Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
The ice plant ( Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ), also white frost or ice plant, is a plant belonging to the family of the ice plant family ( Aizoaceae ).
Description
The ice plant is a 70 cm to 1 m wide crawling, one to two years of succulent plant that often forms by abundant, dichotomous branches prostrate, mat-like stocks. The roots are fibrous. The whole plant is overrun with reddish. The stalked up sitting deciduous leaves are opposite, said upper are arranged opposite one another. The fleshy blue-green leaf blades are ovate - triangular to spatulate and 2 to 20 cm long. These are densely covered with glassy papillae that look like crystals. The leaf margin is wavy.
The flowers are terminal individually or threes to fifth in zymösen inflorescences in the leaf axils. The top two bracts are leaf-like foliage and against constantly. The stalked or sitting, showy flowers have diameters of usually 7 to 10, rarely up to 20 mm. The usually five sepals are unequal and shorter than the petals. The numerous (usually 20-40 ) narrow, almost thread-like petals, including kronblattähnlichen staminodes are initially white and pink in the age; they are fused into a short tube. There are five nectar glands present. There are 30 fertile stamens present. Four to five carpels are fused into a semi- permanent under four to fünffächerigen ovary. The four to five scars are upright and thin. The flowering period extends from February to July.
The coarsely papillose, durable fruit capsules open when dry with four to five flaps and contain about 200 seeds. The seeds are rough and possess tiny warts.
The chromosome number is 2n = 18
Dissemination
The distribution area includes the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira and Southern Africa. As the site of salt marshes, rocky beaches, sandy beaches and path sides are preferred.
Use
The ice plant was formerly used as a salad and Sodagewinnung. In France it is today under the name " Ficoïde Glaciale " as a salad use.