Scientific name
tiger faucaria
common names
Tiger Jaws, Tiger Jaws, Shark Jaws
Synonyms
Mesembryanthemum tigrinum
Scientific Classification
Family:  Aizoaceae
Subfamily:  Ruschioideae 
Tribe:  Ruschieae
Gender:  Faucaria


Origin
Native of South Africa (Eastern Cape).
 
Description
Faucaria tigrina is a small  succulent , up to 15 cm tall. The leaves are thick, triangular, light green in color (turning purple in strong sunlight), and up to 5 cm long.  At the edges of the leaves there are smooth white vertical teeth (up to 10) in opposite pairs that look like an animal's mouth. The flowers are large, up to 5 cm in diameter, silky in shape and yellow in color .
 
how to care
Faucaria are spring and autumn plants. They need good drainage. With a little shade, they will withstand extreme heat, although for this reason they will stop growing, taking care not to lack water. When they lack water, like many other succulents, the stalks die and some of the rosettes will no longer be attached to the roots by any living tissue.
They bloom for several months in autumn or early winter. The flowers open at noon and close in the late afternoon. Sometimes they don't open if the day is cloudy, or if they are in the shade. Flower color varies from yellow to white and even pink.