page_title: Dorstenia
section_title: Growth habit
hierarchical_section_title: Dorstenia / Growth habit
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of Dorstenia gigas at the University of California Botanical Garden
context_page_description: Dorstenia is a genus within the mulberry family, Moraceae. Depending on the author, there are said to be 100 to 170 species within this genus, second only in number to the genus Ficus within Moraceae. Dorstenia species are mainly known for their unusual inflorescences and growth habits. Dorstenia is named in honor of the German physician and botanist Theodor Dorsten. The type species is Dorstenia contrajerva.
context_section_description: Dorstenia is unique in the family Moraceae because of the extremely diverse growth habits and forms of its species. While the majority of Moraceae are woody perennials, Dorstenia species are predominantly  herbaceous, succulent, or suffrutescent perennials. Only 10% exhibit the typical woody habit of the Moraceae.
  The spectrum of the genus Dorstenia ranges from small annuals to perennial herbaceous plants with and without rhizomes or tubers, geophytes, lithophytes, epiphytes, woody shrubs and succulents (stem or leaf succulents). Their juice is mostly milky white, rarely yellow or colorless. The hairs that are found on most species are at least partially hook-shaped.
  The leaves mostly are arranged in spirals and rosettes, and rarely as two-rowed leaves. The leaf blades may be shield-, hand- or foot-shaped, whole, incised, lobed or feathered. Usually the leaf edges are perforated or notched. The ever-present stipulae are also variable in shape. Usually they are leathery, sometimes large, leaf-like and durable or sometimes small, awl-shaped and quickly falling off.
caption: Dorstenia gigas from Socotra.
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