Crassothonna clavifolia

Crassothonna clavifolia, previously Othonna clavifolia, is a low-growing stem succulent growing short branches with leaves clustered at the tips. The grey branches trail, becoming gnarled with age.

The leaves are cylindrical to barrel-shaped with rounded tips and smooth surfaces where undamaged. They are grey-green to purplish grey, depending on the stress levels imposed by the harsh climatic conditions of the plants environment. The specific epithet, clavifolia, is derived from the Latin words clava meaning a club and folia meaning leaves, referring to the club-shape of the leaves.

Flowerheads grow on long, erect, wiry peduncles that branch sparsely. The daisy-like flowerhead consists of one whorl of small, yellow ray florets around a disc of tiny yellow florets. The rounded buds show the single whorl of fleshy involucral bracts before the yellow parts appear.

The species distribution is in the far northwest of the Richtersveld where the Sandveld meets the Gariep River, a bit more widespread along the southern Namibian coast.

The habitat is sandy desert, the plants sometimes growing among rocks. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century, although concern has been expressed about commercial looting of habitat plants including this species for the succulent plant market, particularly export (Grenier, 2019; Frandsen, 2017; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).