Crassula alba var. parvisepala

Crassula alba var. parvisepala is one of three recognised subspecies of C. alba in South Africa. The plant may have densely scattered maroon spots on the leaves, but clearly not on this specimen that was photographed near Sabie in February. One earlier name, C. rubicunda var. lydenburgensis, indicates colour in the generic name, location in the specific one.

Photos of cultivated plants found on the Internet often show the red blotched leaves. The leaves are sessile, lance-shaped with entire margins that taper to acutely pointed tips. The basal rosette has big leaves, those up the flower stem decreasing in size.

C. alba is found all over the east of South Africa, the distribution of the variety unknown.

The habitat is summer rainfall grassland on high ground along the escarpment and the northern reaches of the Drakensberg. The habitat population of the species is stable early in the twenty first century, that of the variety unknown (Smith, et al, 1997; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).