Crassula sieberiana
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Green, Red/Pink
Detailed description
Short-lived perennial or annual herb forming dull green, pink, reddish-green or red clumps; stems 10-50(-200) mm long, sprawling, ± decumbent, suberect to erect, slender, sometimes rooting at nodes in moist conditions, much-branched. Leaves connate at base, 2.0-2.5(-4.0) × 0.5-0.7(-1.0) mm, c.0.7 mm thick, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, flattened above, convex beneath; apex acute. Flowers in small cymose clusters in lf axils, not star-like or fragrant, 4-merous, 2-3 mm diameter; pedicels < 1 mm long at anthesis, to c.2 mm long and ± = leaves at fruiting. Calyx lobes c.1.0-1.2 × 0.7-0.8 mm, very broadly ovate, acute to short-acuminate. Petals c.0.8-0.9 × 0.5-0.6 mm, broadly ovate, green or reddish green with pink tips, shortly acuminate, slightly < calyx lobes. Scales c.0.3 mm long, very narrowly spathulate. Follicles smooth. Seed 0.3-0.5 mm long.
Distribution
Indigenous: New Zealand: Three Kings, North, South, Chatham Islands (also Australia)
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Tillaea sieberiana Schultes et Schultes.f.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August - December
Fruiting
October - March
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute follicles are dispersed by wind and water and possiblty also by attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed but very short-lived.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
crassula: From the Latin crassus ‘thick’, meaning ‘rather thick’
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CRASIE
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. DSIR Botany Division, Christchurch.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309
Attribution
Description modified from Webb et al. (1988)
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.