CAPITELLA ssp. THYRSIFLORA (Thunberg) Tölken, 1975 (engl./ fr.)
Synonyms :
Crassula thyrsiflora Thunberg (1778) / Purgosea thyrsiflora (Thunberg) Sweet (1830)
Crassula turrita Thunberg (1778) / Purgosea turrita (Thunberg) Sweet (1830)
Aloe pertusa Haworth (1804) / Purgosea pertusa (Haworth) Haworth (1821
Crassula turrita var. rosea Haworth (1819)
Crassula corymbulosa Link & Otto (1820) / Purgosea corymbulosa (Link & Otto) Sweet (1830) / Sedum corymbulosum (Link & Otto) Kuntze (1898)
Purgosea pertusula Haworth (1828)
Purgosea turrita var. alba Sweet (1830)
Crassula corymbulosa var. typical Schönland (1904)
Crassula corymbulosa var. cordata Schönland (1904)
Crassula corymbulosa var. lanceolata Schönland (1904)
Crassula corymbulosa var. major Schönland (1904)
Crassula nuda Compton (1932)
Crassula triebneri Schönland ex H.Jacobsen (1954)
Crassula rhodogyna H.-C.Friedrich (1960)
Distribution : South-eastern South West Africa / Namibia, central Natal, southern Orange Free State, in central arid and semi-arid areas of the Cape Province, and often extending its distribution into dryer parts of high rainfall areas, but absent from the south-eastern parts of the eastern Cape Province, growing in a wide range of habitats, but usually sheltered by either rocks or other plants.
Description (according to Tölken, 1985) :
Perennials with herbaceous to woody branches more or less decumbent, with fibrous roots, usually producing several rosettes each with often rather loosely arranged and with spreading or recurved leaves in four ranks or spirally arranged with stems more or less hairy, rarely glabrous.
Leaves lanceolate to ovate, rarely elliptic, 10 – 100 (-150) x 4 – 15 mm, acute and sometimes drawn into a sharp point, usually glabrous except for a dense row of recurved cilia.
Inflorescence an elongate to spike-like thyrse with individual dichasia often stalked, with glabrous bracts.
Flowers : Sepals 1 – 2.5 mm long, glabrous or sometimes with few marginal teeth, petals oblong-obovate, each usually with rounded dorsal appendage shorter than the erect not fleshy petal apex.
Flowering time : Janunary – May
Cytology : 2n = 14
Distributed as ISI 95-23 in 1995.
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Synonymes :
Crassula thyrsiflora Thunberg (1778) / Purgosea thyrsiflora (Thunberg) Sweet (1830)
Crassula turrita Thunberg (1778) / Purgosea turrita (Thunberg) Sweet (1830)
Aloe pertusa Haworth (1804) / Purgosea pertusa (Haworth) Haworth (1821
Crassula turrita var. rosea Haworth (1819)
Crassula corymbulosa Link & Otto (1820) / Purgosea corymbulosa (Link & Otto) Sweet (1830) / Sedum corymbulosum (Link & Otto) Kuntze (1898)
Purgosea pertusula Haworth (1828)
Purgosea turrita var. alba Sweet (1830)
Crassula corymbulosa var. typical Schönland (1914)
Crassula corymbulosa var. cordata Schönland (1914)
Crassula corymbulosa var. lanceolata Schönland (1914)
Crassula corymbulosa var. major Schönland (1914)
Crassula nuda Compton (1932)
Crassula triebneri Schönland ex H.Jacobsen (1954)
Crassula rhodogyna H.-C.Friedrich (1960)
Distribution : Partie sud-est du Sud-Ouest africain, Namibie, Natal central, sud de l'Etat-Libre, dans les zones arides et semi-arides du centre de la province du Cap, étendant souvent sa répartition vers les parties les plus sèches du Cap-Oriental ; poussant dans divers habitats, mais généralement à l'abri sous les rochers ou sous d'autres plantes.
Description (selon Tölken, 1985) :
Plante vivace avec branches herbacées ou ligneuses plus ou moins retombantes, racines fibreuses, produisant habituellement de nombreuses rosettes plutôt lâches de feuilles écartées ou recourbées en quatre rangs, ou en spirale, avec tige plus ou moins velue, rarement glabre.
Feuilles lancéolées à ovales, rarement elliptiques, 10 – 100 (-150) x 4 – 15 mm, aiguës et parfois en forme de lame, généralement glabres mais avec une dense rangée de cils recourbés.
Inflorescence : Un thyrse allongé en forme d'épi avec dichasia individuels souvent en paquets, bractées glabres.
Fleurs : Sépales 1 – 2,5 mm de long, glabres ou parfois bordés de quelques dents marginales, pétales oblongs-obovales, chacun ayant normalement un appendice dorsal arrondi plus court que l'extrémité dressée et non charnue du pétale.
Période de floraison dans l'habitat : Janvier-mai.
Cytologie : 2n = 14
Distribuée sous le numéro ISI 95-23 en 1995.
![](/img/500/0fdd1f36decba8d59733b2d264e8025c_12350.jpg)
Crassula capitella ssp. thyrsiflora Protologue hand-coloured copper engraving of Crassula corymbulosa from a drawing by Friedrich Guimpel (1774-1839), from Link & Otto, Icones plantarum selectarum (3): 39-40, t.16. 1821.
