Synonyms:

The name “Crassula lycopodiodes” is actually a synonym of the accepted name “Crassula muscosa”. Other synonyms are:

Combesia muscosa
Combesia muscosa var. acuminata
Combesia muscosa var. anguina
Combesia muscosa var. fragilis
Combesia muscosa var. fulva
Combesia muscosa var. littoralis
Combesia muscosa var. obtusifolia
Combesia muscosa var. pseudolycopodioides
Combesia muscosa var. purpusii
Combesia muscosa var. variegata
Crassula anguina
Crassula imbricata
Crassula imbricata
Crassula littoralis
Crassula lycioides
Crassula lycopodioides
Crassula lycopodioides f. acuminata
Crassula lycopodioides f. fragilis
Crassula lycopodioides f. fulva
Crassula lycopodioides f. purpusii
Crassula lycopodioides var. variegata
Crassula muscosa var. muscosa
Crassula pseudolycopodioides
Sedum lycopodiodes
Sedum muscosum
Tetraphyle littoralis
Tetraphyle lycopodioides

Habitat:

Crassula lycopodioides is native to South Africa and Southern Namibia. Its habitat is mainly the Karoo desert, upon rocky soils and also plains. It’s an invasive species and spreads easily through offsets and stem cuttings.

Description:

Crassula lycopodioides is a perennial succulent shrub, maximum 40 centimeters tall, with slender, elongated, woody branches. Leaves, maximum 8 millimeters long, are typically small and densely packed, so that they look like scales, and arranged in 4 columns along the stem.
Flowers are really tiny and can be solitary or grouped in a thyrse (the botanical name of a certain kind of inflorescence), they form always at the axile of a leaf. Blossoming occurs in Summer.

Cultivation:

Crassula lycopodioides is a slow-growing plant, not so difficult to grow. Pay attention to watering: interventions should be moderate and frequent in Spring and Summer and reduced and scarce in Winter, to avoid root rotting. This plant requires a bright spot, plenty of light or either half light. It’s better to keep it indoors to avoid frost damages: temperatures below 5ºC should be avoided. This species needs a very good ventilation to avoid too humid conditions. Its substrate should be well-draining and with a rather abundant mineral part. Choose a shallow pot to provide the best condition to its fibrous roots. Repotting is not so often necessary because of the slow growing attitude of this plant.

Propagation:

Propagation of C. lycopodioides can be made through seeds or stem cuttings. Sowing period is in Autumn. Both seeds and cuttings should be planted in a sandy, humid substrate.

Curiosity:

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