Crassula alba Forssk.
var. alba

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Fort Usher road, Matobo

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Synonyms:	Crassula abyssinica A. Rich. Crassula abyssinica A. Rich. var. typica Schönl. Crassula ellenbeckiana Schönl. Crassula milleriana Burtt Davy Crassula recurva N.E. Br. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. var. typica Schönl. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. var. milleriana (Burtt Davy) Schönl. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. var. hispida Schönl. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. var. subglabra Schönl. Crassula rubicunda Drège ex Harv. var. flexuosa Schönl. Crassula stewartiae Burtt Davy
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect perennial herb, up to 90 cm tall with one to numerous stems growing from a tuberous root. Basal leaves rosulate, lanceolate, up to 16 cm long, sessile and shortly sheathing at the base, e green, sometimes with purple markings or purple undersides,usually dried or gone at the time of flowering. Stems fleshy, covered in appressed whitish, hair-like papillae. Stem leaves similar but much shorter and normally not sheathing at the base. Inflorescence a densely-flowered, flat-topped branched head up to 20 cm in diameter. Flowers white, greenish-white, flushed with pink or bright to deep red.
Notes:	This species is similar to Crassula vaginata which is a species more restricted to montane and high rainfall areas. It can be distinguished by the leaves which are much more ditinctly sheathing in C. vaginata.
Derivation of specific name:	alba: white, referring to the flower colour in the type specimen from Arabia. In our region the flowers are often red.
Habitat:	In open deciduous woodland
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Arabia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa
Mozambique distribution:	M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 11 April 2015
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 26 - 27. as Kalanchoe alba (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 133. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 10. Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 150 - 151. (Includes a picture). Fernandes, R. (1983). Crassulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 7(1) Pages 25 - 28. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 37. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 44. Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 54 - 55. (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Malan, S. (1988). Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Witwatersrand and Pretoria Region Struik, Cape Town Pages 202 - 203. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 91.

Other sources of information about Crassula alba var. alba:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Crassula alba var. alba
Flora of Zimbabwe: Crassula alba var. alba

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Crassula alba
African Plant Database: Crassula alba
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Crassula alba
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Crassula alba
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Crassula alba
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Crassula alba
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Crassula alba
JSTOR Plant Science: Crassula alba
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Crassula alba
Plants of the World Online: Crassula alba
Tropicos: Crassula alba
Wikipedia: Crassula alba