MUSCOSA var. MUSCOSA (engl./ fr.)
Synonyms :
Crassula muscosa fa variegata hort.
Crassula imbricata Burman f. (1768)
Crassula lycopodioides Lamarck (1786) / Tetraphyle lycopodioides (Lamarck) Ecklon & Zeyher (1837) / Sedum lycopodioides (Lamarck) Kuntze (1898)
Tetraphyle littoralis Ecklon & Zeyher (1837) / Crassula littoralis (Ecklon & Zeyher) Endlicher ex Walpers (1843) / Combesia muscosa var. littoralis (Ecklon & Zeyher) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula anguinea Harvey (1862) / Combesia muscosa var. anguinea (Harvey) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula pseudolycopodioides Dinter & Schinz (1909) / Crassula lycopodioides var. pseudolycopodioides (Dinter & Schinz) E.Walther ex H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. pseudolycopodioides (Dinter) P.V.Heath (1993)
Lycopodium hieronymii Herter (1909)
Crassula lycopodioides [?] variegata E.Lamb (1945)
Crassula lycopodioides fa acuminata H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. acuminata (H.Jacobsen) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides fa fragilis G.D.Rowley (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. fragilis (G.D.Rowley) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides fa fulva H.Huber (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. fulva (H.Huber) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides fa purpusii H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. purpusii (H.Jacobsen) P.V.Heath (1993)
Distribution : Namibia, SA (Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape)
Description (by E. van Jaarsveld in IHSP, 2003) :
Erect to decumbent sparingly to densely branched perennials to 25 cm tall, very variable in size and leaf shape.
Roots fibrous.
Branches often curving towards the light, main branches woody, to 1 cm in diameter, internodes invisible.
Leaves flat, grey- to brownish-green, often erect, all of the same length and densely imbricate forming a square to terete body (when spreading with short axillary cymules), ovate-triangular to broadly so, 2 – 7 x 1.5 – 4 mm, margin entire with a row of hydathodes, tips acute to obtuse.
Inflorescences hardly distinct from the vegetative branches, thyrses with sessile axillar dichasia.
Flowers : Sepals oblong-triangular, to 1.5 mm, corolla cup-shaped, pale yellowish-green to brown, to 2 mm, petals oblong-triangular, to 2 mm, acute, anthers yellow.
Cytology : 2n = 32, 64, 96 - 112
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Synonymes :
Crassula muscosa f. variegata hort.
Crassula imbricata Burman f. (1768)
Crassula lycopodioides Lamarck (1786) / Tetraphyle lycopodioides (Lamarck) Ecklon & Zeyher (1837) /Sedum lycopodioides (Lamarck) Kuntze (1898)
Tetraphyle littoralis Ecklon & Zeyher (1837) / Crassula littoralis (Ecklon & Zeyher) Endlicher ex Walpers (1843) / Combesia muscosa var. littoralis (Ecklon & Zeyher) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula anguinea Harvey (1862) / Combesia muscosa var. anguinea (Harvey) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula pseudolycopodioides Dinter & Schinz (1909) / Crassula lycopodioides var. pseudolycopodioides (Dinter & Schinz) E.Walther ex H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. pseudolycopodioides (Dinter) P.V.Heath (1993)
Lycopodium hieronymii Herter (1909)
Crassula lycopodioides [?] variegata E.Lamb (1945)
Crassula lycopodioides f. acuminata H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. acuminata (H. Jacobsen) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides f. fragilis G.D.Rowley (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. fragilis (G.D.Rowley) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides f. fulva H.Huber (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. fulva (H.Huber) P.V.Heath (1993)
Crassula lycopodioides f. purpusii H.Jacobsen (1955) / Combesia muscosa var. purpusii (H.Jacobsen) P.V.Heath (1993)
Distribution : Namibie, Afrique du Sud (Cap-Oriental, Cap-Nord, Cap-Occidental).
Description (par E. van Jaarsveld dans IHSP, 2003) :
Plante vivace érigée à décombante, modérément à densément ramifiée, atteignant 25 cm de haut, très variable en taille et forme de feuille.
Racines fibreuses.
Branches souvent courbées vers la lumière, branches principales ligneuses, jusqu'à 1 cm de diamètre, entre-nœuds cachés.
