A new cliff-dwelling species of Crassula (Crassulaceae: Crassuloideae) from the Mpumalanga Escarpment, Northern Drakensberg, South Africa

A new species of Crassula, C. turpiniae (Crassulaceae subfam. Crassuloideae), is described from high altitude rock faces (1640–2200 m) along a restricted stretch of the Mpumalanga Escarpment in eastern South Africa. The new species shows affinities with both C. multicava and C. ovata and, along with these two species, fits in C. sect.

Anacampseroideae. The new species can be easily separated from the other two based on the expression of several diagnostic vegetative and reproductive characters. The placement of C. turpiniae within the most recently proposed sectional classification for the Crassula taxa of southern Africa is discussed.