editorial

The name Crassula alata has been misapplied to New Zealand material referable to Crassula tillaea. Following a suggestion by Pieter Winter (iNat.), specimens held at the Allan Herbarium (CHR) were re-examined, and all New Zealand records previously identified as C. alata are considered to represent C. tillaea. The two species can be distinguished by the characters given by Verloove & Reyes-Betancort (2026): C. alata subsp. alata has at least some pedicellate flowers, sepals approximately twice as long as the petals, and stems with prominent marginal ridges when dried. In C. tillaea, all flowers are sessile, the sepals are only slightly longer than the petals, and the dried stems may be winged or unwinged. Reference: Verloove, F. & Reyes-Betancort, J.A. (2026). Emerging elements in the alien flora of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain): new records and invasion risks. Check List 22(1): 75–90.