Crassula muscosa L.

Chaine-de-montre (fr), Crassule mousse (fr), Orpin mousse (fr), Crassule faux lycopode (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Saxifragales > Crassulaceae > Crassula

Characteristics

Perennials 0.l-0.4(-0.8) m high, with erect, decumbent or often scrambling branches, more or less branched, with internodes usually not visible between leaves, more or less woody, with old leaves usually remaining attached to branches. Leaves sessile, triangular to ovate, 2-8 x 1-4 mm, acute or obtuse, of equal length on whole plant, glabrous, more or less flat on both surfaces, fleshy and leathery, green, grey-green, yellowish green or brown. Inflorescence a thyrse with many usually sessile dichasia in axils of leaves, sometimes with a terminal proliferation of alternately flowering and vegetative nodes, with sessile 5-merous flowers. Calyx: lobes narrowly triangular, 0.8-1.5 mm long, usually half to two-thirds as long as petals, acute but not pointed, fleshy, green to brown. Corolla cup-shaped, scarcely fused basally, pale yellowish green to brown; lobes narrowly triangular, 1-2 mm long, sharply acute and more or less keeled, erect. Stamens with yellow anthers. Squamae oblong-cuneate, 0.2-0.3 x 0.04-0.1 mm, truncate oremarginate, at first abruptly, later gradually constricted downwards, almost membranous to fleshy, pale yellow or white. Seeds 2, released mainly through apical pore of follicle, rarely by basal circumscissile split.
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Perennial, succulent herb, woody branches erect or scrambling, 0.1-0.4 m high, internodes not visible between leaves, old leaves remain attached. Leaves sessile, triangular to ovate, 2-8 x 1-4 mm, acute or obtuse, of equal length, glabrous, fleshy, leathery, green to brown. Inflorescence a thyrse, many sessile dichasia in axils of leaves; flowers sessile, 5-merous. Calyx shorter than petals. Corolla cup-shaped, scarcely fused at base, pale green to brown; lobes narrowly triangular, 1-2 mm long, acute, erect, keeled. Flowering time Oct.-Apr. (but any time after sporadic rain).
Densely leafy perennial, with erect to scrambling, ± woody branches, 0.05-0.4 m tall. Leaves obscuring stems, sessile, triangular to ovate, dorsiventrally flattened and leathery, 2-8 x 1-4 mm. Flowers in ± sessile clusters arranged along stems, sessile, cup-shaped, petals 1-2 mm long, pale yellow-green to brown.
Sprawling, closely leafy perennial with woody stems, 10-50 cm. Leaves opposite, imbricate, ovate-triangular, fleshy. Flowers in sessile, axillary cymes, star-shaped, yellowish green, petals 1-2 mm long, sepals to two-thirds as long.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread barochory
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-5
Soil texture 6-8
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Crassula muscosa leaf picture by Tristan Hamon (cc-by-sa)
Crassula muscosa leaf picture by Francesca (cc-by-sa)
Crassula muscosa leaf picture by Yannick Rideau (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Crassula muscosa world distribution map, present in Spain, France, Namibia, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:273320-1
WFO ID wfo-0000625252
COL ID 6BBL9
BDTFX ID 19333
INPN ID 92799
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Crassula lycopodioides f. fragilis Tetraphyle littoralis Tetraphyle lycopodioides Sedum lycopodiodes Sedum muscosum Combesia muscosa Crassula imbricata Crassula lycioides Crassula lycopodioides Crassula pseudolycopodioides Crassula imbricata Crassula anguina Tetraphyle muscosa Combesia muscosa var. acuminata Combesia muscosa var. anguina Combesia muscosa var. fragilis Combesia muscosa var. fulva Combesia muscosa var. littoralis Combesia muscosa var. obtusifolia Combesia muscosa var. pseudolycopodioides Combesia muscosa var. purpusii Combesia muscosa var. variegata Crassula lycopodioides var. variegata Crassula lycopodioides f. acuminata Crassula lycopodioides f. fulva Crassula lycopodioides f. purpusii Crassula muscosa f. pseudolycopodioides Crassula muscosa var. muscosa Crassula littoralis Crassula muscosa

Lower taxons

Crassula muscosa var. parvula Crassula muscosa var. rigida Crassula muscosa var. sinuata Crassula muscosa var. polpodacea Crassula muscosa var. obtusifolia