Succulentist – A Word Whose Time Has Come

This Article by William C. Bakewell was originally published in the Cactus & Succulent Journal, Vol 64, p.203, 1992

This Article by William C. Bakewell was originally published in the Cactus & Succulent Journal, Vol 64, p.203, 1992

People interested in orchids have a word for themselves-orchidist. But no similar word for the devotees of the succulent plants seems so far to have appeared in our language. I have checked various dictionaries, including the recently published second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, only to draw a total blank. There is the word cactophile, but this term covers only those of us who work with cacti. Clearly, the time has come for a new word for people who deal with other succulent plants as well as cacti. I therefore propose to coin the new word succulentist.

Let me enlarge upon the definition of the word succulentist. A succulentist is anyone interested in the succulent plants whether or not he or she deals with cacti. Many devotees of succulents are not interested in cacti; clearly these people are not cactophiles. The word succulentist is there meant to define anyone who is interested in succulent plants of any kind.

I have found it easiest to accent the the third syllable when pronouncing the word succulentist. Thus the word is pronounced as follows: suck-you-LENT-ist.

During the past several years I have been using the term succulentist in discussing our kind of botany with my fellow fanciers of succulent plants in the Los Angeles area. These people have readily understood the meaning of the word succulentist. Therefore, it is high time to introduce the word succulentist to the readers of this journal and to the succulent-plant community at large.


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