Faucaria species?

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:31 am

I have two different kinds of Faucaria and was wondering if anyone could help me identify what type they are. The smaller one was labelled Tuberculosa when I got it, but I'm pretty sure its not that. I've looked around the web a bit, but none of the ones I've seen look exactly like them so I can't be sure.I'm thinking Felina or Tigrina but I don't really know. sorry that the pics are a bit blurry.

The smaller one got attacked by a (I think) bird on the second day that I got it, which was a bit of a shame. Anyway, thanks for any help.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:43 am

Neither of these is F. tuberculosa. Both are forms of Faucaria felina.

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:35 pm

iann wrote:Neither of these is F. tuberculosa. Both are forms of Faucaria felina.

Thanks Ian. Is there an easy way to tell the difference between Felina and Tigrina? I was fairly certain that the bigger one was F. Felina but couldn't tell the smaller one.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:05 pm

F. felina has fewer teeth and they are arranged only on the upper half of the leaf, so it has more of an appearance of a petiole with a wide toothy leaf at the end, but this isn't always obvious if the leaves are etiolated or very compact. For the same reason F. tigrina leaves tend to look triangular, widening steadily to a broad base. A rough rule of thumb is more than 8 teeth on one side is F. tigrina, less than 8 is F. felina, but they do occasionally break the rule. The official diagnostic difference is in the shape of the keel under the leaf but I've never been able to reliably spot this.

I can't find useful differences in the flowers or capsule, but F. tigrina has a tendency to more white dots on the leaves and a more purplish colour (in sun).

F. felina now includes about three quarters of the originally 30-odd species so it is particularly variable. Hybrids are common in cultivation.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:09 pm

Tigrini is often much prettier as well, heavily spotted, actually with white markings that tend to form lines. Felini seems to be often lacking markings, or spotted, but not lines .

Hadn't heard re the # of teeth, will have to go count mine.

Mike

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:29 pm

Thanks for the info guys. I'm rather new to this. Yesterday I sowed some seeds which are suppose to be F. Tigrina but if they actually are or not is yet to be seen. They didn't cost much so it doesn't really matter. They'll probs die on me as I haven't grown succulents from seed before. Anyway thanks for the help again.