Crassula glomerata is a tiny annual reaching heights from less than 10 cm to about 15 cm. It branches, grows rigidly erect stems and small succulent leaves. The leaves are opposite and sessile, tapering to acute tips. Leaves, stems and calyces may be green or quite red as seen here on a bare dune by the sea.
The plant's appearance reminds of some tiny mesemb. The Afrikaans common name of brakvygie (brackish mesemb) is no surprise. Salt from seawater is often this plant’s lot in life, requiring adaptation and resulting in the brakvygie name.
Crassulas, like mesembs, are mostly low-growing leaf succulents, but their flowers differ markedly: Crassula mostly five-petalled, while mesemb corollas consist of many petals, often linear and resembling daisies.
The distribution of C. glomerata is in the Western Cape from around Clanwilliam to the Cape Peninsula and along the south coast to the Eastern Cape as far as Gqeberha.
The habitat is sandy places, mostly strandveld and limestone soils, often in exposed situations where it braves wind and sun. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century (Privett and Lutzeyer, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).