Bright green stems with dark tops; no visible leaves

by Bridgette
(US Army base, South Korea)

Succulent with stout, bright green stems that darken and form a "cup" at the top. There are no true "leaves", only these stems that seem to grow straight out of the ground. Very strange but interesting plant. I have never seen another one like it - I haven't even been able to find a picture of it anywhere on the web. Any help identifying this plant would be appreciated.


Drought Smart Plants reply:

Hi Bridgette, actually, those are the leaves. This strange looking little guy is Crassula 'Gollum' or Goblin Fingers, which is exactly what the foliage looks like. They seem to be somewhat variable, with some of the leaves shaped like yours, with only a cup shaped depression, others are just widened at the top. Some are more miniature than others, so they make interesting additions to your collection.

See the page on Crassula for more information on how to grow them.

Jacki