This plant was a recent purchase from the discount bin at a local garden centre. What can I say, I'm a sucker for cheap, sad plants. The lady there told me it's a "Ghost Plant", or Graptopetalum paraguayense. However, I looked it up on Google images and couldn't find one that had a weird thick stem like mine. I've never seen anything quite like this! Of all the rosette-forming succulents I've been hoarding lately, none of them look like this one. The stem is shaped like a pad (think Opuntia) and has a few branches. Is this just a hybrid? Even so, I just thought it was an interesting and unusual plant to share with everyone.
Very interesting growth pattern. It looks like an unusual mutation. It would be interesting if you could propagate it. I think you have the species correct.
Looks like a fasciated (a.k.a. cristate) cultivar - a mutation with malformed, often unusually thick and/or flattened stems. Normal plants have slenderer, round-sectioned stems as you found with your google search. Some more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciation
Wow, that is really neat. I love the picture of the crested Euphorbia in the Wikipedia entry, really stunning! The plant had actually been broken off from it's stem but had already rooted. I re-potted that piece and am leaving the "stump" alone to see what happens. There were a few fallen leaves so hopefully those will have new growth as well. It would be great to have more mutants!
