Coral Crassula

Description

Crassula corallina (Lf, 1782) is a succulent plant belonging tothe Crassulaceae family, native to South Africa and Namibia. The specific coral epithet, which derives from the Latin corallinus or "like coral ", was chosen for the typical reddish color that the plant assumes during periods of drought, precisely similar to the color of coral. C. corallina is a small perennial plant that forms turf, formed by erect or creeping stems that can reach 8 centimeters in height and which generally branch from the base. The root system is composed of a main root, about 2 millimeters in diameter, and of the fine adventitious roots of the fasciculate type which develop from the single nodes. The characteristic leaves, sessile and arranged in pairs, measure about 3-5 mm in length by 2-3 mm in width, have an obovate to elliptical shape, sometimes rhomboid, biconvex profile and obovate and sharply tapered ends. They have a wedge-shaped to subpicciolata base, subacute to obtuse tips and are gray-green to greyish-brown in color. The peculiar surface is warty and, peeling, takes on a waxy, dusty appearance at the tips, and a whitish-green color. Furthermore, the leaves of C. corallina are very fragile, detaching from the stem at the simple touch, similarly to many species belonging to the genus Sedum, to which the plant also resembles for its posture. The inflorescences, single or thyrsus or umbell -shaped corymb, develop in a terminal position during the summer season. The flowers, up to 5 per inflorescence and sessile, have sepals, 1-2 mm long, glabrous and slightly fleshy, grayish in color, with a triangular shape and blunt apexes. The corolla, on the other hand, with its urceolate shape, is white or cream in color and composed of oblong to oblanceolate petals. These are briefly fused together at the base and have rounded, curved ends. The stamens, 1.5-2 mm long, have yellow anthers supported by a short erect filament, sometimes completely absent.