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Crassulaceae.
Crassula colorata (Nees) Osten. Recorded by Healy (1946: 399) from near Blenheim, the species has been noted as established on stony river terraces, “Blairich Station,” Awatere Valley, Marlborough.
C. decumbens Thunb. Cheeseman (1883: 282) recorded from Penrose, Auckland, a plant he provisionally determined as Tillaea (Bulliarda) trichotoma Ecklon et Zeyher, a determination accepted by Kirk (1899: 141), who used the name T. trichotoma Walp., a course adopted by subsequent workers on the naturalized flora. Specimens
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from various North Island localities, including Cheeseman's gathering from Penrose, have been examined, and using Berger's treatment of the genus Crassula (1930: 388) these specimens work out to C. macrantha (Hook. f.) Diels et Pritzel, an Australian species. This Australian species and the South African C. decumbens Thunb. are closely allied, and local specimens worked through Australian and South African floras come to these species.
Berger (1930: 388) differentiates the two species thus: C. decumbens Thunb.—“Karpelle vielsamig.” and C. macrantha (Hook.f.) Diels et Pritzel—“Karpelle 6-samig.”, implying that the number of seeds in the carpel of the former species is greater than six, but without specifying the number. New Zealand specimens agree with the description of C. macrantha (Hook, f.) Diels et Pritzel given by Ostenfeld (1918: 40–42) in his revision of the West Australian Crassulae, matching exactly in such important characters as number of seeds per carpel and shape and dimensions of nectary scales relative to petals, sepals and carpels. Neither Harvey (1861–62: 330) nor Schonland (1929: 161) give details as to the nectary scales or number of seeds per carpel in C. decumbens Thunb., although the latter says of the species “…ovaries multi-nucleate,” this in apposition to “…ovaries 1–4-ovulate” for C. langeburgensis Schonl.
A critical examination of the Australian and South African species involved appears warranted, since it would appear that Berger did not critically examine, but rather incorporated the data of Ostenfeld and Schonland in his account.*
[Footnote] * While investigating the naturalized Crassulae, a series of specimens of the indigenous C. sieberiana (Schult.) Druce were examined, and it was found that in all the specimens four linear-clavate nectary scales were present in the flowers; this finding is contrary to the published descriptions of this species by New Zealand botanists and by Bentham (1864: 451). This raises a question as to the identity of this species, and it may be that it is not the true C. sieberiana (Schult.) Druce and is actually a plant without a name. Such a position obtained in West Australia, and Ostenfeld (1918: 43–45) separated out C. miriaemae Osten., a species with 5-merous flowers, from the complex.