Sinocrassula is a genus of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae, the largest family in Saxifragales with 35 genera. Some species of Sinocrassula have been used as traditional Chinese medicines, such as S. indica, which was often used to treat rheumatic arthritis, stomachache, and fracture.

During a field trip in Sichuan, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Yunnan University found two Sinocrassula populations. The materials were covered with hairs on the whole plants but lack a rosette, which is obviously different from the currently documented species in Sinocrassula.

After careful morphological and molecular studies, the researchers confirmed that the materials represented a species new to science. They named it as Sinocrassula holotricha in reference to the plants covered by pubescence throughout.

The new species was published in PhytoKeys.

Sinocrassula holotricha is a terrestrial or lithophytic, perennial, plant. It is hairy throughout, reaching 15–20 cm tall. It is similar to Sinocrassula yunnanensis in having dense and short hairs on the whole plants, but differs from the latter in basal leaves opposite, orangish-red petals, and ligulate nectar scales. It is also morphologically similar to S. ambigua and S. jiaozishanensis, but clearly differs from the latter two by its hairy plants (vs. glabrous).

Sinocrassula holotricha is known only from the west and south west Sichuan in China. Two populations were found on granite crevices, dry stony, or gravelly slopes at elevations of about 1500–2400 meters. 

Published: 29 January 2025

Sinocrassula holotricha (Image by CHEN Chao)

Sinocrassula holotricha (Image by CHEN Chao)

Sinocrassula holotricha (Image by CHEN Chao)

Sinocrassula holotricha (Image by CHEN Chao)