Gibbaeum is a genus of about 17 species of small of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the Little Karoo region of South Africa. The name "Gibbaeum" comes from the Latin gibbosus (hunchback)
Description
These dwarf succulents are characterized by distinctively asymmetrical pairs of leaves, mostly globular or sometimes thick and arcuate. The sizes of the leaves of each pair are nearly always different. Gibbaeums grow in clumps and produce pink or white flowers in spring.
Distribution
Genus
Gibbaeum is predominantly indigenous to the
Little Karoo region of the Western Cape Province,
South Africa. A few species extend outside of this region. Three species extend north into the
Great Karoo region:
Gibbaeum gibbosum,
Gibbaeum heathii and
Gibbaeum nuciforme. Two extend south into the
Overberg region:
Gibbaeum esterhuyseniae and
Gibbaeum hartmannianum.
Cultivation
Sunny exposure and well drained soil. Their natural range spans the boundary between winter and summer rainfall areas of
southern Africa, and their growth period (emergence of new leaves and flowering) is therefore in summer for some species and in winter for other ones. However, overall most species can be watered primarily in winter. Temperature must stay above 10 °C in winter.
Propagation can be done by cuttings or by seeds. Many of the species hybridise easily - with each other and with the related genus Muiria.
Species
17 species are accepted.
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