Crassula setulosa var. rubra flowers

The compact inflorescence of Crassula setulosa var. rubra comprises flowers of various ages or developmental stages. The still closed white buds reveal their clasping, acutely pointed, dark sepal tips that were forced apart as the petals started growing. The open flowers have five, round-tipped petals curving in along their lateral margins.

The state of the five anthers positioned near the petal margins indicates the ripeness of the pollen: at their conspicuous best they are a pale beige and larger than the young or old anthers.

In the flower centres the five carpels, the superior ovaries where seeds grow appear to start off pale, turning red as the flowers age. Some flowers bearing red carpels have already lost their petals, a sign that style and stamens have become redundant, the growth of the fruits having commenced (Smith, et al, 2017; iNaturalist).