Sea Purslane

(Sesuvium maritimum)

 

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Sea Purslane (Sesuvium maritimum)

Identification: Plant mostly prostrate along the ground. Flowers purple and petals absent, apparent flower consisting of five sepals. Flowers arising from leaf axils. Leaves fleshy, paddle-shaped.

Distribution: Along the Atlantic coast from Long Island south to Florida, Bahamas, and Cuba. Also known from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Habitat: This species is found on damp sand, particularly on beaches.

Flowering period: July to September.

 

Sea Purslane (Sesuvium maritimum)

Similar Species:

The combination of fleshy, paddle-shaped leaves and small, purple flowers in the leaf axils will generally identify this species.

Similar Species

No Similar Species