Succulent plants from down under – Adventive Plants (Part 10):

Kalanchoe ‘Houghtonii’ – The Bethells Beach mystery mesemb – The Spergularia media
epiphany

XXV. Kalanchoe ‘Houghtonii’

Kalanchoe “Houghtonii’ (or Kalanchoe houghtonii D.B.Ward 2006, Kalanchoe × houghtonii,

Bryophyllum x houghtonii, and several other variants, not to mention the vernaculars Coconut Plant
and Mother of Thousands / Millions) is actually thought to be a hybrid plant Kalanchoe
daigremontiana x Kalanchoe delagoensis, both parents being native to Madagascar. Although they
have emerged by allopatric speciation (1) and naturally grow in different parts of the country both
parents have become common in European and American greenhouses (Daniel B. Ward, 2008)
where they were grown together and as a result a very common hybrid is supposed to have appeared
at some stage. No specifics on how or when this happened are known. For many decades this hybrid
plant “has been recognized only as Kalanchoe "aff. Hybrida" or some similar designation”
eventually being “recognized and well described by Arthur D. Houghton in 1935 (Cactus &
Succulent Jour. 7: 44), but was not named” (Daniel B. Ward, 2008). In the meantime this plant got
several horticultural names as Kalanchoe “Houghtonii’ (which I actually prefer), but only 61 years
later, in 2006, Daniel B. Ward produced in Cactus & Succulent Journal a formal description and
named this particular plant Kalanchoe houghtonii.

1. This is the site at Yankee

Wharf along the coastal
track with hundreds and
thousands Kalanchoe
‘Houghtonii’.

It is – if unchecked – a ticking bomb in any greenhouse or garden as it “reproduces apparently

exclusively by plantlets borne in the notches along leaf margins” but very strange it “never does a
second form after the first has dropped” (Daniel B. Ward, 2008). This is not the only strange thing; it

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 has also a “seldom recognized or understood” monocarpic behaviour, inherited from its parents. The
plants grow for years and years but the stems remain un-branched, and the leaves are not persistent,
but the remaining leaves form a lose rosette up the stem. Older plants may become – odd enough -
unstable under the weight of successively larger leaves growing towards the apex until plants
literally keep falling over; however, Kalanchoe “Houghtonii’ is the fighter type and the apex of the
stem turns upright and continues its growth. “After perhaps 3 to 7 years the plant forms a robust
terminal inflorescence; the entire plant then dies. This trait seems rare or is perhaps absent
elsewhere in the genus” (Daniel B. Ward, 2008).

2. One fine specimen

emerging from a crevice of
the old lava rubble.

Kalanchoe “Houghtonii’ has typical narrowly deltoid to broadly lanceolate succulent leaf blades,
usually green to green-gray, turning gray-pink to gray-purplish in excessive light conditions,
beautifully brown spotted on the lower side. The upper surface is concave, with a mostly well
marked longitudinal groove, the lower one convex, strongly keeled. The strongly toothed leaves
grow in more or less compact clusters toward the upper part of the stem. The inflorescence is
terminal, strong; corolla is dark red and is 20 – 25 mm long. It grows to 150 cm high (Daniel B.
Ward, 2008) but in harsh conditions it still manages to survive in a much reduced form, not even 20
cm high.

The plant has managed to become naturalized not only in the USA, but also in Australia and New
Zealand. Odd enough most recent accounts refer E.K. Cameron’s collections and the year 1989 as
the naturalization date of this plant in New Zealand, but a first collection goes back to 1971 (A.E.
Esler, no locality mentioned), followed in 1987 by two other collections of R.O. Gardner (Islington)
and Andrea Julian (Islington – Yankee Wharf). W.R. Sykes (1992) mentions more precise locations
– by the “coastal track near shore” (this would be Yankee Wharf I assume) and “on old dwelling
site” which points towards the vicinity of the Islington Bay wharf. He also mentions other places
where this plant has established wild populations – Coromandel Peninsula (unfortunately not specific

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enough), Burgess Island and Mokohinau Island. First reference in botanical literature occurred only
years later as Bryophyllum ‘Houghtonii’ (C.J. Webb & al., 1995) and (although W.R. Sykes one of
the co-authors) and it omits all above mentioned collections, first being considered the 1989 E.K.
Cameron’s collection. However, the Coromandel locality is mentioned: Kennedy Bay.

