Faucaria

An illustrated key to the genus Faucaria

Faucaria (family Aizoaceae) is a small genus of endemic succulent plants from Eastern Capes (South Africa). A taxonomic revision was presented (Groen, 1999. Bothalia, 29), reducing the previously known taxonomic variability to only six species and three subspecies:

F. bosscheana (A.Berger) Schwantes

F. felina (L.) Schwantes

F. felina subsp. felina

F. felina subsp. britteniae (L.Bolus) L.E.Groen

F. felina subsp. tuberculosa (Rolfe) L.E.Groen

F. gratiae L.Bolus

F. nemorosa L.Bolus ex L.E.Groen

F. subintegra L.Bolus

F. tigrina (Haw.) Schwantes

A key to those taxa was also presented in the taxonomic revision. However the following single-access key is an adaption to better illustrating the diagnostic vegetative characters and providing a most helpful support in the plant identification.

1)
upper leaf surface shiny green, without white dots			leaf with conspicuous, often continuous, white cartilaginous margin				leaf margin with 0-3 cartilaginous, teeth without papillae
							→ F. bosscheana
upper leaf surface rarely shiny green or with white dots			leaf without continuous, white cartilaginous margin				teeth absent to many, usually partly green (e.g. teeth on papillae)
							→ 2
2)
leaves with a blunt keel			dots minute, rare or absent				teeth and bristles very reduced to absent
							→ 3
leaves usually with a sharp keel			distinct dots usually present				teeth and bristles often well developed
							→ 4
3)
leaves ovate-rhomboid in upper part					teeth 0-8, conical, bristle-tipped especially in younger leaves and then 1-2 mm long
							→ F. subintegra
leaves oblong-lanceolate in upper part					teeth (0-)2-4, reduced to small tubercles, if present bristle shorter than 1 mm
							→ F. nemorosa
4)
	leaves with white numerous distinct dots, confluent into patches					teeth always well developed, ending in long bristles
								→ F. tigrina
	leaves with white dots less conspicuous, not confluent into patches					teeth poorly to well developed, whit or without long bristles
								→ 5
5)
leaves olive-green to reddish, margins irregularly undulate, large-lobed or obscurely toothed					margins with (0-)2-5(-7) obscure to coarse teeth, without o with bristles (1-4 mm long)
							→ F. gratiae
leaves mostly (greyish-)green, margins regularly few- to many- toothed					margins with teeth well developed, usually ending in short or long bristles
							→ 6
6)
leaves with some to many whitish tubercles on upper surface
			→ F. felina subsp. tuberculosa
leaves without tubercles on upper surface (some tubercles-like teeth on margins may be present)
							→ 7
7)
leaves fresh green to greyish green but not glaucous, dots clearly visible				leaves with (0-)3-8(-10) teeth
							→ F. felina subsp. felina
leaves partially or completely whitish or glaucous, caused by numerous, barely visible dots				leaves with 6-10(-13) teeth
			→ F. felina subsp. britteniae