Aeonium

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Saxifragales

Familia: Crassulaceae
Subfamilia: Sempervivoideae
Tribus: Aeonieae
Genus: Aeonium
Sectiones: A. sect. Aeonium – A. sect. Chrysocome – A. sect. Greenovia – A. sect. Leuconium – A. sect. Megalonium – A. sect. Patinaria – A. sect. Petrothamnium – A. sect. Pittonium
Species: A. aizoon – A. appendiculatum – A. arboreum – A. aureum – A. balsamiferum – A. banaresii – A. canariense – A. castello-paivae – A. ciliatum – A. cuneatum – A. davidbramwellii – A. decorum – A. diplocyclum – A. dodrantale – A. glandulosum – A. glutinosum – A. gomerense – A. goochiae – A. gorgoneum – A. haworthii – A. hierrense – A. lancerottense – A. leucoblepharum – A. lindleyi – A. liui – A. nobile – A. percarneum – A. rubrolineatum – A. sanctisebastianii – A. saundersii – A. sedifolium – A. simsii – A. smithii – A. spathulatum – A. stuessyi – A. tabulaeforme – A. tabulicum – A. undulatum – A. urbicum – A. valverdense – A. voggenreiteri
Nothospecies: A. × acebesii – A. × afurense – A. × aguajilvense – A. × anagense – A. × barbatum – A. × beltranii – A. × bollei – A. × bramwellii – A. × bravoanum – A. × burchardii – A. × cabrerae – A. × castellodecorum – A. × castelloplanum – A. × chamorgense – A. × cilifolium – A. × claperae – A. × condei – A. × contortiflorum – A. × edgari – A. × exsul – A. × globosum – A. × grandipetalum – A. × hernandezii – A. × holospathulatum – A. × isorense – A. × jacobsenii – A. × kunkelii – A. × lambii – A. × laxiflorum – A. × lemsii – A. × lidii – A. × loartei – A. × lowei – A. × marreroi – A. × mascaense – A. × meridionale – A. × mixtum – A. × monteaquaense – A. × nogalesii – A. × occidentale – A. × ombriosum – A. × orbelindense – A. × perezii – A. × praegeri – A. × puberulum – A. × riosjordanae – A. × robustum – A. × sanchezii – A. × santosianum – A. × septentrionale – A. × splendens – A. × sventenii – A. × tagananense – A. × tamaimense – A. × tenensis – A. × teneriffae – A. × tijarafense – A. × timense – A. × uhlii – A. × uriostei – A. × vegamorai – A. × velutinum – A. × wildpretii

A. arboreum - A. balsamiferum - A. canariense - A. castello-paivae - - A. davidbramwellii - A. decorum - A. glandulosum - A. glutinosum - - A. gorgoneum - A. haworthii - A. holochrysum - - A. lancerottense - A. leucoblepharum - A. manriqueorum - A. nobile - A. palmense - A. percarneum - A. saundersii - A. sedifolium - A. simsii - - A. subplanum - A. tabuliforme - A. undulatum - A. virgineum -

Source(s) of checklist:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2023. Aeonium in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2023 Jun 12. Reference page.

Name

Aeonium Webb & Berthel., Hist. Nat. Iles Canaries (Phytogr.). 3(2; 1): 184 (1840).

Type species: Aeonium arboreum (L.) Webb & Berthel., vide H.Y.Liu (1989: 35)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Sempervivum sect. Chronobium DC., Pl. Rar. Jard. Geneve: 80 (1827).
Type species: non design.
Greenovia Webb in P.B. Webb & S. Berthel., Hist. Nat. Iles Canaries 3(2; 2): 198, t. 36 (1843).
Type species: Greenovia aurea Webb & Berthel.
Aldasorea F.Haage & E.Schmidt, Nursery Cat. (Haage) 1930: 203 (1930).
Type species: non design.
× Greenonium G.D.Rowley, Natl. Cact. Succ. J. 13: 75 (1958).
× Aeoniogreenovia Voggenr., Diss. Bot. 26: 317 (1974), nom. illeg.
Megalonium (A.Berger) G.Kunkel, Kanar. Pflanzenw.: 158 (1980).
Type species: Megalonium nobile (Praeger) G.Kunkel

