Flora of New Zealand Series

ice plant

Trailing herb. Stem terete, glabrous. Lvs 3-angled, acute, often mucronate, tapering to connate base, (6)-20-30-(40) × 4-6-(9) mm; margins usually smooth, rarely papillate. Fls 2-4 cm diam. Petals uniformly white to deep pink, in 3-5 rows, 1-3 cm long. Stamens 4-6 mm long; inner filaments hairy at base. Stigmas (5)-6-8-(10). Capsule valves with parallel or ± divergent expanding keels; placental tubercle rounded or 0. Seeds brown, obovoid, rugose, c. 1 mm long.

N.: coastal throughout; S.: coastal throughout; St. ( subsp. australe); K. ( subsp. stricticaule Chinnock).

Endemic.

Abundant on coastal banks, rocks and cliffs.

FL (Jul)-Oct-Jan-(Jun) FT (Sep)-Dec-Jan- (May).