Flora of New Zealand Series

ice plant

Mat-forming trailing perennial herb. Stems to 6 m long, glabrous, 2-angled, subwoody at base. Lvs smooth, sharply 3-angled, linear, acute, scarcely tapered to connate base, 70-120 × 12-17 mm, 4-7× as long as wide; keel denticulate, at least near apex. Fls 8-10 cm diam. Calyx glabrous; longest sepals 40-55 mm long. Petals spreading, pale yellow, turning pinkish orange with age, 30-40 mm long. Stamens c. 10 mm long; filaments yellow, hairy at base; anthers yellow. Stigmas (8)-10-12. Seeds brown, obovoid, 1-1.3 mm long.

N.: Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Wairarapa; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, Southland; St.; Ch.

South Africa 1883

Cliffs and sand dunes, coastal and inland on railway and roadside cuttings.

This sp. has also been referred to in N.Z. as Mesembryanthemum edule L.