Crassula umbella

Crassula umbella is a small, perennial herb that grows to heights around 10 cm from a small tuber.

Each plant produces one pair of two opposite kidney-shaped leaves, fused to each other a little where they meet the stem. The leaves are soft, succulent and shiny. They may have scalloped margins. The appearance of an almost stem-circling tiny green umbrella brings appeal. The not very common name of fairy bell plakkie is sometimes seen.

The late winter and early spring flowers are tiny, white to faintly creamy green and star-shaped. They grow in spaced clusters up a slender, erect, whitish or dark stalk.

The species distribution of this South African endemic lies from the Richtersveld southwards down the Northern Cape west coast to the Western Cape and eastwards through the Little Karoo to the Eastern Cape as far as Humansdorp. 

The habitat is protected, shaded spots among rocks and shrubs on south facing lower slopes in fynbos and succulent Karoo. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Smith, et al, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).