Crassula subaphylla var. subaphylla sparse leaves

The stem to leaf ratio is quite large on Crassula subaphylla var. subaphylla, maybe more so in drought. Quite an effort for such a delicate plant to present stem tips and eventually flowers as high above the ground as possible. This indicates the importance of attracting the attention of pollinators to the small flowers, or of accessing sunlight on the leaves in vegetation where taller shrubs abound.

These leaves are pale, the stem dark. Leaf tips that are slightly brown here, may sometimes be red, while the whole plant turns red under stressed conditions (Smith, et al, 2017; iNaturalist; iSpot; JSTOR).