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pygmyweed
Scientific Name: Crassula
Family: Crassulaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
New Zealand Pygmyweed: A Closer Look
This page provides information about the New Zealand Pygmyweed, scientifically known as Crassula helmsii, and other plants referred to as "pygmyweed." It also covers related species like Crassula aquatica and Crassula connata.
Considerations for Pets and Children
- Succulent Nature: Crassula species are succulents and their leaves can break off easily, potentially posing a choking hazard to small children or pets.
Nomenclature and Taxonomy
- Scientific Name: Crassula helmsii
- Common Names: New Zealand Pygmyweed, Australian Swamp Stonecrop
- Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)
- Related Species:
- Crassula aquatica (Water Pygmyweed, Common Pygmyweed)
- Crassula connata (Sand Pygmyweed, Pygmy Stonecrop)
- Crassula multicava (Cape Province Pygmyweed)
- Crassula marnierana (Pygmyweed)
- Synonyms/Alternative Names: Australian Swamp Stonecrop
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.
- Introduced to England in 1927.
- Widely distributed across Eurasia and North America.
- Found in coastal or freshwater shores and ponds.
Ecological Role
- Considered an invasive aquatic plant in many regions, including the UK and Ireland.
- Listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to Scotland, making it an offense to plant it.
- Can form dense mats, suffocating other aquatic plants and impacting pond ecosystems.
Morphological Characteristics
- Perennial plant with yellowish-green opposite succulent leaves.
- In deep water, it becomes straggly with thin stems.
- Crassula aquatica is described as a tiny, annual, fleshy herbaceous aquatic plant.
Control Methods
- Methods of control include using hot foam and spraying with bioactive Glyphosate.
Quirky Facts
- Moss pygmyweed (not specifically Crassula helmsii, but a related small plant) is the smallest flowering land plant in the Netherlands and resembles moss.
Further Information
- Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.485 provides information on control efforts at Mochrum Lochs.
- The National Trust Conservation Newsletter, 8, 2-3 (2004) discusses chemical control methods.