<previous next>

Goldspine

Succulent type: Leaf succulent (Stores water in its leaves)

This modest-sized leaf succulent grows up to 48 feet (14.6 meters) tall. The slender, pointed stem is gray-green, and is covered in thick sheets of flexible gold spines. The serrated-edged, needle-like leaves are generally slate. Large amounts of them grow from the base in a loosely patterned way. The leaves are rigid, and easily come away when pulled.

It is fast growing, taking 11 months to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, several flowers with petals that are purple on the underside and slate on the top grow at the top, reappearing after 2 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is largely flat with 31 tightly layered narrow petals. It has a strong scent that smells like pepper.

The leaf succulent's skin is tough, the blue flesh is rubbery, and the aquamarine sap is thin.

It is suitable for creating strong, durable textiles
The sap is edible and extremely bitter.
It absorbs an exceptionally large amount of water each day.