Monanthes
Monanthes is a small genus of tiny, cushion- or mat-forming succulents in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native almost entirely to the Canary Islands and neighbouring Macaronesian archipelagos. Their miniature fleshy rosettes — often no bigger than a shirt button — and curious fringed flowers make them favourites among specialist collectors of dwarf succulents, even if they are seldom seen on a general windowsill.
Description
Monanthes are diminutive, soft-bodied succulents that grow as low cushions, tufts or spreading mats rather than upright plants. The individual rosettes are made up of small, plump, spoon- to club-shaped leaves, and in most species they measure only a centimetre or two across. Many species are densely clustering, building up over time into a rounded green (sometimes reddish-tinged) hummock; a few are more delicate, with fine trailing or brittle stems.
The flowers are the genus's most distinctive feature. They are small, star-shaped and carried on short stalks above the foliage, and each bloom has conspicuous fleshy nectar scales set inside the petals, giving the centre a fringed or frilled appearance under close inspection. Colours are usually muted — greenish, yellowish, pinkish or brownish, often with fine darker veining — a subtlety that rewards a hand lens more than a glance across the room.
Distribution
The genus is essentially Macaronesian. The great majority of species are endemic to the Canary Islands, with a couple of relatives on the Salvage Islands and in Morocco. There they grow in rock crevices, on shaded cliff faces, under overhangs and among mossy stones, typically where they enjoy cool, humid air and shelter from the fiercest sun. This habit of rooting into tiny pockets of gritty, humus-flecked soil on rock is a good guide to how they like to be grown.
Notable species
- Monanthes polyphylla — perhaps the best-known species, forming tight cushions of tiny densely-packed rosettes; a classic collector's dwarf.
- Monanthes brachycaulos — a low, spreading species of shaded rocks, sometimes offered under the older spelling brachycaulon.
- Monanthes muralis — a small mat-former, as the name suggests at home on walls and rock faces.
- Monanthes laxiflora — a slightly larger, looser-growing species with more open sprays of flowers.
- Monanthes anagensis — a compact Canary Island endemic prized by specialists.
Cultivation
Monanthes are grown much as one would grow other dwarf Canary Island crassulas, but with a gentler hand than the desert cacti many hobbyists are used to. They prefer bright but filtered light rather than blazing full sun, which can scorch and shrivel the tiny rosettes; a spot with good airflow and some midday shade suits them well.
Plant them in a very free-draining but not bone-dry mix, with plenty of grit and a little humus to mimic their rocky, mossy habitat, in a small, shallow pot. Water regularly but lightly through the cooler growing months, letting the surface dry between waterings, and ease right off during the hot, dry summer, when many species take a natural rest. As Macaronesian plants they dislike prolonged drought far more than most succulents, yet they rot just as readily if left wet and stuffy — so aim for steady moderation. Keep them frost-free; they are happiest in mild, cool conditions rather than extreme heat. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Hobby and cultivar notes
Monanthes are firmly in the domain of the specialist dwarf-succulent collector rather than the mass market, valued for their charming miniature scale and for the fascinating structure of their flowers. There are few if any widely-grown named cultivars; interest centres instead on growing the various wild species well and on the taxonomic ties between Monanthes and neighbouring genera such as Aeonium and Sedum, with which species have at times been grouped or reclassified. Because the plants are so small and clumping, they lend themselves beautifully to shallow pans, trough plantings and mixed dwarf-succulent displays.
Propagation
The clustering species are readily increased by division or by rooting individual rosettes and offsets, which strike easily in a gritty, lightly moist mix — see Propagation — offsets and Propagation — cuttings. Some brittle-stemmed species will even root from fragments that drop and settle onto damp soil. Seed is also viable where available, sown fine and kept humid, following the general method in Propagation — seed.
Common problems
- Rot — the usual cause of loss, from a stuffy, poorly-drained mix or from water sitting in the crowded rosettes.
- Scorch and shrivel — too much direct sun or a hot, dry position makes the tiny leaves crisp and brown; give shade and steadier moisture.
- Pests — mealybugs can hide among the densely-packed rosettes, and aphids sometimes attack the soft flower stalks. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Aeonium — a related Macaronesian genus in the same family
- Sedum · Crassulaceae
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings