Um, this looks like a dead plant, using the last of its energy to make inflorescences. The stem looks something like an Echeveria, but I can't be sure about that. I am pretty sure this plant is already dead. It just doesn't know it yet. Or, maybe it does...

what?? i bought it on saturday! did they really sell me a dead plant? is there anything i can do at ALL?

I'm hoping someone else will chime in and say it ain't so, but I was thinking the same thing...looks like a dead Echeveria or Aeonium that pushed up flowers while dying in an effort to propogate itself.

can i cut off the tops where it's still pink and repot them?

No. If you had green leaves on the inflorescences, you might be able to root them. But I don't see any.

Normally, the flowers will open from bottom to top over a few days or weeks. Then the entire inflorescence will dry up, dropping any fertilized seed. The actual stem of the plant is the dead looking part coming up out of the ground. The inflorescences are the pink stemmed things with unopened flowers.

I'm sorry to say that this looks like a total loss.

Not knowing for sure what kind of plant it is, I can't really say if you'd be able to root the top or not. Looking the way it does now, with no leaves, it doesn't seem to me like the top would take root. If it were me, I'd take it back to the people you got it from. Maybe they'll at least let you exchange for another plant? Even though it's hard to tell what it is for sure, I can say that it's not normal for a plant to have flowers and no leaves, at least not this time of the year.

The flower buds look like Tylecodon or Cotyledon to me, not Echeveria, and definitely not Aeonium. If that is the case then the plant is just exiting its dormancy, and after it blooms, would put out some new leaves. I'll go against the crowd here and say that I *don't* think the plant is dead/dying, and that you should wait another month to see if it leafs out. Then again, if the plant was expensive to you, take back to the nursery and express your concern. Any good nursery should either explain what is going on, or replace it if it really is dead.

Josiah breathes new life into the plant ;)

I hope I was wrong.

Brad

I can't say I'm very confident on this one, Brad. Good chance I'm wrong and it already has a foot in the grave few roots in the compost pile. Worse yet, I could be right, *and* it could still be just about to die!

It would be great to have a clear picture of the "trunk" and especially the flowers when/if they open.

Caudex1, you winter-growing master, got an opinion?

When I saw the photo my first thought was Tylecodon like Josh suggests.
It's the time of year they look that way and flower. I haven't seen a stem like this of a Tylecodon hence I can't ID it.

Jordi

do these help?

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forgive my terrible photo taking skills... my camera was dying and i wanted to shoot them quickly.

i'm hoping you're right that it's just in dormancy!! thanks so much for all the input everyone, btw

I am afraid to admit but Paracelsus seems to be right... a dead Echeveria :-((

Jordi

No sepals on any of the flowers, and what appears to be four petals. Doesn't that rule out Echeveria and Tylecodon? Four petals points me to Kalanchoe, but I thought their flowers had sepals too...

My vote is for dead Echeveria. Doesn't look like any dead Tylecodon I've ever seen.

I spent several hours, now and perhaps by accident I may have found your plant. Try Cotyledon reticulata Thunbg/ this is a marvelous tree-like plant with persistent brached infl. no leaves are present in the picture. '''''this is not a promise, but the closest match of flower shape I could find. It also could be a Tylecodon
pygmae, look it up Noma

any pics latley?

Don't give up on it yet. Cut off any of the live growth on the top, and see what we get, Being that it is in flower, leaves ususally come after. Most plants of the Crassulaceae family are dorment when flowering. Norma

It almost looks grafted. After it flowers cut it all the way down to the dead? part, and plant, I still have faith that it will leaf out after the flowers are gone, right now it is putting all of it's energy into the flowers. Try any thing to save it. You purchased it because you liked it. Did it have leaves when you bought it.? Norma