3 - 4. The tallest plants were

barely 15 to 20 cm high (if that
high) – left picture, while the very
most of them (picture below) were
only few centimeters high and
wide.

I have seen this plant only in Rangitoto, along the coastal track past the landing point, but after a
long search. Ironically, for all this time it was so close and yet so far… Andrea Julian (1992) points
out the invasive potential of this plant, by reproducing itself very effective through vegetative means
and becoming locally abundant, but still I have failed to locate it although I thought I knew Yankee
Wharf very well… As there were no recent accounts placing this plant in Rangitoto and no mention
on the “black lists” of the Department of Conservation, I simply thought that Kalanchoe
“Houghtonii’ has become increasingly rare due to adverse natural factors (freezing temperatures,
excessive draught and heat, gusting winds, etc.) or has been eradicated even before the Wotherspoon
& Wotherspoon 2003 conservation plans. I became therefore rather skeptical that I will see this plant
in Rangitoto because even if it is still out there the populations might have been reduced to just few
individuals hard to spot (as it is probably the case with several other succulent casual exotics). I
always have carefully scanned areas where succulent plants were abundant, but in this case I was
simply looking in the wrong place.

During my September 2010 trip (my fifth in Rangitoto) while pacing on the coastal track from
Islington Bay to Yankee Wharf I was surprised to see them growing abundantly on both sides of the
track on a stretch of 30 to 40 meters. That was it, a much localized population of hundreds and
hundreds if not thousands of plants, ranging from tiny plantlets less than 1 cm wide to single

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stemmed individuals not higher than 15 – 20 cm (up to 30 cm as per C.J. Webb & al. [1995], but I
haven’t seen any close to this height). I have walked this part of the track at least four times before,
but I simply failed to see them, probably (now I’m looking for excuses) because of being a somewhat
less interesting spot between two main points of interest, and therefore walked in a quick pace.

5. One of the very few

inflorescences I have seen at
Yankee Wharf, not in its prime
anymore. However, the picture is
relevant for a correct
identification.

Although I’ve never had one I knew this plant – usually strong, lush long-leaved, predominantly
green and nicely spotted, 30 – 50 cm high specimens – and it was quite an effort to match my
expectations with the image of the red-pinkish-grayish leaved pygmy sticks growing out of the
fissures and crevices of the lava blocks. A second impression was the uniform look of the plants, as
they were mass produced, exactly as W.R. Sykes maintains. This clearly indicates that Kalanchoe
“Houghtonii’ propagates and spreads only vegetatively.

I have also seen few flowering plants, but none was in its prime anymore. However, the red tubular
flowers were distinctive enough. None of the plants was bearing plantlets along the leaf notches, this
was the other thing that has puzzled me, but the large number of tiny or somewhat larger plantlets
states that this has happened regularly in the past. It might be that the tiny plantlets do not stick a
long time and suck from the mother plant, but due to the harsh environment are quickly released.
The rugged surface of the lava blocks, the many fissures and small crevices are just the perfect place
for them to establish. However, I rather doubt the capability of Kalanchoe “Houghtonii’ to infest
larger areas (like Crassula multicava is able to do) as its spread was extremely limited, just few
meters on both sides of the track. I am pretty sure that it is also easy to control (you just pull it out, it
never regenerates from roots), and this could have happened near the abandoned baches, where weed
control is much more thoroughly (2). How invasive can this plant be? Andrea Julian (1992) inclines
to consider it a potential danger, and this is what I also thought considering the plants grows under
optimal conditions (not the case in Rangitoto though). However, although Clayson Howell (2006)
mentions the plant (of course his reference is NZBJ vol. 33 and not earlier publications) it is not

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included in his environmental weeds list (Clayson Howell, 2008). It can become locally very
abundant, but that’s the most it can achieve without being assisted in its dispersal. The only real
danger is if conservation personnel moves infested materials or tools to different sites after
controlling weeds and favours the appearance of new local infestations. This has happened in my
experience twice on Rangitoto with Crassula multicava.

6. Kalanchoe ‘Houghtonii’ – a splendid specimen from Yankee

Wharf, Rangitoto Island displaying eye-catching patterns.

