''Crassula moschata'', commonly known as the Shore Stonecrop, Musky Stonecrop, or Musky Crassula, is a hairless, mat-forming, succulent, perennial

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

. It is widespread on the subantarctic and cool temperate shores of the Southern Ocean.

Description

The main stems grow along the ground, rooting at the nodes. The lateral stems are erect. The small spoon to lance-shaped leaves are reddish at the base with the upper leaves concave and the lower convex; they are 2.8–4.2 mm long and 1.1–1.5 mm wide. The single flowers appear in the axils of the upper leaves; they appear from January to March: they have pink sepals and white petals about 2.5 mm long. The fruits have four seeds, each about 0.8 mm long and roughly oval in shape.

Distribution and habitat

The species has a circumpolar range in subantarctic latitudes where it is found in southern South America, Tasmania, New Zealand and many subantarctic islands. It occurs in the littoral zone on beachrock stacks, on humic sandy soils on rocky shores, and on thin peaty soil on beach pebbles.

References

moschata Flora of the Falkland Islands Flora of the Prince Edward Islands Flora of the Crozet Islands Flora of the Kerguelen Islands Flora of the Chatham Islands Flora of the Antipodes Islands Flora of the Auckland Islands Flora of the Campbell Islands Flora of Macquarie Island Flora of New Zealand Flora of Tasmania Plants described in 1787 {{Crassulaceae-stub