Succulent biology

Succulents and succulence

Water storage connects plants from many families.

Cactus systematics Succulent systematics Cactus and succulent atlas

Biology of succulence

Cacti and other succulents. Relationships and a shared strategy

Areoles help identify a cactus. Succulence describes water storage, which occurs in different plant families and organs. [Fradera-Soler et al. 2022] [2-WWW]

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Biology of succulence

Succulents. Storage tissues and water redistribution

Hydrenchyma releases stored water to photosynthetic tissues. Wall elasticity and differences in water potential connect organ anatomy with daily physiology. [Fradera-Soler et al. 2022] [Cabrita 2024]

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Biology of succulence

Succulents. Flexible walls during dehydration

Water-storage cells can shrink in an organised manner. Wall folding connects changes in volume with preservation of living tissue structure. [Fradera-Soler et al. 2022]

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The inventory includes every species explicitly marked as succulent in WCVP 16 and additional groups documented by botanical sources. Names and synonyms follow the 4 June 2026 edition, consulted on 12 October 2026. The scope comprises 5353 species in 265 genera and 31 families.

Succulence occurs across different plant lineages. This dated inventory is complete within its documented source scope. Other succulents may fall outside it when the database lacks an explicit flag or independent evidence. These cards document nomenclature.

[27-WWW] [Nyffeler and Eggli 2010] [Golenberg et al. 2023] [18-WWW] [18-WWW] [The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2016]