Crassula

MURICATA Thunberg, 1794

Synonym : Crassula divaricata  Eckl. & Zeyh. (1837).

Section Squamulosae.

Distribution : SA (Western Cape); Succulent Karoo.

 

Description (by E. van Jaarsveld in IHSP, 2003) :

Erect fastgiately branched herbs to ca 25 cm tall.

Roots tuberous.

Branches with recurved appressed hairs, older branches with flaking bark.

Leaves ascending-spreading, 3 - 6 x 1 mm, deciduous with age, linear-lanceolate  to elliptic, somewhat flattened, minutely papillate but old glabrescent, upper face flat to convex, lower face markedly convex, margin with few cilia, tip acute.

Inflorescences thyrses with cymose clusters of subsessile flowers.

Sepals oblong-triangular, subulate, to 3 mm, minutely papillate.

Corolla urceolate, petals fused shortly at the base, white to cream, to 3.5 mm, panduriform, tips obtuse, without dorsal appendages.

Anthers yellow.

Flowering time : Spring to mid-summer.

 

Rooikrans, S of Worcester :

Shoot detail :

Leaf margins :

Leaf and bract details :

Flower details :

Petal details :

Photos Steven Molteno

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