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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
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; PA; SC; TX; Mexico; South America; Europe; Africa
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; AZ; CA; CO; KS; LA; NM; NV; OK; OR; TX; UT; Mexico; South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
S. maritimum, S. trianthemoides, S. verrucosum
S. maritimum, S. portulacastrum, S. trianthemoides
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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