Hybrids

× Aeonichryson
Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe (introduced)
Regional: Northern Europe
Great Britain.
Regional: Southwestern Europe
Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain.
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Greece, Italy, Sicilia.
Continental: Africa
Regional: Northern Africa
Algeria (introduced), Morocco, Tunisia (introduced).
Regional: Macaronesia
Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira.
Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa
Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia.
Regional: East Tropical Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda.
Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Western Asia
East Aegean Islands (introduced).
Regional: Arabian Peninsula
Yemen.
Continental: Australasia
Regional: New Zealand
New Zealand North, New Zealand South (introduced).
Continental: Northern America
Regional: Southwestern U.S.A.
California (introduced).
Continental: Southern America
Regional: Southern South America
Juan Fernández Islands (introduced).

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Webb, P.B. & Berthelot, S. 1836–1840. Histoire Naturelle des Iles Canaries. Tome 3, partie 2, sect. 1. Phytographia Canariensis. 220 pp., 36 tab. Paris: Béthune. BHL Reference page. (!184)

Additional references

Bañares Baudet, Á., Marrero Gómez, M.V. & Scholz, S. 2008. Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Crassulaceae of the Canary Islands, Spain. Willdenowia 38(2): 475–489 DOI: 10.3372/wi.38.38208 JSTOR. Reference page.
Liu, H.Y. 1989. Systematics of Aeonium (Crassulaceae). National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan. Special Publication 3: 1–102. PDF Reference page.
Mes, H.M. & Hart, H.T. 1996. The evolution of growth-forms in the Macaronesian genus Aeonium (Crassulaceae) inferred from chloroplast DNA RFLPs and morphology. Molecular Ecology 5(3): 351–363.
Zander, R. 1984. Handbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Aufl., Stuttgart, Eugen Ulmer.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2023. Aeonium in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2023 Jun 12. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2023. Aeonium. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 12 Jun 2023.
International Plant Names Index. 2023. Aeonium. Published online. Accessed: 12 Jun 2023. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2023. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Aeonium. Accessed: 12 Jun 2023.
Euro+Med 2006 onwards: Aeonium in Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published online. Accessed: 2023 Jun 12.

Vernacular names
English: Tree Houseleeks
suomi: Mehipuut
magyar: Kövirózsacserje
Aeonium, the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek αἰώνιος / aiōnios (ageless).[1] While most of them are native to the Canary Islands, some are found in Madeira, Cape Verde, Morocco, in East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) and Yemen.
Description

The succulent leaves are typically arranged on a basal stem, in a dense, spreading rosette. A feature which distinguishes this genus from many of its relatives is the manner in which the flowers bear free petals, and are divided into 6 or 12 sections. Each rosette produces a central inflorescence only once, and then dies back (though it will usually branch or offset to produce ensuing rosettes).

Low-growing Aeonium species are A. tabuliforme and A. smithii; large species include A. arboreum and A. valverdense. They are related to the genera Sempervivum, Aichryson and Monanthes, as can be seen by their similar flower and inflorescences. Recently,[when?] the genus Greenovia has been placed within Aeonium.
Species and distribution

All but two species are native to at least one of three different Macaronesian archipelagos (the Canary Islands, Madeira, or Cape Verde) Most aeoniums are from the Canary Islands,[2][3] The only species not native to these three Macaronesian island groups (Aeonium stuessyi and Aeonium leucoblepharum) are found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania; and Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen, respectively. Aeonium arboreum is native to both the Canary Islands and Morocco.

