What is this smelly succulent?

[PlantCrazy]

Hello Everybody,

I would love to know the proper names for this plant. I think it's beautiful. It has white hairs along the edges of it's leaves, and at certain times of the day it smells like really stinky socks!
It was a large, multi-branched plant that I dissected for cuttings, and the single headed plant is one of the pups and shows a vibrant burgundy colour.

My guesses are some sort of Aeonium or an Echeveria?

I'm still learning!

[Tom in Tucson]

It looks like an Aeonium cultivar.

[PlantCrazy]

It looks like an Aeonium cultivar.

Thanks, Tom. That's a start.

[nachtkrabb]

Hello,
did you find out by now? I would think about Aeonium, too, by the form of the leaves.
But that information about the smell is really interesting, I never heard of that -- of any plant. Does ist still do that?
N.

[Tom in Tucson]

Hello,
did you find out by now? I would think about Aeonium, too, by the form of the leaves.
But that information about the smell is really interesting, I never heard of that -- of any plant. Does ist still do that?
N.

The best known species is Aeonium balsamiferum.

Many species have glandular like leaves which are hairy (also sticky), and supposedly use excretions to lower transpiration (weird).

[nachtkrabb]

The best known species is Aeonium balsamiferum.

Many species have glandular like leaves which are hairy (also sticky), and supposedly use excretions to lower transpiration (weird).

WOW! Of course I know "smells" from herbs, spices, vegetables, flowers etc. But that succulents use excretions to control their loss of water -- really weird. Never heard about that.
A.balsamiferum has a very adequate name then. Great. But the source of that name seems to be quite unknown, just as the plant: Llifle doesn't list it. Wikipedia in EN & DE usually give the source of the epitheton, but not here. Is that too weird, so that they do not dare to say so...?

How in all the world did you stumble on that information, Tom? Do you breed that Aeonium, or similar plants? Would you like to tell?

BTW: These days the smell on my balcony might have changed. Sometimes I look out for opened flowers which I do not find, but it is always just a whiff. Also there are a lot more flies than usual. I will sniff & snoop around like a bloodhound to find out if its one of my (new?) plants. Until now I hadn't thought of that possiility.
Thanks,
Nachtkrabb aka Snoopy

[nachtkrabb]

It looks like an Aeonium cultivar.

Thanks, Tom. That's a start.

Hello PlantCrazy,
did you check the said A. balsamiferum, A. arboreum & its cultivars & A. mascaense....? Or have you already found out the name?

Did I already write that I do like your photographs? They are very expressive and like a fairy tale at the same time. Sorry, I am no native speaker, I don't no how to express myself but with "very well done".
N.

[Tom in Tucson]

The best known species is Aeonium balsamiferum.

Many species have glandular like leaves which are hairy (also sticky), and supposedly use excretions to lower transpiration (weird).

WOW! Of course I know "smells" from herbs, spices, vegetables, flowers etc. But that succulents use excretions to control their loss of water -- really weird. Never heard about that.
A.balsamiferum has a very adequate name then. Great. But the source of that name seems to be quite unknown, just as the plant: Llifle doesn't list it. Wikipedia in EN & DE usually give the source of the epitheton, but not here. Is that too weird, so that they do not dare to say so...?

How in all the world did you stumble on that information, Tom? Do you breed that Aeonium, or similar plants? Would you like to tell?

BTW: These days the smell on my balcony might have changed. Sometimes I look out for opened flowers which I do not find, but it is always just a whiff. Also there are a lot more flies than usual. I will sniff & snoop around like a bloodhound to find out if its one of my (new?) plants. Until now I hadn't thought of that possiility.
Thanks,
Nachtkrabb aka Snoopy

First off, just so you don't expect any reply soon, PlantCrazy hasn't logged in since Jan 09, 2023.

I don't think the species is controversial. See IPNI ref.:

Aeonium balsamiferum Webb & Berthel., Hist. Nat. Iles Canaries (Phytogr.). 3(2:1): 192 (1840) (1840).

Publication
Histoire Naturelle des Iles Canaries, ...Tome troisieme [Botanique] pt. 2. Phytographia
Canariensis. Paris

Collation
3(2:1): 192 (1840)

Family as entered in IPNI
Crassulaceae

Type Information
Distribution Of Types
Canary Is.

