Species

Crassula sinclairii

Etymology

Crassula: From the Latin crassus 'thick', meaning 'rather thick'
sinclairii: After Sinclair (c. 1796–1861). Colonial Secretary and naturalist.

Common Name(s)

Sinclairs stonecrop

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Crassula sinclairii (Hook.f.) A.P.Druce et D.R.Given

Family

Crassulaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CRASIN

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Tillaea sinclairii Hook.f., T. novae-zelandiae var. obtusa Kirk, T. novae-zelandiae Petrie

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Coastal to alpine, Aquatic in slow flowing rivers, creeks, ponds, tarns and lakes, and also in brackish lagoons, and waterways. Usually in places where it is submerged for most of the year.

Features

Perennial herb forming small to large extensive finely filamentous thread-like mats; stems almost prostrate except for slightly ascending tips, freely rooting at nodes, much-branched. Leaves connate at base, 0.5-2.0 × 0.2-0.5 mm, c.0.2 mm thick, lanceolate-oblong, lanceolate-elliptic or oblanceolate, flattened above, strongly convex below; apex acute. Flowers solitary in lf axils, star-like, 4-merous, sweetly fragrant, 2.5-3.5 mm diameter; pedicels 0.5-3.0 mm long, elongating little at fruiting. Calyx lobes 0.4-0.6 × c.4 mm, broadly ovate, obtuse or subacute. Petals 1.0-1.8 × 0.5-0.9 mm, broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, white, often flushed pink, obtuse, much > calyx. Scales c.0.5 mm long, oblong-cuneate or oblanceolate. Follicles smooth. Seed 0.30-0.45 mm long.

Flowering

October - March

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,White

Fruiting

November - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces but difficult to maintain and not especially attractive.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 30, 56

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Minute follicles are dispersed by wind and water and possiblty also by attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

 

Attribution

Description modified from Webb et al. (1988)

References and further reading

Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. DSIR Botany Division, Christchurch.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 15 Aug 2014