Species

Disphyma australe subsp. stricticaule

Etymology

Disphyma: Two-nodule
australe: southern, from the Latin australis

Common Name(s)

Kermadec Ice plant

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - IE, RR
2009 - OL, IE

Authority

Disphyma australe subsp. stricticaule Chinnock

Family

Aizoaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DISASS

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

None

Distribution

Endemic. Kermadec Island group.

Habitat

Coastal. On rock stacks, cliff faces, banks, cobble and boulder beaches, or in the vicinity of bird nesting grounds. Widespread and common.

Features

Trailing, succulent herb. Stem terete, glabrous. Short shoots erect or nearly so, rarely rooting at nodes. Leaves 3-angled, linear-lanceolate to oblong, acute, often mucronate, tapering to connate base, 6-40 × 4-9 mm; margins papillate. Flowers 20-40 cmm diameter. Sepal keel papillate. Petals uniformly white to deep pink, in 3-5 rows, 10-30 mm long. Stamens 4-6 mm long; inner filaments hairy at base. Stigmas (5)-6-8-(10). Capsule valves 5(-6), with parallel or ± divergent expanding keels; placental tubercle rounded or 0. Seeds brown, obovoid, rugose, c. 1 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from the other New Zealand species except the Chatham Island endemic D. papillatum Chinnock, by the leaf margin and sepal keel papillate, by the short shoots mostly ascending, rarely rooting at nodes, and by the 5 rarely 6 capsule valves. From D. papillatum it differs by its ascending short shoots, which rarely root at the nodes, terete rather than 2-angular, smooth rather than papillate stems, absence of a placental tubercle, and weakly rugose rather than papillate seeds.

Flowering

Throughout the year

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easy from rooted pieces. Does best in a well drained fertile soil in full sun.

Threats

Not threatened within its small geographic range

Chromosome No.

2n = 36

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Attribution

Description modified from 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 Oct 2013