Crassula vaillantii compact flowers

The bisexual, radially symmetrical flowers of Crassula vaillantii grow solitary or in small clusters (cymes) from leaf axils.

Each flower has four triangular sepals, four oblong to ovate petals and four stamens alternating with the petals around the superior ovary. The ovary comprises four erect, ovoid carpels, red when ripe. The petals are pink or white, the plants sometimes transformed to red-purple or reddish pink almost completely.

Flowering may happen from spring to autumn, sometimes all year round. The photo was taken in September.

Bees and other insects tend to become very busy around these plants, in spite of their comparatively inconspicuous flowers (Smith, et al, 2017; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; https://savvastryfonosplants.com).