RE: More Crassula flowers

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More Crassula flowers

in hive-183841 •  last year 

Yes, I found some genetic studies but they are behind a paywall so I can't access everything but the gist is that there are subtypes that are not closely related to each other

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Seems clear to me. Crassulaceae as a whole is huge and just in South Africa we get Adromischus, Cotyledon, Crassula, Kalanchoe, and Tylecodon. Then the huge diversity within Crassula, with the other genera relatively small

It's the largest group of leaf-succulents in Southern Africa after Mesembs (Aizoaceae)

All with very similar floral structure

The diversity of mesembs are fascinating but they are also quite clearly related

It seems that the flowers are bee, moth and butterfly pollinated. Then there's also a butterfly larvae that feeds on the leaves of all crassulaceae

Yes, I've had that little grub tunneling in my plants. It has a particular taste for Echeveria. Interesting, because Echeveria are not Native but the native insects recognise them as edible

Here's the culprit
butterfly.jpg

Pollinates one species, feeds off another. I hope that you don't kill them

I stopped after I learned that it was a butterfly larvae. Not a pest that will decimate the plants all although they have occasionally been quite destructive

They are not on the same level as slugs and snails, that's for sure. The tunnelling is weird but ok