''Sesuvium maritimum'' is an annual

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

native to southeastern North America in the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to a ...

. This species is commonly known as the annual or slender sea purslane or Puerto Rico Sea-purslane. It can be found on sandy beaches,

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

es, or other coastal regions.

Description

''Sesuvium maritimum'' is a

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

that can grow up to 30 cm tall, with smooth, glabrous leaves and white or pink

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s. Its leaves are covered with dozens of fleshy projections known as papillae. They are commonly found along the southeastern coast of North America from as far north as Rhode Island to southern regions of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Bahamas, and other surrounding islands. It has an opposite or sub-opposite leaf arrangement composed of simple, oblanceolate or linear fleshy leaves that are about 1-2.5 cm long and 1–5 mm wide. Furthermore, the leaves are known to be glabrous or rarely minutely papillose, the apex are rounded, acute, or obtuse with margins of the leaves being entire. Flowers are actinomorphic and normally composed of 4–5 fused petals that form a cup-like structure. Within the flower are 5

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s, usually with a pink coloration, and a partially inferior ovary.

Sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s are 2-3 mm long and attached near the top of the calyx tube.

Fruits

They form a pyxis (dry dehiscent capsules) around 4–5 mm in length that appear soon after flowering and persist until September. Upon maturity the capsules will spit open. The seeds produced are typically smooth and vary in color from black to brown, as well as, the amount produced can be between 30–50.

Distribution

This plant is commonly present within costal regions of eastern US (Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas). They reach far down as, southern regions of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Bahamas, and other surrounding islands. Furthermore, it was found to be present in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Taxonomy

The ''Sesuvium'' genus was named after the Gallic tribe Sesuvii, who resided in the Atlantic maritime region of France from around 58–50 BC.

Conservation status

The slender sea purslane is currently endangered in New York state, Maryland, North Carolina, Kansas, and Southern Florida. It is also considered vulnerable in the state of Virginia. Globally, ''Sesuvium maritimum'' has a

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

of G5 (globally secure).

Uses

In the past, sea purslane were once used as medicine to treat scurvy and venomous wounds. In addition, it's one of several plants that aid in the prevention of coastal erosion.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4413064 maritimum Halophytes Salt marsh plants