Excotic Flora and Canarian Flora : Crassulaceae - Genus Monanthes

Monanthes laxiflora (DC.) Bolle

Plant with a lot of synonyms !!!

Sedum laxiflorum - Petrophyes agriostaphis - Sempervivum agriostaphis - Monanthes agriostaphis - Sempervivum agriostaphis and Monanthes microbotrys.

A very variable plant, erect and tufted or dwarf and creeping, or hanging in stresses, 30cm long, on cliffs. The leaves up to 25mm long, 15mm broad and 10mm thick, are varying from almost globular to lanceolate, colour from deep green to purple/red, or in the drought period or heavy sun exposition nearly white to silvery. The inflorescence from tall and multiple flowered to very small and few flowered. The flowers also vary in size and colour from greenish-yellow to greenish-purple up to brown-red.

It is quite often seen in cultivation. The name refers to its lax inflorescence.

Flowering from beginning March until end of May. In culture, depending of location, flowering from May until end of July.

Location : Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Until now never seen on the two most western islands El Hierro and La Palma. Mostly growing on rocks and roofs from nearly see level up to 1800 meter.

Hybridisation with different other members of this genus with whom they grow together.

Very close to the Monanthes anagensis with which it often grows together and so possible hybridisation (region Chamorga)