Stonecrop Family [Crassulaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
3-(4)stem
rarity
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
A miniscule stonecrop barely 5cm in length and usually prostrate but can be ascending. At first greyish-green but quickly becoming scarlet red. [Most of the of the much larger green plants are grasses and other plants]. |
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Occupies bare patches on sand or gravel soils. Only the scarlet red plants are Mossy Stonecrop. |
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
It is a quite rare [RR] and an annual. The tiny pointy parts are flowers (they don't open much at all). |
7th Oct 2014, nr. Liphook, East Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Most of this specimen has yet to turn scarlet red, the rest is greyish-green and consists mostly of the plump fleshy leaves. |
7th Oct 2014, nr. Liphook, East Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
The tiny plump fleshy leaves are but 1 or 2mm long. The stems are already turning scarlet-red. |
7th Oct 2014, nr. Liphook, East Hampshire. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Leaves in opposite pairs around the stem. The stems, which are also fleshy, are branched. |
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
A mix of fleshy leaves and solitary flowers, themselves a similar 1-2mm across. The flowers have 3 triangular translucent-white petals with 3 fatter leaf-like pointed bracts around them but which are shorter than the petals. There are some anthers to be seen in the flower middle-right. Other flowers with white petals to be espied on the left. |
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
Flowers visible at bottom with 3 translucent-white triangular petals and three stamens with cream coloured anthers on display. The flowers occur in the axils of the fleshy leaves. Sand-grains litter the bare ground, |
22nd April 2015, Pensthorpe, Norfolk. | Photo: © Dawn Nelson |
More flowers to be found in this image. |
27th May 2015, Morrisons Car Park, Lake, Sandown, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
27th May 2015, Morrisons Car Park, Lake, Sandown, IoW. | Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone |
Not every flower has 3 petals and 3 sepals and 3 anthers; some have 4. The plant is said to be 3-(4)-merous. The flowers are stalkless or nearly so. |
Not to be semantically confused with :
No relation to : Mossy Sandwort Somewhat similar to Coral-Necklace (Illecebrum verticillatum) which is also sprawling with tendencies to go deep red, but at up to 20cm long is longer than the ~5cm of Mossy Stonecrop. The flowers are also tiny and white, but have 5 petals and sepals rather than just the 3 (or sometimes 4) of Mossy Stonecrop. Coral-Necklace a not a succulent either, but grows in perhaps a similar damp sandy heath environment, apart from the 'damp' bit. Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : Its small bulbously-fleshy leaves only 1-2mm long and its overall shortness itself of only 5cm, and its tendency to quickly turn scarlet red all over apart from the translucent white tiny flowers also just 1-2mm across. It is a rare native annual plant which is tiny, with tiny 1-2mm long fleshy leaves and tiny 1-2mm across flowers with 3 (sometimes 4) translucent-white petals, slightly shorter red sepals and cream coloured anthers. Its fruit is minute and contains one or 2 seeds. It grows on acidic soils on bare, sandy or gravelly places such as paths, heathland, open forest rides on the coastal areas fairly near the sea in East Anglia or a few miles around Portsmouth, scattered elsewhere. |
Crassula | tillaea | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Crassulaceae |
Crassula (Pigmyweeds) |
Stonecrop Family [Crassulaceae] |