An extremely variable species. The narrow, pointed, splayed ("propeller-like") leaves are initially a light green, but become a strong reddish colour in the sun. The leaves are stacked, and near the base of the rosette they are larger. Near the top of a rosette, the leaves gradually get smaller and change into floral bracts, as the stem forms a long, pointed inflorescence. It is a small, succulent herb (15-40 cm in height) - with stems that are either erect or rambling and mat-forming. Each stem forms roots at its internodes, which take root if the stem lies against the ground. C.capitella is mostly biennial, blooming in the summer, with small, white, star-shaped flowers forming all around each thick, upright stem. It grows to a height of about 6 inches tall, and will be damaged when exposed to temperatures below 30 °F (−1 °C)