Crassula brevifolia

Crassula brevifolia
	The thickly-succulent leaves of Crassula brevifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Crassula
Species:	C. brevifolia
Binomial name
	Crassula brevifolia; Harv.

Last updated August 03, 2019

Crassula brevifolia is a succulent plant native to the arid western edge of South Africa (including the Namaqualand, as far south as Vanrhynsdorp) as well as southern Namibia.

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants that have some parts that are more than normally thickened and fleshy, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word "succulent" comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning juice, or sap. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. Some definitions also include roots, thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs may be regarded as succulents. In horticultural use, the term "succulent" is sometimes used in a way which excludes plants that botanists would regard as succulents, such as cacti. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking and unusual appearance.

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Bantu ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European, Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) and covering a total area of 440,000 square kilometres (170,000 sq mi). It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions – Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the north.

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.^[1]

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean; it shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, less than 200 metres of the Zambezi River separates the two countries. Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek, and it is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Van Rhynsdorp is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Orange River major river of southern Africa

The Orange River is the longest river in Lesotho and the Orange River Basin extends extensively into South Africa, Namibia and Botswana to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River.

Related species

This species is closely related to Crassula rupestris and Crassula perforata .^[2]

Crassula perforata is a succulent plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Dudleya blochmaniae</i> species of plant

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Felicia filifolia is a Southern African member of the Asteraceae family. It is a hardy, sprawling shrub growing to about 1 metre tall. Leaves are narrow and clustered along the twigs. When blooming it is densely covered in flowerheads with ray florets that are pink-mauve to white and disc florets that are yellow. In the wild, flowers can be found August to December.

Bolusiella iridifolia is a species of flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family. It is widespread across much of tropical and southern Africa, as well as the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Crassula muscosa, synonyms Crassula lycopodioides 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, watch chain, lizard's tail, zipper plant and princess pine.

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

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

Crassula deceptor is a succulent plant native to South Africa and Namibia. This species occurs from southern Namibia, to as far south as the town of Vanrhynsdorp in South Africa.

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

Hoodia officinalis is a succulent plant native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa. H. officinalis has two officially recognized subspecies, H. officinalis subsp. officinalis and subsp. delaetiana, which are identified mainly by their distribution. Subsp. delaetiana grows only in the Klinghardt Mountains and are larger than subsp. officinalis.

Crassula cultrata is a succulent plant native to the southern parts of South Africa.

Crassula subaphylla is a succulent plant, widespread in the Karoo regions of South Africa and Namibia.

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

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

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

Crassula rubricaulis is a succulent plant native to the coastal mountains of the southern Cape, South Africa.

Crassula spathulata is a creeping, succulent ground-cover, indigenous to the Eastern Cape Province and southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where it is found in leaf-litter on rocky ridges, often around the edges of forests.

Crassula pellucida is a creeping, succulent ground-cover, or low-growing, spreading succulent shrub, indigenous to South Africa.

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

References

↑ 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.

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[1] Toelken, H.R. (1975). A Revision of the Genus Crassula in Southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany. 8. p.424.

[Court-2] Doreen Court (2000). Succulent Flora of Southern Africa. CRC Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-90-5809-323-3.

Crassula brevifolia

The thickly-succulent leaves of Crassula brevifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Crassula
Species:	C. brevifolia
Binomial name
*Crassula brevifolia* Harv.