Illecebrum verticillatum

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Species

Illecebrum verticillatum

Common Name(s)

coral necklace

Authority

Illecebrum verticillatum L.

Family

Caryophyllaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Distribution

Exotic. An uncommon naturalised plant so far known only from western Northland (Waipoua River mouth, Kaiiwi Lakes), South Head, Kaipara (Lake Ototoa) and Westland (Lake Brunner)

Habitat

Lake margins and slowly flowing coastal streams. So far only recorded from the western North Island on the margins of sand dune lakes and streams traversing dune field, and from the South Island on the shores of Lake Brunner

Features

Glabrous, much-branched pink-red to reddish annual up to 150 mm tall. Branches (especially sterile ones) sprawling procumbent to decumbent, rooting on contact with ground, stems pink-red to red, ± fleshy, fertile stems floriferous from base, ± ascending. Interpetiolar stipules minute, membranous, apices often lacerate. Leaves ± succulent, subsessile or with very short petiole very short; lamina ovate to obovate, obtuse to subacute. Inflorescences verticillate, crowded in leaf axils, bracteolate; bracts membranous. Flowers sessile, densely packed, whorled, minute (1.8-)2.0(-2.5) mm long; calyx white to pinkish, divided into 5-segments, these almost free, ± succulent, apices acute terminated by a fine, often twisted, bristle-like apiculus; petals minute, pink to pinkish red; stamens 3(-5), minute borne on very short filaments; style minute. Capsules 2-locular. Seeds 1 per locule, ovoid, brown, glossy.

The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network