Crassula globularioides Britten

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial rosette-forming herb or subshrub; stems prostrate, branched; branches short, erect, lower parts bearing remains of former leaves, upper portion bearing a rosette of leaves.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves oblong to oblong-ovate, up to 3.5 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, apex obtuse to subobtuse, slightly attenuate or contracted at the base, margins entire, ciliate, otherwise glabrous or densely pubescent overall (or papillose-hairy only beneath but not in East Africa).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a terminal, repeatedly dichotomous, usually rather dense, subhemispherical, corymbose cyme, rarely open and conspicuously branched; branches glabrous to densely papillose-pubescent; pedicels up to 2.5 mm. long. Flowering stem erect, up to 13 cm. long, with retrorsely appressed papillose hairs, and sometimes glabrescent above, or with dense spreading papillose hairs; bracts (1–)2(–3) pairs along the length of the stem, including one pair immediately below the inflorescence; bracts linear-oblong to triangular-oblong, up to 6 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, obtuse to subacute, margins ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes lanceolate to triangular, (2–)2.5–3 mm. long, 0.5–0.9 mm. wide, acute to subacute, united at the base for ± 0.5 mm., margins entire, ciliate, strongly or obscurely keeled, keel glabrous to densely papillose-ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white, oblong-ovate to broadly elliptic-obovate, 4–5 mm. long, 1.5–1.8 mm. wide, obtuse to subobtuse, shortly mucronate below the apex, slightly keeled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen-filaments 1.5–2.3 mm. long; anthers oblong, 0.5–1 mm. long, yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Nectary scales subrectangular to trapeziform, 0.4–0.8 mm. long, 0.2–0.7 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels

Carpels oblong, up to 4 mm. long, gradually contracted into the style, minutely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 8–16(–20) per carpel, oblong, ± 0.6 mm. long, 0.3 mm. wide, minutely longitudinally striate-rugulose.

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

Morphology General Habit

A dwarf undershrub up to 13(20) cm. high, forming small compact mats, with a much branched woody rootstock.

Morphology Branches

Branches short, up to 5 mm. in diam., leafless, blackish and with lower parts covered by the persistent, dry sheaths of the old leaves, reddish and leafy along the terminal 1·5-6·5(15) cm.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves up to 2·2 x 1·2 cm., oblong to oblong- or subcircular-obovate, usually obtuse at the apex, entire and ciliate at the margin (cilia rigid, white), slightly attenuate or contracted at the broad base, flat, ± succulent and green tinged red when fresh, turning somewhat rigid, thin and reddish-brown to nearly black on drying, usually glabrous on both sides, sessile, usually 4-ranked and ± condensed (rosettes up to 4·5 cm. in diameter, sometimes nearly spherical) or somewhat scattered and decussate along the stem but always longer than the internodes, erect or ± spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 5-merous in terminal, dichotomous, corymbose or sometimes dense and globular inflorescences, 1-5 cm. in diameter; peduncle 1-8 cm. long, erect, slender, retrorsely appressed papillose-hairy, with two pairs of opposite, connate at base, oblong, obtuse or subacute ciliate bracts, one pair between the base and the middle of the peduncle, the other below the inflorescence; pedicels up to 2·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx (2)2·5-3 mm. long, half as long as corolla or more; sepals (1)1·5-1·75 mm. broad, triangular or lanceolate, attenuate towards the acute apex, keeled, ciliate at the margin and along the keel (cilia ± rigid, acute, spreading, white, ± scattered).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 4-5 mm. long, white; petals oblong-obovate to broadly ovate-elliptical, obtuse to nearly acute, shortly mucronate below the apex, fleshy, smooth, erect or slightly spreading or reflexed at the top.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments 1·5-2·25 mm. long; anthers 0·5-0·75 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Follicles (with styles) 2·5-3 mm. long.

Morphology General Scales

Scales 0·4-0·6 x 0·3-0·4 mm., subrectangular, truncate or emarginate at the top, purple,