Calandrinia

Here is my experience trying to identify this plant:

I went on the Venice Garden Tour. A nice man gave me a piece of of a plant
he called Calandrinia. I had previously grown a small succulent called
Calandrinia with similarly brilliant flowers. I looked up Calandrinia in my
Jacobson's Lexicon of Succulent Plants, published in 1970.  He lists quite a
few Calandrinias including C. grandiflora and C. spectabilis.  C.
grandiflora is described as a subshrub up to 1 meter high, flowers light
purple, there is no mention of succulence, flowers 1.5 centimeter.  C.
spectabilis is listed as a subshrub to 60 centimeters, with succulent,
crowded leaves and branches, flowers vivid purple-red 5 cm, rarely producing
seed. My plant fulfilled the C. spectabilis description and not the C.
grandiflora description, so, in my innocence, that is how I labelled it when
I brought it in to the plant forum.

The RHS identification is more up to date, but I still feel thoroughly
confused.

Cathy
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