Crassula multicava Lemaire, Crassulaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Cape Province pygmyweed, fairy crassula

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Herb 15-30 cm tall, stems sprawling with ends erect, unbranched or sparsely branched, with flaking waxy epidermis; leaves short-petiolate, upper pair subsessile, petioles winged, 0.5-1.5 cm long, lamina broadly elliptic to broadly ovate or subcircular, 1.8-5 x 1.5-3.8 cm, base obtuse to rounded or truncate, usually decurrent along petiole, apex obtuse to rounded, when fresh dull red-green above, dull whitish below, drying thick-chartaceous, both surfaces pitted with pellucid-punctate glands; flowers in paniculate cymes 14-16 x 4-6 cm, peduncles 7-10 cm long, branches reddish tinged; flowers on slender, minutely bracteolate pedicels 4-7 mm long; calyx lobes narrowly triangular, 0.8-1.5 x 0.8-1 mm, green; petals pale pink or white with pinkish tinge, narrowly ovate-oblong, 4-5 x 1-2 mm, stamens 3.5-4 mm long, styles 1.5 mm long, carpels 2 mm long; seeds brown, ellipsoid, 0.3-0.4 mm long; fruiting inflorescences proliferous, producing plantlets in axils of bracteoles"  (Lorence, Flynn & Wagner, 1995; p. 33).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i (Kaua‘i), "it has spread from cultivated plants and has become naturalized locally in the Kokee region along a road through eucalyptus plantings in mesic forest"  (Lorence, Flynn & Wagner, 1995; p. 33).  In New Zealand, "rock and concrete walls, banks, raw lava, crevices, volcanic cliff faces, usually in open places but sometimes in partial shade of scrub and tall herbs"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 575).

Propagation:  Vegetatively via plantlets produced by the fruiting inflorescences, possibly also by seed  (Lorence, Flynn & Wagner, 1995; p. 33).

Native range:  South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal) (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 479, 552)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 33) Vouchers cited: T. Flynn & D. Lorence 5535 (PTBG), K. R. Wood 3097 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Lau, Alex/Frohlich, Danielle (2012) (pp. 13-14) Voucher cited: J. Beachy U.S. Army 134 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1940) (voucher ID: BISH 449506) Taxon name on voucher: Crassula multicava Lemaire
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 553609) Taxon name on voucher: Crassula multicava Lemaire
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 42) Voucher cited: MacKee 36019

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalized around Sydney Harbour on disturbed bushland margins.
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 575)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Crassula multicava, please let us know.