Liveforever, or Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa), Bodega Head, 9 August 2012
A native succulent that grows along coastal bluffs. Note the dense basal rosettes, the relatively tall floral shoots, and clusters of pale yellow flowers. The leaves often look powdery.
Apparently, individuals can live a very long time (perhaps hundreds of years?), hence the name Liveforever. Their roots take advantage of the smallest rock crevices, often where it seems like it would be impossible for a plant to grow.
Below is an image of Dudleya rosettes from a rock face near Dillon Beach. (Look closely, as there are some very tiny rosettes hidden among the lichens.)
The genus, Dudleya, is named after one of the first botany professors at Stanford University — William Russel Dudley. The species, farinosa, means "powdery," after the appearance of the leaves.
These plants look very much like "Hen-and-chickens" (Sempervivum)that you see in rock gardens. They too send flowers out on stalks. Very pretty!!
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