Crassula cotyledonis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Saxifragales

Familia: Crassulaceae
Subfamilia: Crassuloideae
Genus: Crassula
Subgenus: C. subg. Crassula
Sectio: C. sect. Globulea

Species: Crassula cotyledonis
Name

Crassula cotyledonis Thunb., Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 6: 329 1778.
Synonyms

Crassula canescens var. latifolia Harv.
Crassula cephalophora var. dubia (Schönland) Schönland
Crassula cephalophora var. tayloriae Schönland
Crassula dubia Schönland
Crassula rehmannii Bak. fil.
Crassula tayloriae Schönl.
Globulea cotyledonis (Thunb.) P. V. Heath
Purgosea cotyledonis (Thunb.) Sweet

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
Regional: Southern Africa
South Africa (E-Cape Prov., W-Cape Prov., N-Cape Prov.), S-Namibia

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Thunberg, C.P.. 1778. Nova Acta Physico-Medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum Exhibentia Ephemerides sive Observationes Historias et Experimenta ... 6:329, 332.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Crassula cotyledonis in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 November 22. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2019. Crassula cotyledonis. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2019 November 22. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Crassula cotyledonis. Published online. Accessed: November 22 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Crassula cotyledonis. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 22 November 2019.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Crassula cotyledonis in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names

Crassula cotyledonis is a succulent plant endemic to the arid Namaqualand and Karoo regions of South Africa.

Description
Detail of the cilia along the margins of C. cotyledonis grey, pubescent leaves
C. cotyledonis stem specimens

This plant forms a low, sparse rosette. Its tiny, woody stem is short and against the ground. Its flattened, ovate (sickle/moon-shaped) leaves are usually a light grey-green colour, and can vary from narrowly-ovate (e.g. in the Karoo), to broadly ovate. The greyish leaves are pubescent (velvety) and the fine velvety fur points backward. There is also a line of short hairs along the leaf-margins.

The tiny, closed-tubular, globular flowers have 2-3 mm long petals, and are held in rounded bunches along the long, elongated flower-stem (peduncle 8-15 cm).

This species is closely related to Crassula nudicaulis, and resembles it in many ways. However, C. cotyledonis can always be distinguished by the cilia on the margins of the infertile bracts lower on its peduncle, which are not in one single row. The cilia on the margins near the tips of the leaves is similarly irregular and not in a single line. Other key diagnostic characters are the obovate or oblanceolate leaves having rough, backwards-curved hair, and the inflorescence having 3 to 6 infertile bracts near its base.
Distribution and habitat

This species occurs from Worcester, through the Karoo regions as far east as the Eastern Cape Province, and north as far as Namibia.

It is normally found higher on hilltops and slopes, in very rocky ground and outcrops.
Synonyms

Crassula canescens var. latifolia Harv.
Crassula cephalophora var. dubia (Schönland) Schönland
Crassula cephalophora var. tayloriae Schönland
Crassula dubia Schönland
Crassula tayloriae Schönl.
Globulea cotyledonis (Thunb.) P.V. Heath
Purgosea cotyledonis (Thunb.) Sweet