Feuilles plates, vert grisâtre à vert-marron, souvent dressées, toutes de la même longueur et densément imbriquées, formant un corps quadrangulaire ou de section ronde (quand elles sont écartées par les courtes cymules axillaires), ovales-triangulaires ou plus larges, 2 – 7 x 1,5 – 4 mm, marge entière avec rangée d'hydathodes, extrémité aiguë à obtuse.
Inflorescences difficiles à distinguer sur les branches, thyrses avec dishasia sessiles axillaires.
Fleurs : Sépales oblongs-triangulaires, jusqu'à 1,5 mm, corolle en forme de coupe, vert jaunâtre pâle à marron, atteignant 2 mm, pétales oblongs-triangulaires, jusqu'à 2 mm, aigus, anthères jaunes.
Cytologie : 2n = 32, 64, 96 - 112
Plants in habitat - near the town of Merweville :
![](/img/500/fab656f7b384d30a7683106d330495b1_image-1.jpg)
Photo Etwin Aslander
Kortdoringberg :
![](/img/500/088124c477be48b6e7dbb38f5d5d0bf8_10751.jpg)
Photo Greg Daniels
Lorelei :
![](/img/500/b3069d73aeaea4c29a4b9d54d7e3843b_muscosa lorelei (mike).jpg)
Photo Mike Thewles
Buchuberg :
![](/img/500/d96328431ddb5c2e2953f7490315769a_muscosa buchuberg.jpg)
![](/img/500/f2cc6a9b1e3731724a9e347f98b5aa8b_muscosa buchuberg (2).jpg)
Kontoragab :
![](/img/500/da7bbb31c2375ffa351abc48064a1a95_muscosa kontoragab.jpg)
![](/img/500/0bfa6134f8154823cf312feda1f1a14a_muscosa kontoragab (2).jpg)
Rooiberg, Sperrgebiet :
![](/img/500/ba9e136f3958a56f2d7a0ca616b80dcc_muscosa rooiberg, sperrgebiet.jpg)
Riethuis :
![](/img/500/f0c6185f58cfcfb34034d8b5a4ece360_muscosa ne riethuis.jpg)
![](/img/500/1d80a22e47f767c14cdfdcb648bcfc59_muscosa ne riethuis (2).jpg)
S of Kleinzee :
![](/img/500/0876c7a9210ff7f0adcac4010d8c526f_muscosa south of kleinzee (2).jpg)
![](/img/500/a0fe871532fe305b558a902029bb488e_muscosa south of kleinzee.jpg)
Wildeperdehoek :
![](/img/500/f603cb855d129c4607fe5b3b424ee645_muscosa wildeperdehoek (1).jpg)
![](/img/500/0460337ac19b27d774e22803ab6ca849_muscosa wildeperdehoek (2).jpg)
Oudtshoorn :
![](/img/500/64fe039f0ef4cb43db7279ecd7272f73_muscosa sw oudtshoorn.jpg)
Photos Chris Rodgerson
Camdebo, Great Karoo :
![](/img/500/a98f5d9f2cc86dfb1f852f462289ffc0_10230.jpg)
![](/img/500/8ed348efc73c45750564d393ed6a4c2d_10231.jpg)
![](/img/500/fb9b80ccbcdaed330c007042a9dd5555_10232.jpg)
![](/img/500/ebb14a8c0628e7ded036d40f387ec880_10233.jpg)
![](/img/500/1062e171fd74dfcac15f8c0b16ee4f6a_10234.jpg)
![](/img/500/828d9e4e157299255529ac6deff6bd12_2016-08-12_022216.jpg)
![](/img/500/9a280d5918b110f6ca78c4ee59e640a3_2016-08-12_023129.jpg)
Photos Jacquie Koutsoudis
An atypical form from Wyepoort Valley, Richtersveld :
Une forme atypique, dans la Wyepoort Valley, Richtersveld :
![](/img/500/4d63070585000f2a4e1972f0b4e68633_1em2.jpg)
Near / Près de Nieuwoudtville :
![](/img/500/13cffc8c387c7914034340eae60fc569_emu.jpg)
A big, robust form just outside Laingsburg where it is very common in places :
![](/img/500/5172c7e747764abcd72dbc848f16cd32_1mu.jpg)
Photos Etwin Aslander
Plants in cultivation :
![](/img/500/974f270f503bf651e7464a473d9f876c_c-muscosa-rbg2.jpg)
