Crassula corallina

Crassula corallina, or coral crassula, is a small succulent from southern Africa. It belongs to the stonecrop family, Crassulaceae. Its range includes South Africa and south-western Namibia. In South Africa, it extends from the Free State and Eastern Cape to the Richtersveld. Kew classes its climate as subtropical. It grows among quartzite rocks in very dry places and on dry floodplains. Some sites have cold weather and snow during its flowering season.

This perennial forms low mats rather than tall, upright clumps. Plants reach about 0.08–0.26 feet [0.025–0.08 metres] high. Its growth has some of the same features as a sedum. Dense mats may help keep moisture around the roots. Roots vary from fine and fibrous to thick and fleshy. Some plants have a swollen tap-root that stores water. Long-lived plants may develop both a thick stem and a thick main root. Root thickness varies among plants in wild populations.

The stems can stand upright, trail flat, or rise from a low base. Branches reach about 0.26 feet [0.08 metres] long. They may branch near the base or farther up. Some split into two branches, and some grow roots along their length. Lower stem parts can become woody with age. Old, dry leaves stay on the stems rather than dropping away. Both stems and leaves break off easily when touched. This makes the plant fragile despite its dense form.

The small leaves grow in opposite pairs without leaf stalks. Pairs sit close together and may join at their bases. Leaf shapes range from blunt triangles to almost round forms. Both leaf faces bulge outward, and their surfaces bear small bumps. Colours range from grey-green to grey-brown. A pale, waxy layer flakes from the surface. The tips have a powdery coating. These pale coatings and textured surfaces give the leaves their coral-like look.

Small cream flowers sit partly hidden among the upper leaves. They appear alone or in small clusters at stem tips. Each flower has an urn-shaped corolla with petals that bend back above. The petal tips curl back as well. Short, broad sepals have blunt ends and a grey colour. The stamens carry yellow anthers. A style may be very short or absent.