| Crassula brevifolia | |
|---|---|
| |
| The thickly-succulent leaves of Crassula brevifolia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Genus: | Crassula |
| Species: | C. brevifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Crassula brevifolia Harv. | |
Crassula brevifolia is a succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to the arid western edge of South Africa (including the Namaqualand, as far south as Vanrhynsdorp) as well as southern Namibia.
Description
A small (reaching 50cm in height), branching, perennial shrub.
It has distinctively short, thickly-succulent leaves, which are roughly triangular in cross-section but with slightly rounded angles (leaf-margins). It has flaking brown bark on its thin, woody stems.
Variation
This is a very variable species, with two subspecies and many regional forms.
- subsp. brevifolia. The type subsp. grows on exposed quartzitic or granite outcrops, from Namibia to as far south as Vanrhynsdorp. It has papillate ovaries (each with 18-24 ovules), and the leaves usually point upwards, between visible internodes.
- subsp. psammophila. A rarer subspecies that favours flatter sands or gravels near the Orange River in the Northern Cape Province.
Related species
This species is closely related to Crassula rupestris and Crassula perforata.
References
- "Crassula brevifolia Harv". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- "Crassula brevifolia Harv". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- Toelken, H.R. (1975). A Revision of the Genus Crassula in Southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany. 8. p.424.
- Doreen Court (2000). Succulent Flora of Southern Africa. CRC Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-90-5809-323-3.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Crassula brevifolia | |