''Senecio crassissimus'', the propeller plant, vertical leaf or lavender steps, is a

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of flowering plant in the daisy family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

, and is endemic to the island of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

off the east coast of Africa.

Description

It is an erect straight grower that reaches a height of 60cm and width of 45cm. Resembling the propellers of a plane, its fleshy and flat blue-green leaves have purple borders and are flat where they change direction and never face the sun. This motion helps the leaves forestall the loss of moisture in hot environments. Its daisy-like inflorescence are yellow on a long stalk, 30-60 cm long, with scale-like

bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

that are branched to the top into a loose

corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...

that hold 30 or more daisy-like heads. Capitula is 6 mm in diameter with 5 or rarely 6 ray florets. Flowers appear in mid-summer to autumn.

Cultivation

Drought tolerant, it grows well in full sun and is sensitive to overwatering, where it will become mushy. The plant can survive extended periods with no to very little hydration. Like many senecios, their growing season is in the winter, where would be dormant in the summer months.Senecio Crassissimus Growing And Care – Vertical Leaf Senecio
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Gallery

Senecio crassissimus 04.jpg, Leaf detail 紫章 Senecio crassissimus -香港花展 Hong Kong Flower Show- (9213322233).jpg, Emerging flower Starr-110307-2392-Senecio crassissimus-habit-Kula Botanical Garden-Maui (24451140703).jpg, Habit Senecio crassissimus1.jpg, A clump Senecio crassissimus2.jpg, Houseplants

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7450385 crassissimus Endemic flora of Madagascar Taxa named by Jean-Henri Humbert Garden plants of Africa Succulent plants Drought-tolerant plants