| Crassula rupestris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Decussatephyllotaxis ofCrassula rupestris | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Genus: | Crassula |
| Species: | C. rupestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Crassula rupestris | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Crassula rupestris, calledbuttons on a string, is a species ofCrassula native toNamibia and to theCape Provinces ofSouth Africa.[2] It has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[3] It is also calledbead vine,necklace vine, androsary vine.[3]
It grows as a rounded, heavily branchedsucculent shrub and reaches heights of up to 600 millimeters. The roots arefibrous. The initially green, 2 millimeter thick shoots turn gray-brown with age, and measure 5 millimeters in diameter and then have peelingbark.
The flattened leaves are 13 to 18 millimeters long and 10 to 15 millimeters wide. Their upper side is flat to convex, but concave towards the base. The underside of the leaf is convex. The broadly egg-shaped, bare, gray-green leaf blade is powdery. It is contracted at its base and fused to theopposite leaf. The leaves are entire and reddish at the edge. The leaf tip is pointed or blunt. If exposed to intense sunlight, the plant will instead take on a reddish color.
Crassula 'Springtime' is acultivar of the plant with peculiarly chunky leaves and showy blooms, with rugged, triangular leaves which stack up on thin stems up to 6 inches tall.[4]
The inflorescence is a roundedthyrsus with numerousdichasia. The inflorescencestalk is up to 2 centimeters long. It has spreadingbracts up to 3 millimeters long. Thehermaphrodite flower is radially symmetrical and has fivepetals with a doubleperianth. The elongated triangular sepals are up to 1 millimeter long. The five petals are fused at their base to form a tube up to 4 millimeters long. Thecorolla is pink, and thestamens are brown.
It prefers well-drained soils, with a good amount of sand, and can be planted in full sun all year round, though it prefers shade during the hottest hours of summer. Watering in summer should be frequent, while in winter it should be almost completely suspended.
The plant is included inUSDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 12, therefore it should not be exposed to temperatures below 55 °F (13 °C), and never below 25 °F (−4 °C), although it is preferable that the lower limit is between 41 and 50 °F (5 and 10 °C).
Multiplication andpropagation can occur both by seed and bycuttings.
The following subspecies are currently accepted:[2]
Other common names … bead vine; necklace vine; rosary vine