Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sesuvium portulacastrum
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Large Sea-purslane at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sesuvium portulacastrum
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sesuvium portulacastrum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Sesuvium portulacastrum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 069-01-001:
Sesuvium portulacastrum FAMILY Aizoaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Sesuvium portulacastrum
COMMON NAME:
Large Sea-purslane, Shoreline Sea-purslane
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Keith Bradley kab_sportulacastrum_08281
April Monroe County FL
Everglades National Park
A fleshy smooth herb with flowers and fruits on distinct stalks, per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
)
Keith Bradley kab_sportulacastrum08256b
April Monroe County FL
Everglades National Park
Flowers on pedicels 3mm or longer. Sepals green outside and pink within, per Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999).
)
Keith Bradley kab_sportulacastrum_03675
May Bahamas
Stems prostrate, forming mats to 2m diameter, per Flora of North America.
)
Keith Bradley kab_sportulacastrum03675b
May Bahamas
Its elongate creeping branches root at the nodes [vs. S. maritimum doesn't], per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Sesuvium portulacastrum
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Sesuvium portulacastrum
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Sesuvium portulacastrum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Sesuvium portulacastrum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 069-01-001:
Sesuvium portulacastrum
FAMILY
Aizoaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Sesuvium portulacastrum
3066
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Island end flats and sea beaches; less typically inland (LA) in saline marshes or seeps (associated with salt domes), per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & SC, rare in NC
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves do not have stipules.
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Pinkish-purplish
Pedicel (3)5-20mm long
5 sepals
Petals absent
Numerous (30) stamens (no petaloid staminodes)
Ovary half-inferior
Bisexual
Flowers solitary in leaf axils
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p347
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p496
- Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Georgia (Chafin, 2007) p283
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p081
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p007
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p024
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".