Unfortunately – as it happens every time – I was extremely late and I had to rush via the short-cut
road to the Islington Bay Road in order to catch the last ferry (leaving even earlier as usual as the
winter schedule applied) – so that I took as many pictures as possible, I took few samples (hopefully
I won’t regret this, I already have accommodated enough weeds in my pots and gardens) and off I
went. I even didn’t have the time to look properly for the couple of Aloe arborescens plants I wanted
to see in their late wintery state so I simply couldn’t find the place again, which was a bit
disappointing. But hey, you’ll never have it all!

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 XXVI. The Bethells Beach mystery mesemb

Finally, after a long and rainy winter, spring has arrived just in time for the Labour Day Weekend.
Yes I know, it was already spring for some time in my calendar, but it didn’t really show off until
now. We finally had the perfect setup – clear skies and reasonable warm days.

7. Bethells Beach – eroded

sand dunes at the point of
entry.

8. Bethells Beach – view of

the cliff faces and sand dunes
at the northern end.

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 9. The northern end of
Bethells Beach is in the
background. I am standing
near the rocky outcrop at the
southern end where I have
seen the mystery mesemb

On Saturday my wife and I have decided to spend the day in Waitakere, on Auckland’s west coast,
where we visited Bethells Beach (a first time for both of us), Cornwallis Beach and some friends
living in Huia near Titirangi – all in one day! The drive in this area is pretty much on long narrow
roads winding through the bush, by-passing many interesting landmarks you may want to visit –
lakes, waterfalls, and many walking tracks hidden in the lush vegetation. A must do, but not without
a map or without adequate shoes!

10. Interesting vegetation on

eroded sedimentary rock
formation at the southern end
of Bethells Beach, close to the
cave.

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Bethells Beach is some 25 km from Titirangi, and is a very popular surf site at the Tasman Sea, north
of Piha and Anawhata and south of Muriwai. To be honest I had a high level of expectation – one
can’t accept anything less than the spectacular beauty of Piha or Muriwai – and when we got there
following a path along the small tidal estuary with shallow waters where kids were splashing or
playing touch in the sand only to see few surfers riding the rough waves I have to admit that I was
quietly a bit disappointed. As it was high tide and we haven’t been really dressed for tramping we
didn’t cross over north of the estuary (where cliff faces and their vegetation looked promising) but
started walking south on the beach, towards the sea cave, along the eroded sand dunes. Nothing
really spectacular with the sand dunes, a bit eroded and looked like there have been recent plantings
in an conservation attempt. But at the southern end of the beach we discovered an exposed rocky
outcrop with interesting vegetation. We spent quite some time here and this allowed me to have a
closer look.

First of all – there were numerous Disphyma australe ssp. australe plants scattered everywhere, a
New Zealand endemic, the pale pink flowering form, growing quite lush in sheltered corners but in
most exposed places being just much reduced plants. However, few were in flower.

There were also several golden flowering Senecio spp. I couldn’t identify yet (3) – I think there were
at least two different species. This highly complex genus is not even close to what I am
knowledgeable in, but still I have to mention the plants (native or not) - mainly because in very
exposed situations seedlings had very succulent leaves, as you may have already noticed from the
pictures. Very interesting, these Senecio plants seem to build up water reserves in their tissues only
when they really need to. Only in sheltered corners plants had a normal growth form and their leaves
were visibly less succulent if succulent at all.

11. Senecio spp. – seedlings

or very young plants with
reduced growth having very
unusual succulent leaves.

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12. The endemic Disphyma
australe ssp. australe, mostly
much reduced plants in very
exposed positions were
scattered everywhere. Here’s
a flowering one, surrounded
by many other seedlings. A
couple of Senecio spp.
seedlings with their succulent
leaves are also visible.

However, there was another true succulent here, a miniature I have probably overlooked elsewhere in
several occasions as it isn’t rare at all – Crassula sieberiana, again a native plant which is also found
in Australia. The nice reddish colours of these small plants were drawing attention so it was
impossible to miss it this time. It was the first time I saw the plant in the wild (and I even didn’t
recognize it in first instance, but after Didge Rowe put me on the right direction it became so
obvious!) and maybe I will come back to this in another article.

