Carnegiea gigantea, Giant Saguaro

Southwest Desert Flora

Home to the plants of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts

Cirsium ochrocentrum, Yellowspine Thistle

Crassulaceae, Stonecrop, Orpine or Live-forever Family

Crassulaceae are also called the Stonecrop, Orpine or Live-forever Family. Plants here are usually herbaceous with succulent leaves although a few subshrubs and even fewer tree-like or aquatic plants.

Crassulaceae have a worldwide distribution, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and southern Africa where they exist under arid conditions. Cultivated plants in this family are the Jade plant (Crassula ovata) and Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldia).

In Crassulaceae there are 48 genera and over 1,300 accepted species. Other sources list 34 genera.

References:
The Plant List. A working list of all known plant species. (accessed 04/02/2015)
http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Crassulaceae/
Wikipedia contributors, 'Crassulaceae', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 31 May 2014, 23:08 UTC,
[accessed 2 April 2015]
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service on-line database – ITIS search