In habitat in Steytlerville :
![](/img/500/9b7d35390b0600d0e22bd41459e79d14_image.jpeg)
Photo Willie Stoltz
Ockertskraal :
![](/img/500/aee44a21ba12be6709ad5c84bbc3d991_capitella ssp.thyrsiflora ockertskraal.jpg)
![](/img/500/e6f496af10bb5aadc802a0c0ac25709e_capitella ssp.thyrsiflora ockertskraal (2).jpg)
![](/img/500/b423e293725f10d764c7a6aae53425cd_capitella ssp.thyrsiflora ockertskraal (3).jpg)
Photos Chris Rodgerson
Vanrhyns Pass :
![](/img/500/2c3e0fbd12012a35b36ec256eff7663f_crassula sp. vanrhyn's pass christophe assalit.jpg)
Photo Christophe Assalit
At Blaukranspass, south of Calvinia :
![](/img/500/8abf75a5b4b13d55ba7f78a2d7e74068_5881.jpg)
![](/img/500/a77e60855c0da68a68da4fe3f4dde500_5882.jpg)
Barrydale district :
![](/img/500/c955e7b0452f12dddab538fec77b3107_2015-12-16_022931.jpg)
Photos Etwin Aslander
Cockscomb Mountains :
![](/img/500/5619379332f46b2b7728ce5f88fcc407_2017-09-04_002453.jpg)
![](/img/500/666448a38dd771e72d4b2540e2070596_2017-09-04_002609.jpg)
![](/img/500/325b81dd36ffa10c8764d1a9ad083dff_2017-09-04_003040.jpg)
![](/img/500/4aff7c2b2989c8b224ce12b9b1c53170_2017-09-04_003158.jpg)
Photos Jacquie Koutsoudis
![](/img/500/172974a1fc72051ac3b21c22b68b4530_3884.jpg)
![](/img/500/cd0074bc1f1ac37ab4f8f6e2c46ff62f_8013.jpg)
![](/img/500/34a141ec09ead88fd8b6b7eb113e9d8b_8014.jpg)
![](/img/500/d856c826c3bce0da5be698f8e7b15837_8016.jpg)
![](/img/500/f73bdf99d0cbb473bd3cb6c6f24a4563_8015.jpg)
![](/img/500/de229a031c3f7a7f57df037ccdf7ad8e_11349.jpg)
![](/img/500/1ce444db5f2454fe575a7a803f632d4b_11350.jpg)
![](/img/500/d79af1e8c53d6edf5adb8228f2223fa0_2016-05-27_200014.jpg)
![](/img/500/c18cfb948abddf012233e6658785a69f_2016-05-27_195825.jpg)
Photos Jacquie Koutsoudis
![](/img/500/3de5061aaad5798c2e3c649ca1f9e846_c. capitella ssp. thyrsiflora (jim h.) 1.jpg)
Photo Noelene Tomlinson
![](/img/500/7cdb47ee2d0a36ad6354cfa9e8f3fb6e_crassula capitella ssp. thrysiflora 4 6 19 nov 2022 8.15am.jpg)
![](/img/500/ef5bbd743aa3bfd3528224d118de8fb0_crassula capitella ssp. thrysiflora 4 9 19 nov 2022 8.15am.jpg)
![](/img/500/05149af2e2e5ba92874705cffc8fff9a_crassula capitella ssp. thyrsiflora 4 17 31 dec 2022 6.22pm.jpg)
Photos Santino Rischitelli
Plants in cultivation in the northern hemisphere :
![](/img/500/de50ce8b525427728bb5b179fed19062_7113.jpg)
Photo Javier Conde
![](/img/500/cffee6b8d12d63c75001c063f4c64fd8_11082.jpg)
Petals with a very tiny appendage :
![](/img/500/a4d06d5afc56c2c86bc402d34336c2a8_11083.jpg)
![](/img/500/a26120f5d0cea44aee76aa4bdcd64402_6225.jpg)
![](/img/500/0597d294d8ee5a820eb3b8b695d313bc_6226.jpg)
ISI 95-23 :
![](/img/500/474386720c274095439dffd61794c052_3702.jpg)
![](/img/500/8f1c9baf20263e0d74ce192930787d61_3701.jpg)
![](/img/500/b99250fecdc7907e19c83a320866fc1b_3700.jpg)
![](/img/500/ba19162683d2727d5c67bc3a7226d237_11080.jpg)
![](/img/500/479c25f1bb3d480dff261f9187ae57f7_11081.jpg)
In Australia :
![](/img/500/ebbfcd49a0839417e17d6069eb13abab_9858.jpg)
![](/img/500/95e0adf81b7d673cbaf63235434c2a43_9859.jpg)
A pink flowered form :
![](/img/500/fb092063a99d8271b1cf94e5892de48a_crassula capitella ssp. thrysiflora pink flower 1 1 5 may 2022.jpg)
![](/img/500/2289a049402f74f8b58e6be60fb5ff9f_crassula capitella ssp. thrysiflora pink flower 1 2 5 may 2022.jpg)
Photos Santino Rischitelli