Cotyledon tomentosa

Cotyledon tomentosa
Cotyledon tomentosa in bloom
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Cotyledon
Species:
C. tomentosa
Binomial name
Cotyledon tomentosa
Harv., 1862
Distribution of Cotyledon tomentosa in South Africa
  subsp. tomentosa
  subsp. ladismithiensis
Synonyms
for subsp. tomentosa
  • Cotyledon tomentosa
    Harv., 1862
  • Cotyledon ladysmithiensis
    Poelln., misapplied by Boom, 1958
for subsp. ladismithiensis

Cotyledon tomentosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to South Africa. It is a succulent evergreen shrub with large chunky ovate fuzzy green leaves. Its autonymous subspecies is known as the bear's paw because of the prominent "teeth" at the tips of its leaves. It forms large orange bell-shaped flowers in spring.

In its native habitat, the Little Karoo region of South Africa, Cotyledons usually grow in rocky quartz fields where they have excellent drainage provided by very porous soil.