Disphyma australe (Sol. ex Aiton) Brown,

국표에 없다.

Disphyma australe is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a prostrate, succulent annual shrub or short-lived perennial plant with stems up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long, leaves that are three-sided in cross-section with a rounded lower angle, and white to deep pink daisy-like flowers that are 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in) in diameter with 3–5 rows of petals and multiple stamens. Disphyma australe is a coastal plant and therefore can be found at cliff faces, gravel beaches, salt meadows and estuaries.

Taxonomy

New Zealand authorities recognise two subspecies:

• Disphyma australe (W.T.Aiton) N.E.Br. subsp. australe that mostly grows on cliff faces, rock stacks and beaches, rarely in marshes and estuaries and occurs on both the North and South Islands, as well as on the Manawatāwhi / Three Kings, Stewart / Rakiura and Chatham Islands;
• Disphyma australe subsp. stricticaule Chinnock that is endemic to the Kermadec Islands where it grows on cliff faces, beaches and near bird nesting grounds.

Common names

• Ice plant
• New Zealand ice plant
• Māori ice plant
• Native ice plant
• Horokaka (Māori name)
• Kermadec ice plant (only for subsp. stricticaule)

Description

Disphyma australe, the New Zealand ice plant, is a succulent herb with a trailing or prostrate habit, which means that its branches usually spread along the ground. The stems are stout, about five millimeters in diameter and can be more than one meter long. Especially old branches tend to be semi-woody. Disphyma australe has triangular, fleshy leaves that are normally 2 – 4 cm long and circa 0.4 - 0.6 cm wide. The shape of the leaves ́ tips ranges from pointed (acute) to rounded (obtuse), and their base is connotated. The leaves are arranged opposite one another. An important difference between Disphyma australe and the congener Dispyhma papillatum is the smooth leave surface of Disphyma australe in contrast to the roughed one of Disphyma papillatum.

Another good feature for identifying the plant is its outstanding white or pink flowers, which have a diameter between 2 – 4 cm. Each flower sits at the end of a 1 – 4 cm peduncle and has many 1 – 3 cm petals ordered in 3 - 5 rows. Five lobes, two of them noticeably larger, form the succulent calyx. The reproductive organs of the plant consist of the female, 5 - 8 celled carpels including 5 - 8 styles and usually 6 - 8 stigmas, and numerous male 4 – 6 mm long stamens, which have filaments that are hairy at the bottom.

The fruits of Disphyma australe are fleshy, vase-shaped capsules with some parallel silts, which allow the fruit to open, a flat end and wings. Each capsule encloses the brown, rugose, oblong or egg-shaped, 0.9 - 1.2 mm long seeds. They are compressed, with a slanted or cuneate, notched bottom and a rounded tip.

There are two subspecies of Disphyma australe, Disphyma australe subsp. australe and subsp. stricticaule, which differ only slightly in a few characteristics. Whereas D. australe has papillose sepal keels and placental tubercles can be present, D. stricticaule has smooth sepal keels and no placental tubercles.

 

 

 

 

 

Disphyma australe - Wikipedia