Species

Disphyma clavellatum

Etymology

Disphyma: Two-nodule

Common Name(s)

jellybeans

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Non Resident Native - Coloniser

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Non Resident Native - Coloniser
2004 - Non Resident Native - Coloniser

Qualifiers

2012 - SO
2009 - SO

Authority

Disphyma clavellatum (Haw.) Chinnock

Family

Aizoaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DISCLA

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Mesembryanthemum clavellatum Haw.; Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum (Haw.) Chinnock; Disphyma blackii Chinnock; Disphyma crassifolium (L.) L.Bolus; Mesembryanthemum crassifolium L.

Distribution

Indigenous: New Zealand, South Island (Waimea Inlet and Riverton Estuary). Present in Australia

Habitat

Saltmarsh and estuaries - often in places flooded at high tide.

Features

Trailing, succulent herb. Stem prostrate, terete, glabrous. Leaves terete or weakly 3-angled, obtuse and mucronate at apex, clavate, tapering to shortly connate base, 5-50 × 4-5-10 mm; margins papillate. Flowers 20-40 mm diameter. Calyx glabrous; sepal keels smooth. Petals purple with white base (bases turning purple when dry), in 2 rows, 10-30 mm long. Stamens 5-7 mm long; filaments hairy at base; anthers whitish yellow. Capsule 5-12 mm diameter, valves with widely divergent expanding keels; placental tubercle 2-lobed. Seeds pale brown to brown, weakly rugose or smooth, c.1 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from the other New Zealand species by the terete or weakly 3-angled, clavate, obtuse, finely mucronate leaves; petals in 2 rows, these purple with a white base (the base turning purple on drying); and by the placental tubercle 3-lobed.

Flowering

November - January

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces, division of whole plants and fresh seed.

Threats

Not Threatened. Presumed to be a relatively recent i.e. last 50 or so years, natural arrival from Australia

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Attribution

Description based on Webb et al. (1988)

References and further reading

Webb, C. J.; Sykes, W. R.; Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. 4. Christchurch, New Zealand, Botany Division, D.S.I.R.

This page last updated on 31 Jul 2014