Jaded and confused

[HairyHarry]

Who can help me interpret some names I find for plants that are known as 'jade plants'? Neither of the names below can be found in de succulentguide database. I suspect some misnaming... but I want to be sure.

In particular:

Crassula (ovata) Obliqua
Is Obliqua an incorrect name? If not, is a species, subspecies or variety? (of Ovata?)

Crassula Portulacea
(I do know of Portulacea Afra of course)
Is Portulacea an incorrect name for Ovata? If not, is a species, subspecies or variety?

Crassula Argentea
Is Argentea an incorrect name for Ovata? If not, is a species, subspecies or variety?

Thanks in advance.

[esp_imaging]

I think they are all synonyms.
C. ovata seems to be generally accepted as the correct name.

[eduart]

Crassula ovata is a fairly variable species. The full list of synonyms is:

Crassula argentea Thunberg (1778)
Crassula portulacea Lamarck (1786)
Crassula obliqua Aiton (1789)
Crassula articulata Zuccagni (1806)
Crassula nitida Schönland (1903)
Crassula lucens Gram (1941)

If you are interested in details, yes, all these synonyms describe different natural forms. For the patio, it doesn't matter - it is a beautiful plant anyway.

There are also several cultivars - at least 15 or 20 - bringing variations in colour, size, leaf shape. Mutations appear quite often.

[HairyHarry]

Thank you both. I always suspected it to be synonyms, but it is good to be sure. (especially when shopping online)
The most confusing notion for me was 'crassula ovata var obliqua f. variagata (and/or Solana)', which made me doubt whether at least obliqua was indeed a subspecies.

(eduart, thanks for leading me to xerophilia magazine, I am especially going to enjoy the myrmecophytes edition!)

[jmoney]

Crassula Portulacea
Is what I have seen called spoon jade, finger jade, gollum jade. It is leaves that have spoon like indentations at the tips.

Ovata is what I would call a 'traditional' jade plant with 'normal' leaves.

I'm not familiar with Crassula Argentea.

[esp_imaging]

Crassula Portulacea
Is what I have seen called spoon jade, finger jade, gollum jade. It is leaves that have spoon like indentations at the tips.
Ovata is what I would call a 'traditional' jade plant with 'normal' leaves.

C. portaulcea is a synonym, it's not a different plant. Gollum / spoon jade and various other forms are mutations of C. ovata.
Of course, some nurseries say they are derived from C. portalacea or argentea, or are hybrids etc.

The mutation can be regarded as where the base of the leaf has curled into a tube, and then fused together to form a solid cylinder. Varying degreees of fusing give fingers, spoon shapes etc.

[HairyHarry]

Two more questions from practice:

First
The regular 'crassula ovata' can be found both all green and yellowish with a red edge. You would expect the latter to be a cultivar, but nowhere can i find a proper name for it. Or is it just a matter of growing regime that defines the amount of green/yellow/red ?

Second
I found a plant that looked rather like the well known c. arborescens undulatifolia. Albeit, it did not have the greyish green off an arborescens. The leaves were as thick and shiny as Ovata usually is. Anyone know of an Ovata cultivar with diamond shaped leaves? I can't find it.

[esp_imaging]

Re your first question:
A variegated cultivated form with yellow in the leaf is widely offered as "Hummel's Sunset".
Particular clones may be more or less red, and nutrient levels may affect redness too, but it's largely determined by the amount of light and water. Hence heat too - hotter, hence dryer, and brighter will make for more red.

[HairyHarry]

Thank you.
I thought Hummel's Sunset has stripes. But I suppose it as often, or more often, without stripes. And so indeed the one I mentioned.

What follows;
I suspect the one with stripes is mostly called variegata when it is white,
and sometimes it is tricolor when it is more yellowish. Confusing stuff.

I hate it when plants are so popular it messes with my labels