Echeveria diffractens

Echeveria diffractens is a small succulent in the Crassulaceae family. People also call it shattering echeveria. It comes from central Veracruz, Mexico. It grows wild nowhere else. There, it lives on volcanic rocks in forest canyons. These tropical forests shed their leaves in the dry season. Its home lies around 984 feet [300 metres] above sea level. LLIFLE calls it rare and notes threats from habitat loss. This does not give it a formal conservation rating.

The plant forms a low, flat rosette of fleshy leaves. It grows about 0.07–0.16 feet [0.02–0.05 metres] tall. Each rosette spans about 0.23–0.33 feet [0.07–0.10 metres]. It may lack a stem or have a very short one. Wild plants tend to grow as single rosettes. Older plants grown in gardens can form clumps instead. Growth is slow, but even small plants can bloom. A rosette may hold as many as 30 leaves.

The smooth leaves grow wider near their tips, like spoons. Their tips are blunt or round, with a small point. Leaves range from blue-grey to pinkish grey-violet and reddish purple. A thin, pale cream edge runs round each leaf. The top of each leaf is flat. The base is flat or curves out a little. The fleshy leaf blades reach about 0.11–0.15 feet [0.035–0.045 metres] long. Their edges are smooth and have no teeth.

Flower stalks rise well above the low leaves. Their full length can reach about 1.15 feet [0.35 metres]. The stalks grow longer and lean as they age. LLIFLE gives November to January for blooms in the wild. Its general account gives late winter through spring instead. The orange flowers often have yellow tips. Each bloom has five angles. Its mouth has a slight urn shape. Blue-green sepals sit round the base of each flower. The anthers are yellow. The plant makes many brown seeds.

Fleshy bracts line the flower stalks. Even light contact can make them fall off. This trait gives the plant both its scientific and common names. The fallen bracts can grow into new plants. The neat rosettes and raised blooms give it garden appeal. The sources give no water, light, or frost advice for this species. Nor do they assess its pests, diseases, food use, or toxicity.