Crassula L.

Crassulaceae, G.E. Wickens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs, frequently fleshy

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very rarely absent, decussate, free or ± connate at the base to form a sheath around the stem, usually sessile, almost always entire, flattish, semiterete or subterete, glabrous, pubescent papillose or scabrid, margin smooth, ciliate or papillate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence usually corymbose, subumbellate, capitate or thyrsoid, sometimes an axillary fascicle or flowers rarely solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers isomerous, 3–4- or 5-merous, rarely 6- or 9-merous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx usually much shorter than the corolla Sepals free or slightly united at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals usually slightly united at the base, white or red, rarely yellow or bluish; lobes stellate, erect, patent or connivent, apex often dorsally mucronate, the mucro small, hemispherical or cylindrical, usually blunt or conspicuous, ovoid or subglobular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens equal in number to the petals, episepalous, or in gamopetalous corollas affixed to the tube; filaments often subulate, sometimes flattened; anthers ovate or oblong, sometimes with conspicuous connective

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Nectary scales usually very small, narrowly to broadly spathulate to obcuneate or square, rounded and slightly emarginate at the apex, rarely stipitate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels free or slightly united at the base; ovules numerous, rarely 1–2; styles often subulate, narrowly cylindrical or filamentous, often as long as the ovaries, or short and relatively thick; stigmata small, terminal or more rarely subdorsal.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial succulent herbs, sometimes with a tuber-like root, or undershrubs or shrubs with ± woody root-stock and succulent usually ± fleshy leaves.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, usually decussate, the lowermost frequently rosulate, free or ± connate in a sheath, usually simple, undivided and entire, thin to ± thick, flat, terete, semiterete, ovoid, etc.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers (3-4)5(6-9)-merous, isomerous, usually small and not showy, in cymes arranged either in dense subsessile or pedunculate axillary clusters sometimes forming thyrsoid inflorescences, or in corymb-like axillary or terminal loose or ± dense inflorescences, sometimes 1(2) flowers in the leaf-axils.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx usually shorter than the corolla, with the sepals free or slightly connate at the base, appressed to the corolla, ± succulent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla usually white or whitish turning orange or brownish-red when dry, sometimes red or carmine, rarely bright yellow, persistent; petals erect or stellate, connate at the base into a ± short tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens free or with the lower part of the filaments connate with the corolla-tube, alternipetalous; anthers ovate or oblong, sometimes nearly circular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels free or connate at the base, oblong or obovoid, attenuate towards or contracted into a ± short usually terminal style, sometimes the styles nearly absent and stigmas subdorsal, completely glabrous or papillose along the suture; ovules numerous or sometimes 1-4.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Scales shorter than the carpels, hyaline or reddish-brown or rose, thin, narrowly to broadly spathulate or obovate or cuneate.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Minute annual herbs to succulent perennial subshrubs with fibrous roots

Morphology Stem

Stems erect or ascending

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, sessile, connate at base to form a sheath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary or terminal, cymose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers (2–)4(–5)-merous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens equal in number to petals

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels free; style short; stigma minute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Follicles 1–many-seeded.

Distribution

A genus of about 20 species, worldwide, except Antarctica. One species in Iraq.