PAUCIFLORA Rose, 1903

Synonyms :

Cotyledon pauciflora  (Rose) Fedde (1904) / Echeveria pauciflora  (Rose) A.Berger (1930)

Subgenus Dudleya

Distribution : Mexico (North Baja Califomia: Sierra San Pedro Martir, Sierra Borja); cliffs and rocky slopes, 1250 - 3025 m.

Description (according to IHSP, 2003) :

Stems short, 7 - 25 mm in diameter.

Rosettes 3 - 9 cm in diameter, with (10-) 15 - 25 (-30) leaves, congested and up to 10 rosettes in cushions to 30 cm in diameter.

Leaves triangular-lanceolate, apically usually regularly narrowing, narrowly acute and delicately pointed, 2 - 5 (-7.5) x 0.5 – 2 (basally) to 0.7 - 1.5 (apically) cm, apically almost terete, green to farinose.

Inflorescences : Scape 5 - 30 cm, 10- lowermost 0.5 - 4 cm without bracts, red, glaucous, inflorescences 2 - 9 cm in diameter, red, glaucous, usually with 2 - 3 not or 1x branched scorpioid branches, these 1 - 15 cm, with 2 - 16 flowers, lowermost pedicels 7 - 20 (-24) mm, red.

Flowers : Calyx 3 - 5 mm, red, sepals 2 - 4 x 1.5 - 2.5 mm, corolla pentagonal, 6 - 10 (-12.5) x 3 - 4 (-5.5) (basally) to 2 – 5 (apically) mm, petals oblong, acute,1.5 - 3 mm wide, yellow, above and along the keel with red markings or tinge, appearing orange to red, tube 2 - 4 mm.

Flowering time : Usually July to August.

Cytology : n =17, 34

A very distinct species, recognizable by the congested small rosettes with narrow leaves with a subulate tip, brightly coloured inflorescences, long slender and usually erect pedicels, and small yellow distinctly red-spotted flowers, which are at least at times visited by hummingbirds (Moran 1988).