Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
L. Common Ice-plantProstrate annual (usually), stems, 5–20 cm tall, stem diam. to 10 mm wide, terete, leaves and calyx covered by glistening, bead-like bladder-cells. Central erect stem absent. Leaves opposite at base, sometimes rosetted, ovate, spathulate or cordate, mostly 2–12 cm long, 1–9 cm wide, commonly tinged pink. Floral leaves persistent. Flowers leaf-opposed, pedicels 0–5(–12) mm long, pedicel slightly elongating in fruit; receptacle ca. 8 mm diam.; flowers (10–)15–20(–30) mm diam., ovary inferior; sepals ovate, 4–8 mm long, often red-tipped, the 2 inner broader and blunter than the 3 outer; staminodes white, often pinkish near tips, c. 100–120, exceeding sepals by c. 5 mm. Capsule hemispherical, sepals reflexing and opening to c. 15 mm diam.; seeds brown, D-shaped, 0.8 mm long, reticulate. Flowers Sep.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, DunT. Also WA, SA, NSW, Tas. Native to South Africa. Locally common in years of high winter rains on sandy, often saline soils of the north-west, occasional along the coast (Port Fairy, Port Phillip Bay).
For differences with Mesembryanthemum guerichianum see profile for that species.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Aizoaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 105–119. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
SpinningSynonyms
Chinnock, R.J.; Stajsic, V.; Brodie, C.J. (2012). Mesembryanthemum guerichianum Pax (Aizoaceae): A weedy alien species new to Australia. Plant Protection Quarterly 27(2): 83–88.
