Cheiridopsis

Morphological Summary

Genus of succulent plants of the Aizoaceae family, endemic to the arid Karoo and Namaqualand regions of South Africa and Namibia. Species form plants of one to several pairs of very thick, fleshy succulent leaves, generally in unequal pairs. Leaves are greyish-green, frequently with a basal sheath that encloses the developing new leaf (hence the Greek name cheiris = glove/sheath). Flowers are large, showy, yellow, white, pink or orange. The genus was described by N.E. Brown and comprises over 80 recognised species, all from very arid, stony habitats.