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Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
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Disphyma N.E.Br.

DISPHYMA N. E. Br.

Prostrate or trailing perennial succulent herbs. Lvs opposite, sessile, terete or weakly 3-angled, entire, smooth or papillate, mildly salty-tasting; papillae not glittering. Fls solitary, terminal on short lateral branchlets. Sepals 5, unequal: 2 large, leaflike, 3 smaller with expanded membranous margins. Petals numerous, > sepals, free; stamens numerous; staminodes 0. Placentation parietal. Stigmas 5-(10), plumose. Capsule 5-(10)-locular; expanding keels parallel to divergent; wings present; locules with lids; placental tubercle usually 2-fid, sometimes 0. Seeds obovoid, compressed, smooth to rugose.

Key

1
Lf margin and sepal keel smooth
2
Lf margin and sepal keel papillate
3
2
Lvs terete or weakly 3-angled, clavate, obtuse and mucronate at apex; petals in 2 rows, purple with white base; placental tubercle 2-lobed
1. *clavellatum
Lvs 3-angled, linear-oblanceolate to oblong, acute and often mucronate at apex; petals in 3-5 rows, uniformly pink, purple or white; placental tubercle rounded or 0
2. australe subsp australe
3
Stem terete, smooth; placental tubercle 0; seed weakly rugose
2. australe subsp stricticaule
Stem 2-angular, papillate; placental tubercle present; seed distinctly papillate
3. papillatum

4 spp., South Africa, Australia, N.Z. Native spp. 2, naturalised 1.

The native spp. were revised by Chinnock, R. J., New Zealand J. Bot. 9 : 331-344 (1971), ibid. 14 : 77-78 (1976).

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