Hendrix's Liveforever

Dudleya hendrixii is placed in the Dudleya subgenus Hasseanthus, which consists of species characterized by small drought deciduous leaves, flowers with widely-spreading petals and a tuberous underground stem, similar to a corm. It has been suggested that the corm-like stem and the small drought deciduous leaves are paedomorphic adaptations, as these traits are present in Dudleya seedlings but not usually retained through maturity in the other subgenera. Among the members of the Hasseanthus, Dudleya hendrixii is distinguished by its combination of white flowers that are absent of odor, a globose-spherical underground stem, and 3 to 5 linear to spindle-shaped leaves borne from narrow petioles. Also notable are the morphological similarities of Dudleya hendrixii to Dudleya attenuata, a non-deciduous species in the subgenus Stylophyllum, as both have narrow, grey-white leaves with acute tips and (in the case of D. attenuata subsp. orcuttii) small white flowers.

Morphology. Dudleya hendrixii is a low-growing rosette-forming succulent plant, growing to 5 cm (2.0 in) across. It is mostly acaulescent, as the apex of the stem is flush with ground level. The remainder of the stem is a corm-like structure growing underground, with a spherical to slightly longer than wide shape. …

Because of its small habitat, the plant is under threat of extinction from grazing and development.

The specific epithet of the species, hendrixii, is named in honor of musician Jimi Hendrix, as Mark Dodero, the former graduate student from SDSU who is credited with discovering the plant, was listening to Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" at the moment he found the plant.