Chatham Island ice plant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chatham Island ice plant
On Chatham Island
Scientific classification
Genus:	Disphyma
Species:	papillatum

Habit

Disphyma papillatum, commonly known as Chatham Island ice plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. It is a succulent, prostrate herb with flattened, pimply, trailing stems, leaves that are triangular in cross-section, and white to pink, dark blue or purple daisy-like flowers.

Description

Disphyma papillatum is a succulent, prostrate herb with pimply, two-angled, trailing stems rooting at the nodes, up to 50 cm (20 in) long, the internodes mostly 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) long. The leaves are arranged in pairs, stem-clasping with their bases joined, each leaf triangular in cross-section, mostly 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide, tapering towards the tip. The flowers are superficially daisy-like, 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) in diameter on a pimply pedicel 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) long with five sepals at the base. The petals are white, pink, dark blue or purple in three to five rows, each petal 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long and 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide. There are many stamens with yellow anthers and five or six styles. Flowering occurs from November to January and the fruit is a capsule 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) in diameter before opening. It is similar to Disphyma crassifolium but is distinguished from that species by its pimply, rather than smooth, and flattened, two-angled rather than cylindrical stems.

Taxonomy

Disphyma papillatum was first formally described in 1971 by Robert Chinnock in the New Zealand Journal of Botany.

Distribution and habitat

Carpobrotus glaucescens is endemic to the Chatham Islands, including the main island, Rangiuaria, Rangatira, Mangere Island, Little Mangere Island, Moturoa and Castle Island.