13. The pinkish – orange

plants are reduced forms of
Crassula sieberiana – a
native growing in a very
exposed position on a layer
of dead plants (possibly
Crassula sieberiana as well).
Several Senecio spp.
seedlings are also present,
next to my 11 cm long mobile
phone for scale reference.

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14. That’s me (still) standing
on the rocky outcrop where I
took most of the pictures. As
you can see it is a strong
marine exposure, as in most
places on the west coast. Try
and figure out what happened
to the cougar!

15. The endemic Disphyma australe ssp. australe next to two different Senecio spp. seedlings with their
succulent leaves and… in the right-top corner my mystery mesemb. This is a very important picture
because it clearly shows the huge difference between the two supposedly related plants.

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But the real surprise was an unknown mesemb. Again, this mystery plant was present only in the
most exposed positions and looked definitely more like being seedlings than adult plants. However,
at least couple of them had developed capitula, but no flowers seen unfortunately – it would have
probably solved the mystery. It seems to be mat forming though; few plants were actually growing
on a layer of dead plants covering a certain area, but haven’t seen mats of living plants. Their leaves
were much thinner and with acute tips, a perfect spindle form just 2 – 3 cm long, visible different
from the more bulky leaves of Disphyma australe ssp. australe. In most of the cases the leaves were
also more compact, clustered together, rather than attached to a lengthy stem. I’m not excluding that
it can form creeping stems, but none of the plants seen have done so, maybe due to the extreme
exposure. The only specimens being less compact were the ones having capitula formed, but still no
sign of long creeping stems whatsoever.

16. Interesting rock formation

where tiny succulents (all the
named above and maybe some
more) exploit any fissure,
crevice or gap between the
rocks.

I was simply puzzled by the view of this plant as I didn’t see anything like this in a natural
environment (the look of wild plants could be deceiving, not always easy to match with pictures or
cultivated plants you may have seen), I wasn’t even sure if it’s a Disphyma or not.

I couldn’t wait to get home and start searching on the internet for the best possible match, but it
turned out that it is not always working like this. After a couple of hours browsing the internet and
the documentation I had in mind few “suspects” but I didn’t really get to the bottom of this. So, next
I sent Didge Rowe, one of the New Zealand mesembs connoisseurs, an email asking for help on this
matter. However, his highly informative reply didn’t provide a clear cut answer for me, but rather
raised new questions and interesting leads regarding conservation issues.

Here are few extended excerpts from his reply email (Didge Rowe, email 31.10.10):

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“Yes 156 [this is the picture number] is Disphyma australe or very close to it. The others? This is
becoming an ever more interesting and difficult problem because Disphyma australe seems to have
little or zero barriers to out crossing with rather unrelated mesemb species such as Carpobrotus
edulis and Carpobrotus chilensis and of course edulis and chilensis also hybridize between
themselves extremely readily so we have an ever increasing complex of hybrids.”

“Furthermore there are two very distinct forms (if not perhaps species if they do not interbreed) of
Disphyma australe (white flowers & green leaves or pink flowers & reddish leaves) that do not seem
to 'hybridize' if one may use this word in such a context. In locations such as at the harbour end of
Rongatai airport (4) both distinct types grow together with no sign of mixtures except for the
retrogression of Carpobrotus edulis & Carpobrotus and their hybrids. I do not know if one or both
australe forms are adding to the ever growing swarm of hybrids along our coastlines. Most
examples I have seen have pale purple flowers but this may mean little.”

“Overall the situation probably means that Disphyma australe is doomed as it once was but of course
it will probably add many of its genes to whatever new reticulate 'species' that evolve. Reticulate
evolution appears to be quite common in the mesembs if not all of the Aizoaceae. It will certainly be
interesting to see how these seedlings mature. Perhaps they are a weaker hybrid.”

Now, this sheds a totally new and different light on the entire problem. If so, how many studies or
genetic assessments of the living material have been recently done? Visual recognition does not seem
to be enough anymore… Once an authority performs a study and draws convincing conclusions we
take everything for granted. Botanic literature tends to over-simplify matters by referring the same-
ol’ same-ol’ studies and referred names, while nature works and not necessarily in the best way for
the conservation of a certain “genetic stock”. This ongoing process opens actually a brand new field
of study and interest, but I wonder if any environmental body will have hardly the drive to have these
things sorted out while we face more serious ecological problems and pressures. However, an
amateur takes again the front seat by acknowledging the problem.

