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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

CRASSULACEAE STONECROP FAMILY

Steve Boyd, except as noted


Annual to shrub [(± tree-like or climbing)], fleshy.
Leaf: generally simple, alternate or opposite, in dense to open, basal (or terminal) rosettes or basal and cauline, not in rosettes, reduced distally or not, margin often ± red.
Inflorescence: generally cyme, generally bracted.
Flower: generally bisexual; sepals generally 3–5, generally ± free; petals generally 3–5, ± free or fused; stamens >> to = sepals, epipetalous or not; pistils generally 3–5, simple, fused at base or not, ovary 1-chambered, placenta 1, parietal, ovules 1–many, style 1.
Fruit: follicles, generally 3–5.
Seed: 1–many, small.
± 33 genera, ± 1400 species: ± worldwide, especially dry temperate; many cultivated for ornamental. [Eggli (ed.) 2003 Illus Handbook Succulent Plants 6 (Crassulaceae). Springer] Water-stressed plants often ± brown or ± red. Consistent terminology regarding leaves, bracts difficult; in taxa with rosettes (e.g., Aeonium, Dudleya, some Sedum), structures in rosettes are leaves, those on peduncles are bracts, and those subtending flowers are flower bracts; in taxa where inflorescence is terminal, rosette leaves may "become" bracts as stem rapidly elongates to form inflorescence. Seed numbers given per follicle. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Crassulaceae

1. Annual; leaf < 1 cm; flower 1–5 mm

2. Basal, cauline leaves opposite, bases fused, ± sheathing; flowers 1 in axils of leaves; petals < 2 mm ..... CRASSULA (3)

2' Basal leaves opposite, cauline alternate, bases free, not sheathing; flowers 1 or >= 2 in cyme, terminal; petals 1.3–5 mm ..... SEDELLA

1' Generally perennial herbs to shrub; leaf > 1 cm; flower generally > 10 mm (if annual, flower > 4 mm)

3. Subshrub to shrub

4. Lvs alternate

5. Lvs ciliate, rosettes terminal; sepals 7–11 ..... AEONIUM

5' Lvs not ciliate, rosettes 0; sepals 5 ..... SEDUM (2)

4' Lvs opposite

6. Lvs generally 2–4 pairs; petals fused, tube >> sepals ..... COTYLEDON

6' Lvs generally > 4 pairs; petals free or ± fused at base, tube 0 ..... CRASSULA (3)

3' Perennial (annual or biennial in Sedum radiatum)

7. Infls axillary ..... DUDLEYA

7' Infls terminal

8. Sepals, petals generally 5 ..... SEDUM (2)

8' Sepals, petals generally 4

9. Fls bisexual; stamens = sepals in number ..... CRASSULA (3)

9' Fls ± unisexual; stamens 2 × sepals in number ..... RHODIOLA

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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