Crassula maputensis R.Fern.

Crassulaceae, R. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Habit

An annual (or also perennial), diffuse, somewhat fleshy, completely glabrous herb.

Stem

Stems up to 17(28) cm. long, procumbent, subdichotomously branched, rigid and sometimes subligneous towards the base, rooting at the lower nodes; branches up to 18 cm. long, prostrate, ascending or erect, slender, herbaceous and rather leafy towards the extremity; lower internodes up to 3-5 cm. long, the others successively shorter.

Leaves

Leaves 0-6-2-5 x 0-15-0-7 cm., spathulate or oblong-spathulate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, obtuse or nearly so at the apex, the narrowest ones nearly acute, entire, narrowing towards a subpetiolar base or rarely contracted below, slightly connate, flat, neither lineolate nor pellucid-punctate, dark green and membranous or nearly translucent on drying.

Flowers

Flowers 5-merous, solitary and axillary usually all along the stem and branches; pedicels capillary, 7-40 mm. long.

Calyx

Calyx 1-25-2 mm. long, up to half as long as corolla; sepals oblong-linear, obtuse, slightly connate at the base.

Corolla

Corolla 3·5-4 mm. long, white; petals 1·5-2 mm. broad, oblong-elliptic or obovate, concave, suberect.

Stamens

Stamens more than half as long as corolla; filaments 2-2·25 mm. long; anthers c. 0·25 mm. long, yellow.

Fruits

Follicles 2-2·5 mm. long, tapering into the c. 1 mm. long styles.

Seeds

Seeds 0·3-0·4 mm., longitudinally lineolate-ribbed.