Crassula pellucida

Crassula pellucida
	Crassula pellucida subsp. pellucida, growing on the eastern flank of Table Mountain
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Crassula
Species:	C. pellucida
Binomial name
	Crassula pellucida; L. (1753)
Synonyms
	Gomara pellucida (L.) P.V.Heath (1993)

Crassula pellucida is a creeping, succulent ground-cover, or low-growing, spreading succulent shrub. It is native to eastern and southern Africa, ranging from Kenya and Angola to South Africa.

It is highly variable, tolerates shade, and several forms are popular in cultivation.

Description

The small ovate-rounded leaves have barely visible stalks, or are sessile (leaf-base fixed around the stem, without any stalk). This feature helps to distinguish this species from the similar and closely related Crassula spathulata.

The leaves have faintly toothed margins. Small, pink-white, star-shaped flowers appear in Autumn or late Summer.

Subspecies and distribution

Four subspecies are accepted:

- subsp. pellucida. This nominate subspecies has soft, green, rounded leaves. It occurs in shaded, rocky forested areas of the southern Cape, from Cape Town to East London.
- subsp. brachypetala (E.Mey. ex Harv.) Toelken. This variable subspecies has hairs at the leaf-bases, and can sometimes have more pointed lanceolate leaves. It occurs widely across the eastern (summer-rainfall) half of South Africa and in southern tropical and eastern tropical Africa.
- subsp. marginalis (Aiton) Toelken. This unique subspecies has fused, disc-like leaf-pairs, densely packed along its pendent stems (looking similar to C.rupestris or C.perforata). It occurs in the far south-eastern Cape, from George to East London.
- subsp. spongiosa Toelken. Cape Provinces.

References

1 2 3 Crassula pellucida L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
↑ Crassula pellucida subsp. brachypetala (E.Mey. ex Harv.) Toelken. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
↑ Doreen Court (2000). Succulent Flora of Southern Africa. CRC Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-90-5809-323-3.
↑ Crassula pellucida subsp. spongiosa Toelken. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

[powo-1] 1 2 3 Crassula pellucida L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

[2] Crassula pellucida subsp. brachypetala (E.Mey. ex Harv.) Toelken. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

[Court-3] Doreen Court (2000). Succulent Flora of Southern Africa. CRC Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-90-5809-323-3.

[4] Crassula pellucida subsp. spongiosa Toelken. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

Crassula pellucida

Crassula pellucida subsp. pellucida, growing on the eastern flank of Table Mountain
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Crassula
Species:	C. pellucida
Binomial name
*Crassula pellucida* L. (1753)
Synonyms
Gomara pellucida (L.) P.V.Heath (1993)