The Plant

The following is a description of the most important family:

Crassulaceae

The Crassulaceae can be found all over the world, but it is most frequently seen in South Africa. They prefer especially warm and dry areas, yet certain species of Crassula and Sempervivum are also frost-resistant. The leaves are simple, fleshy and without stipules. The inflorescence is usually a cyme, sometimes a bouquet or in a bunch. The flowers are symmetrical along the radius, small and usually in pairs. The fruits are a series of capsules with many small seeds.

The family can be divided into two groups:

Group 1 (Crassula)
The number of stamens is equal to the number of crown leaves and the leaves are opposite.

[Crassula arborescens]	[Crassula radicans]	[Crassula hottentot]

Group 2 (Kalanchoe, Cotyledon, Sedum, Aeonium, Echeveria and Sempervium)
This group has twice as many stamens as the number of crown leaves and the leaves are alternate or opposite.

[Kalanchoe pumilla]	[Aeonium domesticum]	[Echeveria spider]