Cotyledon (KOT-uh-LEE-dun)
Crassulaceae
Relatives: Crassula, Kalanchoe, Sempervivum, Echeveria
Cotyledon is a genus of succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae, occurring mostly from Southern Africa as well as throughout the drier parts of Africa and as far north as the Arabian Peninsula. Members of the genus are shrublets, generally succulent, with thick woody, brittle stems and persistent succulent leaves. Most plants in the genus, and those that used to be included in the genus Cotyledon, are poisonous, even dangerously so. Some have been implicated in stock losses among goats, pigs, and poultry. However, many species have long been used in traditional medicine. They have been applied for many purposes, ranging from magic charms to removal of corns on your feet. Cotyledon are grown as garden and indoor subjects, practically independent of irrigation in all but full desert conditions, though they cannot survive poor light or bad drainage.