Crassula muscosa

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Rattail crassula
Crassula muscosa Grubosz 2006-05-03 01.jpg
Crassula muscosa var. accuminata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Crassula
Species:
C. muscosa
Binomial name
Crassula muscosa
Synonyms

Crassula lycopodioides
Crassula pseudolycopodioides

Contents

Crassula muscosa, synonyms Crassula lycopodioides [2] and Crassula pseudolycopodioides, is a succulent plant native to South Africa and Namibia, belonging to the family of Crassulaceae and to the genus Crassula . It is a houseplant grown worldwide and commonly known as rattail crassula, [2] watch chain, lizard's tail, zipper plant and princess pines.[ citation needed ]

Etymology

The scientific and the common names refer to its appearance: muscosa derives from the Latin word muscosus, meaning "mossy". Lycopodioides, referred to the clubmoss Lycopodium , derives from the Greek words "Λύκος" (líkos, wolf), "πόδι" (pódi, foot) and οειδής (oeides, -oid, similar to).

Description

Crassula muscosa has very small, light green leaves that are densely packed around a thin stem, and the arrangement of the leaves around the stems gives them a square shape. [1] It grows as an intricate bush with very small yellow-green flowers, with a maximum height of 15–20 cm.

Distribution and habitat

Crassula muscosa is native to South Africa (the Cape Provinces, the Free State and the Northern Provinces) and Namibia. [3] It grows in environments with a moderate degree of humidity, in which the soil is well drained and composed of fertile soil and sand.

Cultivation

During the cold season, it tolerates temperature drops up to a minimum of 6-8°C, requiring little water. In summer, it needs a lot more water and should be not exposed to full sun, as it suffers under excessive sunlight. When these conditions are not met the plant begins to dry and stiffen, generally starting from the base of the stem up to the tips. It is an invasive species [ where? ] and easily propagated from stem cuttings. If the environment maintains a stable temperature of 20-21°C, with adequate humidity and brightness, the cutting will root and grow rapidly.

Varieties

Related Research Articles

<i>Lithops</i> Genus of plants

Lithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος 'stone' and ὄψ 'face', referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants. They avoid being eaten by blending in with surrounding rocks and are often known as pebble plants or living stones. The formation of the name from the Ancient Greek -ops means that even a single plant is called a Lithops.

<i>Crassula</i> Genus of plants

Crassula is a genus of succulent plants containing about 200 accepted species, including the popular jade plant. They are members of the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) and are native to many parts of the globe, but cultivated varieties originate almost exclusively from species from the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cutting (plant)</span> Method of propagating plants

A plant cutting is a piece of a plant that is used in horticulture for vegetative (asexual) propagation. A piece of the stem or root of the source plant is placed in a suitable medium such as moist soil. If the conditions are suitable, the plant piece will begin to grow as a new plant independent of the parent, a process known as striking. A stem cutting produces new roots, and a root cutting produces new stems. Some plants can be grown from leaf pieces, called leaf cuttings, which produce both stems and roots. The scions used in grafting are also called cuttings.

<i>Hoya carnosa</i> Species of plant

Hoya carnosa, the porcelainflower or wax plant, is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is one of the many species of Hoya that are native to Eastern Asia and Australia. It is a common house plant grown for its attractive waxy foliage, and sweetly scented flowers. It is grown well in pots and hanging baskets.

<i>Delosperma cooperi</i> Species of plant

Delosperma cooperi, the trailing Iceplant, hardy iceplant or pink carpet, is a dwarf perennial plant native to South Africa. It forms a dense lawn with abundant, long-lasting flowers. It reaches sizes of approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall, with fleshy leaves that are linear and simple and can grow up to 1.5 inches long and a trailing stem that hangs down. These fleshy roots help provide the ability for the plants to recover and grow rapidly if a disturbance has occurred.

<i>Graptopetalum paraguayense</i> Species of succulent

Graptopetalum paraguayense is a species of succulent plant in the jade plant family, Crassulaceae, that is native to Tamaulipas, Mexico. Common names include mother-of-pearl-plant and ghost plant. This is not to be confused with Monotropa uniflora which is also referred to as the “Ghost plant”. G. paraguayense has white flowers which have a form of a star. The Graptopetalum paraguayense is called the ghost plant because of the residue on the leaves making it look like a ghost.

<i>Crassula multicava</i> Species of succulent

Crassula multicava is a perennial succulent plant from the family Crassulaceae. It is also known under various common names including the fairy crassula, pitted crassula and London pride.

<i>Curio rowleyanus</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Curio rowleyanus, syn. Senecio rowleyanus, is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine native to the drier parts of southwest Africa. In its natural environment its stems trail on the ground, rooting where they touch and form dense mats. It often avoids direct sunlight by growing in the shade of other plants and rocks. It is commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads.

<i>Crassula tetragona</i> Species of succulent

Crassula tetragona is a succulent plant native to Southern Africa. It is widely distributed from the Orange River boundary of Namaqualand to beyond the Kei River in the Eastern Cape. "Tetragona" comes from the phyllotaxy of the leaves. It is popularly named the "miniature pine tree" among ornamental plant enthusiasts, for its popular use as a "pine tree" in Bonsai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succulent plant</span> Plants having some parts that are more than normally thick and fleshy

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".

<i>Echeveria agavoides</i> Species of succulent

Echeveria agavoides, or lipstick echeveria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to rocky areas of Mexico, notably the states of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Guanajuato and Durango.

<i>Hatiora salicornioides</i> Species of cactus

Hatiora salicornioides, the bottle cactus, dancing-bones, drunkard's-dream, or spice cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family. A member of the tribe Rhipsalideae, it often grows as an epiphyte, natively in eastern Brazil and ornamentally elsewhere.

<i>Crassula capitella</i> Species of succulent

Crassula capitella, is a perennial succulent plant native to southern Africa.

<i>Maranta leuconeura</i> Species of flowering plant

Maranta leuconeura, also known as prayer plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae, native to the Brazilian tropical forests. It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long.

<i>Crassula ovata</i> Species of succulent

Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide. Much of its popularity stems from the low levels of care needed; the jade plant requires little water and can survive in most indoor conditions. It is sometimes referred to as the money tree; however, Pachira aquatica also has this nickname.

<i>Crassula nudicaulis</i> Species of succulent

Crassula nudicaulis is a succulent plant native to South Africa, and Lesotho.

<i>Sedum adolphi</i> Species of succulent

Sedum adolphi, the coppertone stonecrop or golden Sedum, is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to Mexico, where it grows in rocky terrain and on cliff faces. It has also become naturalized in Sicily and the Canary Islands. It is known for its bright orange-copper leaves and white flowers that bloom in the spring.

<i>Crassula subaphylla</i> Species of plant

Crassula subaphylla is a succulent plant belonging to the family Crassulaceae. It is widespread in the Karoo regions of South Africa and Namibia.

<i>Crassula atropurpurea</i> Species of succulent

Crassula atropurpurea is a succulent plant, very common and widespread in the southern Karoo regions of South Africa and Namibia.

<i>Crassula biplanata</i> Species of plant

Crassula biplanata is a succulent plant native to rocky ledges and mountainous areas in the southern parts of South Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 Crassula at succulent-plant.com (see the section "Crassula muscosa")
  2. 1 2 Crassula muscosa at houseplantz.net
  3. "Crassula muscosa". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2015-08-10.
  4. "C. muscosa var. muscosa at learn2grow.com". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
  5. C. muscosa var. rastafarii at plantdatabase.ie Archived 2012-09-06 at archive.today
  6. C. muscosa var. sinuata at tropicos.org