It is a Crassula with a common name of 'Tailor's Patch' it should have what appears to be white stitching on the edges of the leaves. Those are called stomota, it take in the Oxygen at night, I have had this plant since I was a child, sure to take cutting yearly, or it may die out on you. It will have a very nice full flower, which I think you will like, take the cuttings after the flower dries up. It is Crassula lactea. This is a fun plant for kids, Norma

Stomata take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. We wouldn't exist if it was the other way around! ;-)

Hi Norma,
thank you for the response,
I do not have this plant, I seen a ad that someone is selling a bunch of house plants and this one was listed, and I never heard of it and that is why I was asking about it...thank you for the answer....linda

Crassula lactea is now in bloom, and the white flowers resemble those of C. ovata, the jade. However, I am not so sure of the id since the hydathodes (not stomata) are evenly distributed over the upper surface of the leaf and my plant does not have the "white stitching" along the margin of the leaves. It is as easily grown as the jade. Supplying a photo of my C. lactea. Yale

Here is a link that might be useful: C. lactea?

Yale since the description does not match with a C. lactea, description. I guess it is not one. My reference material is Jacobsen, Toelken, and Gordon Rowley's book. Look up stomota it is the plural of stoma used for the processing of water, I use Sterns book of Botanical Latin. What are you using for reference? Where can I find a definition of hydathode, and what does it do? Can you come up with anyting else. Where should I look? I am already using three different Glossaries or Dictiionary's Norma

Hydathode: in Crassula it is motified stoma. I looked it up in Gordon Rowley Crassula a Growers Guide. I should have remembered where to find it. I also found a picture of the C. ovata 'Hummel's Sunset' I should have thought of this sooner as well. Norma

This forum provides a very convenient glossary of botanical terms; just click on Tools and Directories (the dark green toolbar near the top of this page), choose Glossary from the drop down menu, and type in the term in question. Pretty neat. Yale

I asked a Botanist: "Plants-Day & Night
Take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. This is respiration.
Photosynthesis:
Plants - during the day, use the sun's energy and the green chlorophyl in plants, take in carbon dioxide, make their own food, & release oxygen." I spent hours trying to find this explained in a book. I couldn't find the words to explain this correctly to you, sorry it took so long. You sure made me hit the books, and use my head, thank you Norma

Jo-jo you are so right. I actually went across the street and asked my neighbor to write it down and I pasted it into my Glossary.
It cleans the air for us, and then releases the clean oxygen back. That is why we are encouranged to plant trees every year. Sansevieria are known to be the best at doing this. Cleaning our air. Thiis is the reason that the jungle in So America as been so vital. The rain forests arevital to the world. Forest are vistal to our well being. Norma

Hi Yale,

Thanks much for pointing out the Glossaary. I'm here since '01 & never knew that. I'll have to go back there & check out what other things are there which might prove useful.

Appreciate the heads up.

(PG) Karen

If you really want to do some interesting (albeit esoteric) reading, look into Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis as well as the related C4 metabolic pathway. Amazing adaptations to survive the harsh environments many of our plants originate from. It also helps explain why people growing in tropical environments often have a hard time keeping succulents...