Malephora crocea | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Aizoaceae |
Genus: | Malephora |
Species: | M. crocea |
Binomial name | |
Malephora crocea | |
Synonyms | |
Mesembryanthemum croceum |
Malephora crocea is a species of succulent perennial flowering plant in the ice plant family known by the common names 'coppery mesemb' and 'red ice plant'. It is native to Southern Africa but is grown in many other regions of the world, primarily as an ornamental plant, but also as a fireproof groundcover. In parts of Southern California, [1] and south along the coast of Mexico's Baja California state, M. crocea is an introduced species, where it was originally planted as highway landscaping in areas of low rainfall. However, due to the environmental similarities with its native African habitats, the species becomes comfortably well-established and often reseeds prolifically, even becoming a noxious weed in coastal Pacific habitats, including on sandy beaches and areas with seemingly no viable soil. It is also planted along highways in Arizona, and is valued in xeriscaping for its low water needs, its love of direct sun, and its reliable blooming. The flowers are quite popular with pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and some hummingbirds. [2] The succulent, water-engorged leaves are also sometimes eaten by birds and other animals in times of drought, resulting in a ragged, torn-looking plant. It has been recommended as a groundcover in areas prone to wildfire in southern California due to its low flammability. [3]
M. crocea is a succulent, but also an herbaceous perennial groundcover, with a creeping, corky to woody stem which takes-root wherever root nodes come into contact with suitable terrain. The water-filled foliage is triangular in cross-section, a few centimeters long, pale green to reddish in color, and somewhat waxy in texture. The flower is borne on a short stalk. It has many narrow petals in shades of red, orange, and yellow, sometimes with purplish undersides. The fruit is a valved capsule containing many lens-shaped seeds.
Carpobrotus edulis is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus Carpobrotus, native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot-fig, sour fig, ice plant, vygie or highway ice plant.
The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to as vygies in South Africa and New Zealand. Some of the unusual Southern African genera—such as Conophytum, Lithops, Titanopsis and Pleiospilos —resemble gemstones, rocks or pebbles, and are sometimes referred to as 'living stones' or 'mesembs'.
In botany, a perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials. Notably, it is estimated that 94% of plant species fall under the category of perennials, underscoring the prevalence of plants with lifespans exceeding two years in the botanical world.
Cenchrus ciliaris is a species of grass native to most of Africa, southern Asia, southern Iran, and the extreme south of Europe (Sicily). Other names by which this grass is known include dhaman grass, anjan grass, koluk katai and buffelgrass.
Frangula californica is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family native to western North America. It produces edible fruits and seeds. It is commonly known as California coffeeberry and California buckthorn.
Delosperma cooperi, the trailing Iceplant, hardy iceplant or pink carpet, is a dwarf perennial plant native to South Africa. It forms a dense lawn with abundant, long-lasting flowers. It reaches sizes of approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall, with fleshy leaves that are linear and simple and can grow up to 1.5 inches long and a trailing stem that hangs down. These fleshy roots help provide the ability for the plants to recover and grow rapidly if a disturbance has occurred.
Carpobrotus, commonly known as pigface, ice plant, sour fig, Hottentot fig, and clawberry is a genus of ground-creeping plants with succulent leaves and large daisy-like flowers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek karpos "fruit" and brotos "edible", referring to its edible fruits.
Carpobrotus acinaciformis is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa.
Vinca major, with the common names bigleaf periwinkle, large periwinkle, greater periwinkle and blue periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to the western Mediterranean. Growing to 25 cm (10 in) tall and spreading indefinitely, it is an evergreen perennial, frequently used in cultivation as groundcover.
Aloe arborescens, the krantz aloe or candelabra aloe, is a species of flowering succulent perennial plant that belongs to the genus Aloe, which it shares with the well known and studied Aloe vera. The specific epithet arborescens means "tree-like". Aloe arborescens is valued by gardeners for its succulent green leaves, large vibrantly-colored flowers, winter blooming, and attraction for birds, bees, and butterflies.
Hydrocotyle vulgaris, the marsh pennywort, common pennywort, water naval, money plant, lucky plant, dollarweed or copper coin, is a small creeping aquatic perennial plant native to North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus and parts of the Levant.
Aloe maculata, the soap aloe or zebra aloe, is a Southern African species of aloe. Local people in South Africa know it informally as the Bontaalwyn in Afrikaans, or lekhala in the Sesotho language.
Malephora is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family. There are 13 to 17 species in the genus, many of which are known commonly as mesembs. They are native to Africa. During the apartheid era, South African scientists used it to create a chemical poison.
Persicaria amphibia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including longroot smartweed, water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America, Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, and it grows elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed.
Rhamnus crocea subsp. ilicifolia, synonym Rhamnus ilicifolia, is a subspecies of flowering plant in the buckthorn family, known by the common name hollyleaf redberry. It is native to western North America, where it is a common plant growing in many types of habitat, including chaparral and wooded areas, from Oregon through California, to Baja California and Arizona.
Curio radicans, syn. Senecio radicans, is a succulent plant native to Southern Africa. A member of the family Asteraceae, the asters, this species is closely related to the common string of pearls and Curio hallianus. It has multiple tendrils of glossy, banana-shaped leaves. It is commonly known as string of bananas or fishhook senecio.
Cleretum bellidiforme, commonly called Livingstone daisy, Bokbaaivygie (Afrikaans), or Buck Bay vygie, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is a low-growing succulent annual growing to 25 cm (10 in), and cultivated for its iridescent, many-petalled, daisy-like blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, cream, pink and crimson. In temperate areas it is popularly grown as a half-hardy annual, and lends itself to mass plantings or as edging plants in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. It is still widely referenced under its former names, Mesembryanthemum criniflorum and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.
Crassula capitella, is a perennial succulent plant native to southern Africa.
Carpobrotus modestus, commonly known as inland pigface, is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to Australia. It produces purple flowers which mature into fruits and is mainly used as a groundcover succulent or as a drought tolerant plant.
Malephora purpureocrocea is a species of plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. It differs from Malephora crocea by a purplish colour at the lower surface of the petals. Closely related to Malephora crocea which has a reddish colour at the lower surface of the petals in contrast to a violet-purple one in M. purpureocrocea. Some authors considered the two species as varieties or subspecies. It is the second most successful naturalised species in Maltese natural habitats within the Aizoaceaa species after Carpobrotus acinaciformis. A large population the size of 100 x 50m is found at the Cumnija area in Mellieha, near the sewage treatment plant.