kenya and Tanzania there are horned temples of the lily family, sleeping cloth bags of the cucurbitaceae family, and emerald pillar species of the euphorbia family, all of which are very peculiar species. The whole territory of Somalia is a relatively flat low plateau, with an annual precipitation of 200-500 mm. Succulents include Aloe Vera, Desert Rose, Silver Hairy Crown in the Duck Plantaceae family, and Bitter Melon Palm in the Family Radix. In recent years, a new genus of the family P.tilbus, Pseudolithos, has appeared in the literature, which is a round or semi-round sphere of more than 10 cm in shape, with a surface full of nodules, and small flowers on the side of the bulbous stem. They are also produced in Somalia. Ethiopia has a high altitude, a cold and cool summer climate, and its special succulent plants, such as the Lumpan Mountains of the Euphorbia family, are very tall and are currently very rare.
The Boophone disticha in its native African state is dazzling
Keel aoi in the wild
2． Distribution of succulents in the Americas
The American continent is not only home to cacti, but also to many important succulents. The agave, bottle orchid, yucca, and perpetual orchids of the agave family are distributed in Mexico and the southwestern United States, and they are often mixed with cacti, becoming a unique landscape of Desert Vegetation in North America. In western Mexico and the California peninsula, there is a less familiar family, the Family of Fugui, although there are not many species, but some species have a peculiar appearance and strong ornamentation, and are one of the most rare succulents.
Origin of the Magic South Sedum
Fairy cup of origin
Mountain rose of origin
Sedum is the most widely distributed family of succulents, with many endemic distributions in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia. In the Americas are dominated by the genus Nymphs, The stone lotus, the genus Pachyllus, and the pinwheel. They are all distributed in Mexico, and there are 160 species in the genus Lithocarpus alone, making them a great family culturing species. In recent years, the literature has introduced a new genus in the Sedum family, Villadia, which is also distributed in Mexico.
Succulents of the Aeolianaceae and Piperidae families are found in the marginal areas of the American rainforest and are rarely found. In addition, there are sporadic succulents scattered throughout the Americas. In Mesoamerica there are species of the genus Euphorbia in the family Euphorbia. Mexico has mexican tortoiseshells of potatoes, laughing bags of the cucurbitaceae family, elephant trees of the sumac family, and brocade corals of the euphorbia family. The countries of The United States and the West Indies have corals of the Euphorbiaceae family and spiny leaf corals. Brazil has the queen of the cliffs of the family Picaceae, and the swollen stem base is covered with white hairy leaves and blooms beautiful red flowers.
3． Succulents are found on other continents
Although other continents also have succulent plants, the cultivation of more attention is the European native to the genus of long-lived grasses, for the sedum family, in addition to the natural species, hybrids are also popular. Some of the other succulents are widely distributed, but rarely cultivated, such as the species of Sedum in the family Sedum, which are widely distributed in Tibet, Korea and Japan in China, but rarely cultivated. The species of The genus Wasson are distributed in many parts of China, but the cultivation usually only pays attention to the horticultural hybrids of this genus.
Native state of the evergreen grass
There are many varieties of gyokuro in the wild state of origin, most of which are burrs.
4. Origin of cacti
On the whole, cacti are found on the American continent, with cacti growing from latitude 570 north to 490 south. On the islands, which are 1,000 kilometers away from the mainland, there are some endemic species that are not found on the continent. However, such a vast area is not every place with a wide variety, on the contrary, the distribution of many species is very limited. That is to say, they require a special ecological environment. After hundreds of years of continuous investigation, the distribution of various cacti species is clear today. It is introduced in great detail in some classic works, which has great guiding significance for cultivation.
In simple terms, the distribution of various types of cactus plants is roughly as follows: the distribution area of the cactus species is the most extensive, and the northernmost and southernmost areas are only cactus species. Both alpine islands and desert grasslands have cactus species that are tenaciously surviving. Epiphytic species and species of the genus Cactus are mainly distributed in tropical rainforests and their marginal areas, from Florida in the north to southern Mexico and Central American countries, including the island states of the Caribbean, and to the Amazon River Basin in Brazil in the south. The climate is characterized by high temperature and rain, but there is also a period of less rainfall each year, these epiphytic species usually grow in the middle and upper layers of the rainforest, can not absorb water from the surface soil, so in the rainy season there will be a threat of water shortage, so there is a certain degree of paragal structure in the form, compared to other plants in the rainforest they are much more drought tolerant.
Mexico is home to cacti, and more than half of the more than 2,000 varieties of cacti are known as the "Kingdom of Cacti".
