Dudleya nesiotica
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| Dudleya nesiotica | ||||||||||||||
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| Dudleya nesiotica Moran |
Dudleya nesiotica is a very rare succulent plant known by the common name Santa Cruz Island liveforever. This dudleya is endemic to Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. This is a squat plant growing in mats on the rocky, exposed ground of the windswept island. It bears a few pointed or rounded leaves during the winter months when moisture is available, and it goes dormant during the summer, leaving behind only its tough caudex. It blooms in short inflorescences of small white star-shaped flowers. This plant is known from three to four populations on the west end of its native island. There are up to 60,000 individual plants remaining. The main threat to this species is grazing by wild hogs, which like to eat the tender leaves.
