Crassula columnaris subsp. columnaris unusual leaf arrangement

Succulence is evident in the lumpy structure of leaves bulging in this compact globule that is a complete plant, ostensibly thriving Crassula columnaris subsp. columnaris. The tight coherence of overlapping leaves reminds of a fist signifying resolve against the odds of a harsh habitat.

The rough, reddish leaf surfaces of each pair move apart to expose to view the next emergent pair, decussately arranged, i.e. perpendicular to the previous one. Each leaf has a pointed tip in its centre (mucronate).

C. columnaris, another monocarpic Crassula species, takes several years to mature, dying after flowering once (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).