Weird growth emerging

[iann]

This is Crassula capensis (probably!). I spotted it yesterday and there wasn't any green at all, so probably just poked its head up for the first time. This is actually quite early for this winter grower. Interesting to see the flowers all raring to go.

capensis-0901.jpg (95.42 KiB) Viewed 2647 times

This is Crassula saxifraga (probably!). In this case it is interesting to see tiny leaves at the base of the flower stems already.

[ralphrmartin]

Wow, very early. My C. umbellata is still asleep.

[iann]

Not early for C. saxifraga, I expect to see flower stalks emerging in August, but not much in the way of leaves for many weeks after. Early for C. capensis, although I haven't had it for that many years. Possibly being accidentally dropped into a bucket of water a few days ago could have moved things along faster than normal

[Terry S.]

I think that C. capensis is spring flowering like C. umbella whereas the plant in the first photo looks as though it is going to flower this autumn. Has it got dissected leaves? If so then it is probably the material collected by Anthony Mitchell and also Charles Craib from Eenriet. This latter material looks a bit like C. alcicornis but that is only recorded from much further south.

[ralphrmartin]

My C. umbellata flowers from December onwards - not what I would call spring...

[Karsty]

Well, I've been growing cacti and succulents for 40 years, and I've only just found out there are deciduous Crassulas!

Wow!

[Terry S.]

Crassula umbellata is an annual species; C. umbella is a perennial tuberous species with a single parasol-like leaf on the top of each stem. I am afraid that I tend to use the terms autumn- and spring-flowering rather loosely. However in developmental terms the "autumn" species open their flowers while there are rudimentary leaves at the base; the leaves develop fully afterwards and the flower stems absciss. The "spring" species produce fully developed leaves and the flower spike then appears from the centre.

P.S. I got caught out in my first posting by the programme automatically correcting umbella to umbrella!

[iann]

The plants are as similar this year as they were different last year. Not identical, but easy to imagine they could be the same species.

[Aiko]

Nice plants Iann. If you are able to harvest some seeds from those flowers, I will propose a swap with you...!

[iann]

Nice plants Iann. If you are able to harvest some seeds from those flowers, I will propose a swap with you...!

I haven't been able to get seed off them. C. saxifraga is supposed to be self-fertile, I think, but I'm not doing something right here. They haven't flowered together before.