Crassula muscosa

Crassula muscosa Crassula muscosa var. accuminata Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Core eudicots Order: Saxifragales Family: Crassulaceae Genus: Crassula Species: C. muscosa Binomial name Crassula muscosa (Linnaeus, 1760) Synonyms Crassula lycopodioides Crassula pseudolycopodioides Detail of leaves

Crassula muscosa (Linnaeus, 1760),^[1] also named Crassula lycopodioides (Lamarck)^[2] or Crassula pseudolycopodioides, is a succulent plant native to South Africa and belonging to the family of Crassulaceae and to the genus Crassula. It is common as a houseplant worldwide and is commonly known as Rattail Crassula,^[2] Watch Chain, Lizard's Tail, Zipper Plant and Princess Pine.

Description

The plant has tiny leaves, suddenly light green, densely packed around the thin stem, forming a square mass.^[1] It grows as an intricate bush with a maximus height of 15-20 cm, and the flowers are little and yellow-green. It is invasive and can be easily propagated by stem cuttings.

As for the common names, also the scientific ones are referred to its appearance: muscosa derives from the Latin word muscosus, meaning "mossy". Lycopodioides, referred to the clubmoss Lycopodium, derives from the Greek words "Λύκος" (líkos, wolf), "πόδι" (pódi, foot) and οειδής (oeides, -oid, similar to).

Gallery

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  An exemplar at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens (Buffalo, NY)

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  An exemplar at Chanticleer Garden (Wayne, PA)

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  Stems, leaves and inflorescences

Varieties

• Crassula muscosa var. accuminata^[3]
• Crassula muscosa var. muscosa^[4]
• Crassula muscosa var. rastafarii^[5]
• Crassula muscosa var. sinuata^[6]
• Crassula muscosa var. variegata^[7]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crassula muscosa.

• Data related to Crassula muscosa at Wikispecies
• Crassula muscosa at learn2grow.com