About Echeveria gibbiflora DC.
Echeveria gibbiflora DC. is a large Echeveria species. It grows rosettes containing 15 leaves, produces a tall flowering stem that can reach up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) in height, and bears an average of 160 flower buds. Its red, tubular flowers are around 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) long, with 10 stamens and 5 styles. This species flowers between September and January. Each of its dry fruits produces approximately 200 small seeds.
In its ecology, each individual flower stays open for 7 to 8 days. The flowers are visited by broad-billed hummingbirds (Cynanthus latirostris) that seek out their nectar. American bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) have been recorded foraging for aphids that grow among the flowers.
In Mexican folk medicine, Echeveria gibbiflora is used as a contraceptive, specifically as a postcoital vaginal rinse. Known cultivars of this species include E. gibbiflora 'Carunculata' (which is also spelled 'Caronculata'), E. gibbiflora 'Metallica', and E. gibbiflora 'Violescens'.