17. That’s me again, this

time looking (a bit more
relaxed) in a north-north-
easterly direction. It’s
worthwhile mentioning that
the cougar still
contemplates clear blue sky.

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I also don’t actually understand what Didge Rowe means by “weaker hybrid”. I have seen few years
ago hybrid Disphyma australe x Carpobrotus edulis, it was more like an intermediate between the
two, very similar to Chinnock’s illustration (1972).

But this does not answer to my question. Didge Rowe continues:

“From memory they at least somewhat resemble??? Disphyma pappilatum; which however, is a
Chatham Island endemic, so highly improbable that seed has been spread at Bethells.”

Unfortunately at this date there are no photos available on the internet. There are several images of
the isotype (Chinnock’s herbarium collection) at the Victoria University of Wellington available, but
as far as I can judge this looks to be a different plant. Apart from the long creeping stems, leaves –
even if not perfectly preserved – appear to be rather stout and short, much thicker than those of the
plant seen at Bethells Beach. I also agree with Didge Rowe – hardly possible that seed of this rather
unknown plant (at least virtually unknown in cultivation) has been dispersed here.

18. Interesting moss I’m not

really acknowledgeable
with.

“Incidentally there is a report in the literature that the beautiful Australian species Disphyma
crassifolium subsp. clavellatum has naturalized near an estuary at Invercargill. If so, this is
probably adding more additions to an ever complex x Disphyma gene pool.”

This would be a better match I think. Leaves are similar thin and spindly, their growth form is also
more compact. A flower would have been saved a lot of time and questions, but it looks that I was a
week too early – just two plants having formed capitula seen, not enough to make a call. Didge Rowe
also suggested that the plants were just seedlings, which might be true; some of them were growing
on a dense layer of dead vegetation suggesting that it is mat-forming. In any case I have to go back

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 and check on the plants in high summer and maybe I can get some answers then. I’d also love to find
some seed pods to learn the plants first hand in cultivation, being reluctant to remove living plants
from habitat unless I know for sure they are unwanted organisms. I would just say that Disphyma
crassifolium ssp. clavellatum (or one of its crosses with Disphyma australe ssp. australe) is just an
obviously good candidate, but nothing more unless we see some flowers. Until then it will remain a
mystery plant, at least for me! But something wasn’t adding up.

*
* *

OK, enough is enough!

Of course it wasn’t adding up, simply because there was nothing to add to. I had a huge laugh when I
realized that I was looking all the time in the wrong direction while I had all what I needed to sort
this out right before my eyes. Even when I saw the mystery plant out at Bethells I simply didn’t get it
right, my mind was pre-set and I was looking four vegetative similarities with all small creeping
mesembs I knew. And this was completely wrong of course, more – I saw two plants having
developed capitula (you might remember this, I’ve already said it before), but simply ignored the
obvious: that it wasn’t a mesemb at all! From now on it became somewhat easier. In a follow up
email Didge Rowe mentioned that I might also see Spergularia media in costal habitats, and I
checked briefly the name on the internet. Lush growth, inconspicuous flowers on long pedicels,
except for the somewhat succulent elongated spindly leaves this wasn’t my plant I thought in a first
instance.

I didn’t even sorted all the photographic material I took that day; I just simply copied in a hurry few
of the pictures and I emailed them to Didge, but few days later I came across this picture:

19. These are the plants that

could have saved all this fuzz if I
would have looked properly at
them. The hairy upper stems,
pedicels and capitula are quite
visible.

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… and I realized that the hairy capitulum didn’t belong to a mesemb. In a third email (and after
seeing the picture no. 19) Didge Rowe affirmed that it was Spergularia media, from the
Caryophyllaceae family. This put me on a different track now, as several Spergularia species were
around. So much for my mystery mesemb…

XXVII. The Spergularia media epiphany

… but was the mystery really solved?

However, it wasn’t that easy to go to the bottom of this. New Zealand botanical literature provides us
several different names; I will start with C. J. Webb, W. R. Sykes & P. J. Garnock-Jones’ Flora of
New Zealand, vol. 4, 1988 – the electronic version 2004 (referred in a previous part): Spergularia
bocconei (Scheele) Ascherson & Graebner 1919; Spergularia marina (Linnaeus) A. Grisebach 1843;
Spergularia media (Linnaeus) C.B. Presl 1826 (5); Spergularia rubra (Linnaeus) J.S. Presl & C.B.
Presl 1819.