Species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of April 2023:[4]

Species	Distribution
Aeonium aizoon (Bolle) T.H.M.Mes	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium appendiculatum Bañares	Canary Islands (La Gomera)
Aeonium arboreum (L.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro); Morocco
Aeonium aureum (C.Sm. ex Hornem.) T.H.M.Mes	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife)
Aeonium balsamiferum Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura)
Aeonium canariense (L.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife; La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro)
Aeonium castello-paivae Bolle	Canary Islands (La Gomera)
Aeonium ciliatum (Willd.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium cuneatum Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium davidbramwelii H.Y.Liu	Canary Islands (La Palma)
Aeonium decorum Webb ex Bolle	Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera)
Aeonium dodrantale (Willd.) T.H.M.Mes	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium glandulosum (Aiton) Webb & Berthel.	Maderia (Madeira, Desertas, Porto Santo)
Aeonium glutinosum (Aiton) Webb & Berthel.	Madeira (Madeira, Desertas)
Aeonium gomerense (Praeger) Praeger	Canary Islands (La Gomera)
Aeonium goochiae (Christ.) Praeger	Canary Islands (La Palma)
Aeonium gorgoneum J. A. Schmidt	Cabo Verde (Santo Antão, São Nicolau, São Vicente)
Aeonium haworthii (Salm-Dyck ex Webb & Berthel.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium hierrense (R. P. Murray) Pit. & Proust.	Canary Islands (La Palma, El Hierro)
Aeonium lancerottense (Praeger) Praeger	Canary Islands (Lanzarote)
Aeonium leucoblepharum Webb ex A. Richard	Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda
Aeonium lindleyi Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium liui Arango	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium nobile (Praeger) Praeger	Canary Islands (La Palma)
Aeonium percarneum (R. P. Murray) Pit. & Proust.	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria)
Aeonium rubrolineatum Svent.	Canary Islands (La Gomera)
Aeonium saundersii Bolle	Canary Islands (La Gomera)
Aeonium sedifolium (Webb ex Bolle) Pit. & Proust.	Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma))
Aeonium simsii (Sweet) Stearn.	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria)
Aeonium smithii (Sims) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium spathulatum (Hornem.) Praeger	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife; La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro)
Aeonium stuessyi H.-Y. Liu	Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Aeonium tabuliforme (Haw.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium undulatum Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Gran Canaria)
Aeonium urbicum (C. Sm. ex Hornem.) Webb & Berthel.	Canary Islands (Tenerife)
Aeonium valverdense (Praeger) Praeger	Canary Islands (El Hierro)

Hybrids

Much hybridising has been done, resulting in several cultivars of mixed or unknown parentage. The following species and cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

Aeonium tabuliforme[5]
Aeonium haworthii[6]
Aeonium haworthii 'Variegatum'[7]
Aeonium 'Blushing Beauty'[8]
Aeonium 'Sunburst'[9]
Aeonium 'Zwartkop'[10]

Hybridising between Aeonium species or cultivars and other Crassulaeceae species or cultivars has produced intergeneric crosses:

x Semponium 'Sienna' (Sempervivum 'Green Ice' x Aeonium 'Ice Warrior').[11]
x Semponium 'Destiny' - winner of the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show 'Chelsea Plant of the Year 2022' award.[12]

Some species have been introduced in California.[13]

UK national collections of aeoniums are held by Mellie Lewis at Clun in Shropshire[14] and by Inverewe at Poolewe, Wester Ross in Scotland.[15]
References

Eggli, U.; Newton, L.E. (2004). Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 3. ISBN 978-3-540-00489-9. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
Bramwell, D.; Bramwell, Z. (2001). Wild flowers of the Canary Islands. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Rueda. ISBN 84-7207-129-4.
"International Crassulaceae Network: Aeonium". International Crassulaceae Network. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
"Aeonium Webb & Berthel". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
"Aeonium tabuliforme". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Aeonium haworthii". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Aeonium haworthii 'Variegatum'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Aeonium 'Blushing Beauty'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Aeonium 'Sunburst'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Aeonium 'Zwartkop'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
"Graham Rice's new plants blog: Super succulent is Chelsea Plant of the Year star / RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
"The RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year / RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
"Aeonium in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
"Join Plant Heritage | Conserving the diversity of garden plants". www.plantheritage.org.uk.

Scotland, National Trust for (April 22, 2022). "A glimpse into plant evolution through…". National Trust for Scotland.

R. Nyffeler, "Aeonium", in Urs Eggli, ed. Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae (Springer, 2003) ISBN 3-540-41965-9
M. Cristini, "The Genus Aeonium" (Rome, 2022) ISBN 978-88-901345-6-2