Remarks
Phyt. Canar. i. 192

BTW, sticky leaved succulents aren't confined to Aeonium. Sheck out Dudleya viscida.

[nachtkrabb]

Hello Tom,
thank you for the information, so I won't expect ANY answer by PlantCrazy.
Sorry, I never questioned the name of Aeonium balsamiferum. I was just astonished, that 1. it wasn't listet at Llifle & 2. that I read nowhere about the smell as cause of the name.
Does that Dudleya also have an interesting scent? Do you know?
N.

[Tom in Tucson]

Hello Tom,
thank you for the information, so I won't expect ANY answer by PlantCrazy.
Sorry, I never questioned the name of Aeonium balsamiferum. I was just astonished, that 1. it wasn't listet at Llifle & 2. that I read nowhere about the smell as cause of the name.
Does that Dudleya also have an interesting scent? Do you know?
N.

I used to grow it in San Diego, and although I can vouch for it's stickiness, I have no memory of any flagrance. I got rid of a large part of my collection before moving to Tucson (for various reasons), and it was one of many to go.

[nachtkrabb]

I used to grow it in San Diego, and although I can vouch for it's stickiness, I have no memory of any flagrance. I got rid of a large part of my collection before moving to Tucson (for various reasons), and it was one of many to go.

...what a pity...
Thank you, Tom.

[Mrs.Green]

Regarding ‘smelly’ cacti; One of my christmas cacti have a faint pleasant odour ( out of blooming). The odour is as said very faint and I have problems placing it, it’s like a very faint perfume of some sort. I can clearly smell it when bending over the plant. What’s causing it, I don’t know.

[Aeonium2003]

I don't think the species is controversial

Yes, A. balsamiferum is an accepted species. As far as I know it has no synonyms (other than when Aeoniums were classified as Sempervivum).

See: https://www.crassulaceae.ch/de/artikel? ... B&aID=3025

About scented Aeoniums,
A. balsamiferum has pubescent leaves, and a distinct aroma.
A. canariense and goochiae and some of their hybrids also have distinct smells.
A. xsantosianum (a hybrid of goochiae and canariense v. palmense) has a distinct coniferous smell.
some A. canariense hybrids like A. 'Blushing Beauty' and A. 'Velour' (which are hybrids of A. canariense and A. arboreum 'Zwartkop') have similar smells to A. balsamiferum.

As for sticky Aeoniums, glandulosum and glutinosum are some of the stickiest. I've noticed flies getting stuck to A. glutinosum .

P.S. interesting to hear about D. viscida, Tom. I hope to grow that species some day.

[Tom in Tucson]

I don't think the species is controversial

Yes, A. balsamiferum is an accepted species. As far as I know it has no synonyms (other than when Aeoniums were classified as Sempervivum).

See: https://www.crassulaceae.ch/de/artikel? ... B&aID=3025

About scented Aeoniums,
A. balsamiferum has pubescent leaves, and a distinct aroma.
A. canariense and goochiae and some of their hybrids also have distinct smells.
A. xsantosianum (a hybrid of goochiae and canariense v. palmense) has a distinct coniferous smell.
some A. canariense hybrids like A. 'Blushing Beauty' and A. 'Velour' (which are hybrids of A. canariense and A. arboreum 'Zwartkop') have similar smells to A. balsamiverum.

As for sticky Aeoniums, glandulosum and glutinosum are some of the stickiest. I've noticed flies getting stuck to A. glutinosum .

P.S. interesting to hear about D. viscida, Tom. I hope to grow that species some day.

Well compiled set of species with similar attributes.

As to Dudleya viscida, it's not a terribly exciting member of the genus. One thing that could be considered annoying about it is it's tendency to collect a lot of wind-born debris on the leaves acting a lot like fly paper.

[nachtkrabb]

(...) I've noticed flies getting stuck to A. glutinosum . (...)

(...) As to Dudleya viscida, it's not a terribly exciting member of the genus. One thing that could be considered annoying about it is it's tendency to collect a lot of wind-born debris on the leaves acting a lot like fly paper.

...Plants collecting flies...? Leaves acting like fly paper...? Those aren't carnivorous plants, are they...?!
Is that just a side effect or.....?
N.