At RBG Melbourne
Photo Noelene Tomlinson
The variability of C. muscosa var. muscosa (Plants Elsa Langenhoven) :
La variabilité de Crassula muscosa var. muscosa (Plantes d'Elsa Langenhoven) :
![](/img/500/0c6d4cc536ec2ece7d96637b93db5b2e_10403.jpg)
Photo Jacquie Koutsoudis
![](/img/500/03998ba92799c67ca85eef9d4b590ead_8005.jpg)
Photo Sean Ryan
![](/img/500/a008269dba1813157c2e5ab043147959_7668.jpg)
![](/img/500/07959ab4a9ab7f5c8c23ad9708bcaa96_7909.jpg)
![](/img/500/9648e053e682ed868ff7f23b2c664b47_7911.jpg)
![](/img/500/803ed58995e12a5985a89bcfc5bfa71a_7913.jpg)
![](/img/500/ac1a0a09928bad37d4638fb9ff1efb9e_7965.jpg)
![](/img/500/4e2d025bd4ba90b9def0d8f1febaa05f_7966.jpg)
Photos Benoît Henry
A variegated form :
![](/img/500/bf10bc780dad0c7b87d8ec3b6ef84d4e_7912.jpg)
![](/img/500/f86e2ac5e44ce983799416df10522d50_wp_20150716_003-2.jpg)
![](/img/500/0cf23349d015dab2d6357aeb48dd8af4_wp_20150714_014.jpg)
Photos Paola Volker
![](/img/500/ff2cfd386492bedaede87c4d29b533c1_crassula muscosa var. muscosa length.jpg)
Growing in a garden :
![](/img/500/ac2322534f545dd2b20eb4d730abe61e_crassula muscosa var. muscosa unit 6.jpg)
Photos Santino Rischitelli
![](/img/500/3fb8b0f65f566ffdccab1b0cfe1d10ad_8733.jpg)
![](/img/500/ad073e477441dafe7d8c7860f58e8977_8734.jpg)
Probably the tiniest C. muscosa ! Bic 6,5cm x 2cm in size for scale. Originally from Richtersveld.
Probablement la plus petite C. muscosa ! Pour l'échelle, le briquet mesure 6,5cm x 2cm. Provenance : Richtersveld.
Plants: Weltevrede Succulent Nursery, SA
Plantes de la Weltevrede Succulent Nursery, Afrique du Sud.
![](/img/500/b96c4de9c1d67a1483bc156db5d4d64f_2016-07-22_203421.jpg)
![](/img/500/e3fbcaf4335420766d27aa62aaed5905_2016-07-22_203759.jpg)
Photos Jacquie Koutsoudis
A crested form / Une forme cristée :
![](/img/500/dc1db9c26a95318b2b5e5d15ab97851e_10125.jpg)
Photo Noelene Tomlinson
Another cristate form was published as Crassula muscosa 'Devil Snake' by Harry Mak in Photo album of succulents in color 3: 94 (Mar 2003) :
![](/img/500/8099a2d3c8304deaa63f7d3cd703a1cd_23-07-2020 14-58-22.jpg)
Photo Margrit Bischofberger
Crassula muscosa var. muscosa fa cylindrica :
Introduced to Argentina from Japan in 2016, first confused with a species of genus Avonia.
Stems are to 0.7 mm thick, much branched and often decumbent, flowering time is mid-winter in the southern hemisphere, plants are very floriferous and flowers are smelling sweet.
Fue introducida en Argentina desde Japon en el año 2016,
confundida con Avonia.
Planta de tendencia decumbente.
Tallos bien verdes cilíndricos, de hasta 0,7 mm. Muy ramificados.
Las flores huelen bien, un aroma dulce.
Muy floribunda, su floracion comienza en agosto (pleno invierno) en el hemisferio sur.
![](/img/500/c5ce6334bcad4d200f08edef46279ca8_06-11-2020 21-31-16.jpg)
![](/img/500/bc119c0736796f0d1b150002078061a8_06-11-2020 21-30-44.jpg)
![](/img/500/a664da47dfcda8c74ddac83e189ad0b2_06-11-2020 21-31-57.jpg)
Photos Paola Volker