After few hours of reading and looking at pictures from relevant internet sources I realized there was
not an easy task to tell them apart as all plants looked somewhat similar; more, at this stage I had just
the pictures of my apparently much reduced plant (previously confused for a mesemb, to make things
even worse). It was pretty much a good exclusion exercise that I had to do. And here we go:

Spergularia rubra – a northern hemisphere cosmopolitan was often referred in New Zealand
literature as Spergula rubra, Spergularia campestris or Spergularia media var. salina. For several
reasons I’m ruling out from the start this species – it has been described as having not fleshy leaves,
not thicker than 0.5 – 0.8 mm (which was not the case in my mystery plant) while the inflorescence
is “a racemoid monochasium, many-flowered” (FNZ vol. 4, 1988 / 2004) which again was obviously
not the case.

Spergularia marina – comes from coastal Europe, but was also recorded in Tierra de Fuego and
Falkland Islands in the southern hemisphere, and was also referred in New Zealand literature as
Spergularia salina and as Spergularia media var. salina. Although it has “fleshy leaves” it does not
match in several other aspects – leaves are “not fascicled” (so obvious that they are in my photos!),
its habitat is “mudflats, sand flats, saline pastures” (a no-no in this case as well, no resemblance
whatsoever with the dry rock I found the plant), its sepals are “obtuse, 2.0 - 3.5 mm” long (I would
say mucronate and probably longer than this) and most important the “inflorescence a dichasium,
few-flowered” (FNZ vol. 4, 1988 / 2004). On top of that it was recorded only in the South Island, in
few localities in Canterbury and Otago, so good enough to rule out this taxon as well.

Spergularia bocconei – originates from S.W. Europe and Mediterranean regions and is a relatively
newcomer (naturalized in 1968) with rather limited dispersal in the North Island (Auckland,
Wanganui, C. Palliser) and substantial distribution in the South Island (Nelson, Marlborough,
Canterbury, Otago). It has somewhat different ecological needs – “sandy or stony waste land,
roadsides, mudflats, railway yards, salt meadows”. Its leaves are “not fascicled” (speaks against) but
“somewhat fleshy, linear, mucronate” (that’s an aye) and only 0.5 - 0.8 mm thick (nay!) while the
inflorescence is “a racemoid monochasium, many-flowered”. Another aspect that puts me off is the

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flowering / fruiting period December – March (FNZ vol. 4, 1988 / 2004), or we have seen formed
capitula well before, on the 23rd of October.

Spergularia media is “indigenous to most other temperate regions of both hemispheres” and wide-
spread throughout most of New Zealand. Although its habitat includes “salt marshes, mud and sand
flats” it seems to prefer “crevices in coastal rocks” which makes it eligible. It was once considered
indigenous (as Spergularia marginata in H. H. Allen - FNZ, Vol. 1, 1961 / 2004 previously referred
– but this is an illegitimate name) or referred as Spergularia maritima. It definitely is not a true
naturalized but rather cosmopolite plant; however, as in other species there could have been some
“import” of non-native stock at some stage. Its distribution area covers most of New Zealand – North
Island: Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Wairarapa and Wellington;
South Island: Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland, but does not appear to be too
abundant anywhere. Apart from Didge’s confirmation there are several other reasons why I think that
this is it! I will highlight them as we go with the description based on FNZ vol. 4, 1988 / 2004:

Spergularia media is a tap-rooted perennial herb (6) with decumbent to ascending stems, (5) – 10 –
25 - (50) cm long, with glandular hairs above. Leaves not usually fascicled (7), fleshy, linear,
obtuse to mucronate, (5)-10-25-(50) mm long × 1 mm thick, glabrous or with glandular hairs.
Stipules pale, not very silvery, connate c. 1/2 of length and forming a short sheath (older stipules
often split apart), triangular, acute, 2.0 - 3.5 × 2.0 – 3.0 mm; apex often folded back. Inflorescence is
a lax monochasium or unequal dichasium, few- to many-flowered. Pedicels (5) – 10 – 18 - (30) mm
long, with glandular hairs. Sepals obtuse to sub-acute, 5-7 mm long, with glandular hairs;
margins scarious. Petals purplish pink to white, usually smaller than the sepals. Stamens 7 - 10.
Capsule usually larger than the sepals. Seeds circular, very dark brown, smooth, 0.7 - 0.8 mm long,
with a broad membranous finely toothed wing up to 0.4 mm wide, or rarely not winged.

