splendens bojeri—dwarf crown of thorns—Compared to the sprawly species that grows four feet tall or more, this is really a midget. Mine has kept its six-inch bushy contours for nearly two years. The upright grayish branches are fairly well supplied with roundish, dark-green leaves; the scarlet flower-like bracts are plentiful at intervals all summer and fall.
Faucaria Aizoaceae Tiger Jaws
Low, crowded succulents with thick, triangular leaves toothed with spiny hairs, unmistakably resembling an animal’s mouth. In late summer or early fall, golden daisy-like flowers pop up and make fun of the plant’s ferocious appearance.
tigrina—Silvery green leaves flecked with white, two-inch yellow flowers.
tuberculosa—Darker green leaves with little white knobs.
Fenestraria Aizoaceae Baby Toes
Clusters of cylindrical leaves, larger at the top, like little flat-tipped baseball bats. The nearly colorless tops feature tiny transparent “windows.”
aurantiaca—Three-inch orange daisy flowers more than twice as wide as the clustered leaf-colony.
rhopalophylla—Leaves more blunt, smaller white flowers.
Gymnocalycium mihanovichi Cactaceae Chin Cactus