Crassula capitella subsp. thyrsiflora making new plants

This elderly Crassula capitella subsp. thyrsiflora plant is on its way out. Apart from seed produced during its lifetime, it is here reinforcing survival probability for its species by producing vegetative offspring as well.

Tiny green plantlets are growing in some of the leaf axils. Look carefully! They will drop off and (some will) take root to develop into independent plants. Such plants have the same genes as their parent plant, the same that happens in the case of cuttings.

Very much alike, but unlike the unique plants grown from seed that inherit characteristics from both parents and display individual differences, while still belonging to the same species (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).