20. A much reduced Spergularia

media (or a seedling?) growing
in extremely exposed situations
on layers of dead plants
suggesting its mat-forming habit
and maybe that it is rather a
short-lived perennial.

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21. Same plant as above next
to my mobile phone (not even
5 cm wide) posing for scale.

22. Typical habitus of a

Spergularia media.

(Photo Kristian Peters, at

Wismarbucht an der Ostsee,
Germany, 2006 – ex Wikipedia,
the free Encyclopedia)

Add a core-flowering period between November and March and Spergularia media looks like the
most eligible name for my plant (8).

As stated before this is not really a naturalized plant but rather a cosmopolitan occurrence. Having a
cosmopolite occurrence there are several variations and forms, I am not entering into details now but
it is fair to say that it has strong polymorphic traits. The national Museum in Wellington preserves

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the 1770 first collection of Banks & Solander in Marlborough Sounds (South Island). Oh well,
maybe not the best place to write of a non-exotic plant, but still… enjoy the pictures! I surely
enjoyed my search for the identity of this plant.

23. Take a last long look at Spergularia media

(and say good-bye). Note again the layer of dead
plants and the lichens.

Additional References:
Calflora (Californian Flora) http://www.calflora.org/

R. J. Chinnock – Natural Hybrids between Disphyma and Carpobrotus (Aizoaceae) in New Zealand (New Zealand Journal of Botany, Vol. 10, 1972);

Clayson Howell - New Zealand naturalised vascular plant checklist (2006);

Clayson Howell - Consolidated List of Environmental Weeds in NZ (2008);

Andrea Julian – The vegetation pattern of Rangitoto (1992) – unpublished PhD thesis;

Didge Rowe – email dated 31.10.10;

Daniel B. Ward – Keys to the Flora of Florida: 18 – Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) – in Phytologia, April 2008;

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C.J. Webb & al. - Checklist of dicotyledons, gymnosperms, and pteridophytes naturalized or casual in New Zealand: additional records 1988-1993 (in
New Zealand Journal of Botany, vol. 33, 1995);

Mike Wilcox (editor) - Natural History of Rangitoto Island (2007).

Further Readings:

R. J. Chinnock – Studies in Disphyma – a Genus Related to Mesembryanthemum, Part 1- A Revision of Disphyma australe (New Zealand Journal of
Botany, Vol. 9, 1971);

R. J. Chinnock – Studies in Disphyma – a Genus Related to Mesembryanthemum, Part 2 – Infraspecific Division of Disphyma australe and Notes on
Australian Species of Disphyma (New Zealand Journal of Botany, Vol. 14, 1976);

My Notes:
(1) Allopatric speciation (from the ancient Greek allos, "other" + Greek patrā, "fatherland") or geographic speciation is speciation that occurs when
biological populations of the same species become isolated due to geographical changes such as mountain building or social changes such as emigration
– ex Wikipedia.

(2) Sad news for the succulent enthusiast – the Agave americana colony just north of the Islington Bay wharf has been almost wiped out. Within a
year they pulled out or destroyed all plants – big or small, the very few little plantlets still remaining must have been recent re-growth.

(3) Didge Rowe suggested me some relevant literature for Senecio in Auckland area and names to look for, but I have to admit that I didn’t have the
time or the energy to look into this yet.

(4) This is in Wellington.

(5) Not referred by Clayson Howell, 2006 & 2008.

(6) Calflora - Spergularia media (…) is an annual or perennial herb. It may have a dual habit, depending on the climate.

(7) This does not exclude that the leaves can be sometimes fascicled.

(8) Also Calflora warns us that “this taxon is undergoing name changes”.

------------------------------------------------

All errors, omissions and misconceptions are mine.

Eduart Zimer, November 2010

http://eduart.page.tl/Home.htm

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