FNA: Crassula connata vs. Crassula argentea

	Crassula connata	Crassula argentea
	erect pigmyweed, erect pygmyweed, pygmy stonecrop, pygmy-weed, sand pygmy weed	jade plant
Habit	Plants terrestrial, annual.	Plants terrestrial, perennial.
Stems	erect, red in age, simple or bushy-branching, 2–6(–10) cm.	erect, silvery in age, moderately branched, 30–50 cm.
Leaf	blades ovate to oblong, 1–3(–6) mm, apex acute to rounded.	blades obovate, 20–70 mm, apex obtuse to retuse.
Inflorescences	often compact; flowers (1–)2 per node.	compact, flowers 2 per node.
Pedicels	0.2–6 mm.	8–12 mm.
Flowers	(3–)4[–5]-merous; sepals lanceolate, 0.5–2 mm, apex acute to acuminate; petals narrow-triangular, 0.6–1.5 mm.	4-merous; sepals (erect), triangular, 0.5 mm, apex acute; petals oblong-lanceolate, ca. 10 mm.
Seeds	ellipsoid, 0.3–0.6 × 0.1–0.3 mm, not papillate, dull, rugulose.	not seen.
Follicles	ascending, 1–2-seeded, ovoid; old follicles ascending, boat-shaped.	erect, seed number not known, ovoid; old follicles erect, boat-shaped.
2n	= ca. 16.

	Crassula connata	Crassula argentea
Phenology	Flowering spring.	Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat	Open, gravelly places, on mossy rocks	Edges of lagoons, sand dunes, disturbed areas
Elevation	0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)	0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution	AZ; CA; OR; TX; WA; BC; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala); South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA; s Africa [Introduced in North America]
Discussion	M. Bywater and G. E. Wickens (1984) proposed five varieties, four partly in the flora area, where they have largely overlapping ranges and overlapping characteristics. Further, some supposed differences probably result from local and year-to-year rainfall differences. Although probably having some genetic basis, these varieties seem too poorly defined to be useful (R. V. Moran 1992b). S. L. Hatch et al. (1990) were first to report Crassula connata in Texas, from a 1968 collection (F. B. Jones 7292), suggesting that it may be a recent arrival there. It was first discovered in British Columbia and Washington in 1977 (A. Ceska and O. Ceska 1980) and is treated as a rare native species by the heritage program in British Columbia and the Washington Natural Heritage Program, where it has a habitat typical of other southern disjunct natives (A. Ceska, pers. comm.). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Crassula argentea is reported from Los Angeles and San Diego counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 8, p. 152.	FNA vol. 8, p. 155.
Parent taxa	Crassulaceae > Crassula	Crassulaceae > Crassula
Sibling taxa	C. aquatica, C. argentea, C. colligata, C. drummondii, C. longipes, C. multicava, C. solieri, C. tetragona, C. tillaea, C. viridis	C. aquatica, C. colligata, C. connata, C. drummondii, C. longipes, C. multicava, C. solieri, C. tetragona, C. tillaea, C. viridis
Synonyms	Tillaea connata, C. connata var. erectoides, C. connata var. eremica, C. connata var. subsimplex, C. erecta, Tillaea erecta, Tillaea leptopetala
Name authority	(Ruiz & Pavón) A. Berger et al.: in H. G. A. Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 18a: 389. (1930)	Thunberg: Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 6: 329, 337. 1778 ,
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Crassula argentea

erect pigmyweed, erect pygmyweed, pygmy stonecrop, pygmy-weed, sand pygmy weed

jade plant

Habit

Plants terrestrial, annual.

Plants terrestrial, perennial.

Stems

erect, red in age, simple or bushy-branching, 2–6(–10) cm.

erect, silvery in age, moderately branched, 30–50 cm.

Leaf

blades ovate to oblong, 1–3(–6) mm, apex acute to rounded.

blades obovate, 20–70 mm, apex obtuse to retuse.

Inflorescences

often compact;

flowers (1–)2 per node.

compact, flowers 2 per node.

Pedicels

0.2–6 mm.

8–12 mm.

Flowers

(3–)4[–5]-merous;

sepals lanceolate, 0.5–2 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

petals narrow-triangular, 0.6–1.5 mm.

4-merous;

sepals (erect), triangular, 0.5 mm, apex acute;

petals oblong-lanceolate, ca. 10 mm.

Seeds

ellipsoid, 0.3–0.6 × 0.1–0.3 mm, not papillate, dull, rugulose.

not seen.

Follicles

ascending, 1–2-seeded, ovoid;

old follicles ascending, boat-shaped.

erect, seed number not known, ovoid;

old follicles erect, boat-shaped.

= ca. 16.

Crassula argentea

Phenology

Flowering spring.

Flowering Mar–Jun.

Habitat

Open, gravelly places, on mossy rocks

Edges of lagoons, sand dunes, disturbed areas

Elevation

0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)

0-100 m (0-300 ft)

Distribution

AZ; CA; OR; TX; WA; BC; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala); South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

CA; s Africa [Introduced in North America]

Discussion

M. Bywater and G. E. Wickens (1984) proposed five varieties, four partly in the flora area, where they have largely overlapping ranges and overlapping characteristics. Further, some supposed differences probably result from local and year-to-year rainfall differences. Although probably having some genetic basis, these varieties seem too poorly defined to be useful (R. V. Moran 1992b).

S. L. Hatch et al. (1990) were first to report Crassula connata in Texas, from a 1968 collection (F. B. Jones 7292), suggesting that it may be a recent arrival there. It was first discovered in British Columbia and Washington in 1977 (A. Ceska and O. Ceska 1980) and is treated as a rare native species by the heritage program in British Columbia and the Washington Natural Heritage Program, where it has a habitat typical of other southern disjunct natives (A. Ceska, pers. comm.).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Crassula argentea is reported from Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 8, p. 152.

FNA vol. 8, p. 155.

Parent taxa

Crassulaceae > Crassula

Sibling taxa

C. aquatica, C. argentea, C. colligata, C. drummondii, C. longipes, C. multicava, C. solieri, C. tetragona, C. tillaea, C. viridis

C. aquatica, C. colligata, C. connata, C. drummondii, C. longipes, C. multicava, C. solieri, C. tetragona, C. tillaea, C. viridis

Synonyms

Tillaea connata, C. connata var. erectoides, C. connata var. eremica, C. connata var. subsimplex, C. erecta, Tillaea erecta, Tillaea leptopetala

Name authority

(Ruiz & Pavón) A. Berger et al.: in H. G. A. Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 18a: 389. (1930)

Thunberg: Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 6: 329, 337. 1778 ,

Web links

Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA
Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
LBJ Wildflower Center
SEINet
Plants of the World Online
Encyclopedia of Life
Wikipedia
Google Image Search

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora, UW Burke Herbarium

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Crassula connata

Crassula argentea

Crassula connata

Crassula argentea