Trianthema compactum facts for kids

Trianthema compactum is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of north-eastern Australia. It is a small herb with oblong to more or less round leaves and flowers arranged singly with five to seven stamens and a short, thick style.

Description

Trianthema compactum is prostrate to ascending, much-branched herb with oblong to more or less round leaves 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and wide. The flowers are arranged singly on a pedicel 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long with an egg-shaped bract at the base. The perianth tube is about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long with lobes about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. There are five to seven stamens about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long and a short, thick style. Flowering occurs from March to August.

Taxonomy

Trianthema compactum was first formally described in 1919 by Cyril Tenison White in the Botany Bulletin of the Queensland Department of Agriculture from specimens collected by John Frederick Bailey on Mornington Island.

Distribution and habitat

This plant grows on the shore around the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory and Queensland.