The tall columnar species are "inhabitants" of the tropical subtropical savanna. The terrain is plain or low hills, the soil layer is thicker and has a certain humus, the dry season is longer and more obvious, the temperature is higher, the evaporation is large, but it often rains a lot during the rainy season.
Tall hairy plants grow at higher altitudes, mainly in the Mexican plateau and the Andes, which are characterized by strong sunlight, ultraviolet rays, and large annual and daily differences in temperature. Therefore, the hairy column species are hairy throughout the body to protect the epidermis from harm, and their cold tolerance is strong.
Temperate grasslands of the Americas such as the Pampas in South America are important origins of spherical cacti, and the soil in the region is fertile, with moderate rainfall and dry periods in winter. Therefore, the species native to these areas are more suitable for China's climate, such as cactus bulbous (commonly known as grass ball) species in China's ordinary residents do not rely on any facilities can be cultivated successfully, flowering and flourishing. The same is true of the species of Lihua Bulbophyllum and Southern Jade, but with slightly less hardiness and moisture tolerance.
The grasslands at higher altitudes are the concentrated distribution areas of many spherical species, such as the eastern slope of the Andean Mountains, which is the origin of the genus Bare Calyx, Splendid Jade, White Fairy Jade, and Descendant Bulbous, compared to the grasslands in the plains, the sun is stronger and the rain is less, but in general, the cultivation requirements are not much different. There are also many grasslands in Mexico and the Southwest of the United States in North America, with species of Staghorn, Pine Bulb, Pineapple Bulb and Papillae Bulb, which have a very large number of species and low cultivation requirements, which are very suitable for Chinese enthusiasts to cultivate.
The leeward zone of the Islands of the Caribbean sea is the origin of a very interesting type of cactus-like genus Of Phylloscopus, where the soil is fertile and sometimes rainy, and as long as the high temperature can be maintained in winter, it is not difficult to cultivate in our country.
In addition to the above, the Americas have three habitats of special habitat: the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico on the California Peninsula and the Gulf of California, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, and the Galapagos Islands, 1,000 kilometers from the South American continent. These three regions are also important distribution areas for cacti, and although the total number is small, they are endemic to other parts of the Americas. The California Peninsula and its nearby islets, including the Sierra Madre Mountains of West Mexico, are concentrated distribution areas of the genus Oryx and some species of the genus Goldenrod, which are very familiar to Enthusiasts in China. Although the local latitude is very low, due to the high altitude, there are cold currents passing nearby, and it is cool in summer. Due to the reverse warming effect caused by the cold current, the atmospheric temperature near the ground is lower than that of the high altitude, so there is little rain but the air humidity is very large. At 1500 meters above the sky is always cloudy, blocking 20% of the sunlight, mainly long-wave light, so that the short-wave light and ultraviolet rays that hit the ground are particularly abundant (low latitude and high altitude areas are originally short-wave light and ultraviolet rays). Under such special habitat conditions, the spines of the genus Strong Thorn Bulb are particularly well developed, not only strong but also brightly colored, and many of the thorns also have rings and white powder. In China, only a few places such as Gulangyu Island have a slightly better cultivation effect, and the cultivation in other areas is not ideal.
The northern part of Chile, bordering the Pacific Ocean, is also due to the inverse warming effects of the strong Peruvian Cold Snap, where offshore winds blow all year round, leaving the region with very little rain and, in some cases, year-round. But the air humidity was high and the dew was high at night, and the species of the genus Dracopodium that survived tenaciously there relied on a thick layer of felt hair on top of the sphere to collect the dew for absorption by the roots. The species of this genus is also difficult to cultivate in China, although more than a dozen kinds were introduced in the 1970s, but only 2-3 species can be found at present.
The flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands were investigated by Darwin, and their particularities were known throughout the world. There are also some cactus plants growing there, such as the largest species in the genus Cactus, the tortoise palm (Opuntia galapageia), and the species of the genus Musk Pillar and the genus Wyvern. These are species that are endemic to the island. Since the island's soil is full of volcanic ash and full of sunshine, the cacti there are well developed. For example, the tortoise's palm usually looks like a tree, and one of its large variants can reach a height of up to 10 meters. Several species of the genus Musk Pillar are as tall as 8 meters tall. Although the Wyvern Pillar is less than 1 meter high, it branches more than 300 times, forming a large cluster. Due to habitat particularities, the cultivation of these species is very uncommon, and there is currently no seed supply for these plants from either american or European cactus seed companies.