Sesuvium portulacastrum |
Sesuvium verrucosum |
|
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cencilla, shoreline sea-purslane |
verrucose sea-purslane, western sea-purslane, western-purslane |
|
Habit | Plants perennial, glabrous. | Plants perennial, papillate with crystalline globules abundant, glabrous. |
Stems | prostrate, forming mats to 2 m diam., branched; rooting at nodes. |
prostrate, to 1 m, forming mats to 2 m diam., branched from base, finely verrucose; not rooting at nodes. |
Leaves | petiole ± absent; blade oblanceolate to elliptic-ovate, to 6 × 2.5 cm, tapered to clasping base. |
blade linear to widely spatulate, to 4 cm, base tapered or flared and clasping. |
Inflorescences | flowers solitary; pedicel to 20 mm. |
flowers solitary; pedicel absent or to 2 mm. |
Flowers | calyx lobes pink-purple adaxially, with subapical abaxial appendages, ovate to lanceolate, 3–10 mm; stamens 30; pistil 5-carpellate; ovary 5-loculed; styles 5. |
calyx lobes rose or orange adaxially, ovate-lanceolate, 2–10 mm, margins scarious, apex hooded or beaked, papillate abaxially; stamens 30; filaments connate in proximal 1/2, reddish; pistil 5-carpellate; ovary 5-loculed; styles 5. |
Capsules | conic, 10 mm. |
ovoid-globose, 4–5 mm. |
Seeds | 30–60, black, 1.2–1.5 mm, shiny, smooth. |
20–40, dark brown to black, 0.8–1 mm, shiny, smooth. |
Sesuvium portulacastrum |
Sesuvium verrucosum |
|
Phenology | Flowering year-round. | Flowering spring–fall. |
Habitat | Wet or desiccated soils, beaches, dunes, margins of coastal wetlands, waste grounds, ballast | Moist or seasonally dry flats, margins of usually saline or alkaline habitats, including coastal wetlands and desert playa lakes |
Elevation | 0-5 m (0-0 ft) | 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; PA; SC; TX; Mexico; South America; Europe; Africa
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AR; AZ; CA; CO; KS; LA; NM; NV; OK; OR; TX; UT; Mexico; South America
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Discussion | Sesuvium portulacastrum is a widespread and variable subtropical and tropical species to which many names have been applied, particularly to material collected beyond North America (e.g., Argentina and Brazil). Although S. portulacastrum occurs or has been reported in natural habitats on the east coast of North America north to North Carolina, and from ballast north to the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, there are no verified records for this species occurring in western North America north of Mexico, where it occurs northward along the coasts of Sonora and Baja California. All records or collections of S. portulacastrum from desert wetlands of the United States are included in S. verrucosum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sesuvium verrucosum is widespread and variable, with habitat preferences extending from coastal, saline wetlands to reservoir margins and desert alkali playas in North America and South America. Several names, including S. sessile Persoon, have been applied or misapplied to this species, which can resemble S. portulacastrum. It differs from S. portulacastrum in having sessile or occasionally pedicellate flowers and in lacking roots at stem nodes. Plants from coastal environments such as margins of estuaries are usually smaller in stature, with smaller morphological features than interior desert plants; plants at some coastal sites may function as annuals. Further investigation of this variation could provide useful insight into the relationships of different populations now assigned to S. verrucosum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 4, p. 81. | FNA vol. 4, p. 81. |
Parent taxa | Aizoaceae > Sesuvium | Aizoaceae > Sesuvium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Portulaca portulacastrum, Halimus portulacastrum | S. erectum |
Name authority | (Linnaeus) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1058. (1759) | Rafinesque: New Fl. 4: 16. (1838) |
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