Crassula cornuta

Synonyms:

Creusa deltoidea

Habitat:

Crassula cornuta is native to South Africa and South-western Namibia.

Description:

Crassula cornuta is actually a subspecies of the species Crassula deceptor, but in cultivation it’s used the subspecies name “Cornuta” to avoid confusion with “deceptor” which is a really variable species and underline the specific cultivation needs of the subspecies, which are a little different from the one of the species. They show many differences also in the aspect of the leaves: in C. cornuta, they are more angular, pointed, canoe-shaped, covered in a layer of waxy materials that form like a pruine and gives to the leaves a whiter color; in C. deceptors, leaves are more rounded and greener. Upon the stem, leaves are imbricated and overlapping one upon another, so that the stem is not visible and the plant ends to look like a 4-ranked column. The inflorescence is a thyrse born by a 2-8 centimeters long, greyish-green peduncle. Flowers are very small, cream or pinkish, and they appear any time the appropriate conditions occur, but the blossoming is concentrated in Winter.

Cultivation:

Cultivating C. cornuta is not difficult. Put it in a well-draining substrate, an acid soil would be ideal, and provide a sunny spot for its pot. You can also use a small pot because this plant remains small. C. cornuta likes to be exposed to airflows. Water it moderately in Spring and Summer and reduce waterings during the Winter, trying to maintain the soil almost completely dry. C. cornuta should be kept away from frosts, although it would resist, if the soil it’s kept dry, until -5ºC.

Propagation:

Propagation can be realized removing the many offsets produced by the plant or either by stem or leaf cuttings.

Curiosity:

The name “Crassula” comes from the Latin “crassus”, which means fat.