Crassula orbicularis
Biostatus
Exotic
Conservation status
Not applicable
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Habitat
Known only from one place. Rangitoto Island wheer scattered plants grew in and around the entrance to an old quarry pit. All plants seen were removed. No plants present in 2006.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Taxonomic notes
Often sold in garden centres (often wrongly named as C. rosularis Haw. or even Aeonium xhaworthii.
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Year naturalised
2005
Origin
South Africa
Reason for introduction
Horticultural
Tolerances
Moderately drought tolerant but dislikes cold (even in Auckland).
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial succulent herb. Reproduces asexually through stolons and possibly by seed. Produces miniscule, long-lived seed of variable viablity in New Zealand samples examined. Probably a cultivation escape and/or garden discard. It is slow growing in winter but can grow very fast in summer. The stolons disarticulate readily
Other information
Etymology
crassula: From the Latin crassus ‘thick’, meaning ‘rather thick’