Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum L.   =Gasoul nodiflorum   Aizoaceae (Carpetweed Family)   S. Africa   Small-Flowered Ice Plant   Slender-Leaved Ice Plant

                                  June Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, freely branched from base, the branches 0.5-2 dm. long, suberect to procumbent, covered with fine colorless vesicles; lvs. linear, subterete, 1-2 cm. long, 1-2 mm. thick; fls. solitary in axils, subsessile or on short stout pedicels; fl.-tube turbinate, 4-5 mm. long; sepals 4-5 mm. long; petals white, ca. 4 mm. long; ovary 5-loculed; seeds finely papillate.

Habitat:  Coastal Strand, Coastal Sage Scrub; Santa Barbara Co. To L. Calif.; Santa Barbara Id., Catalina Id.  April-Nov.

Name:  Greek, chaos, boundless immeasurable space and Greek, oulos, whole or entire. Jaeger 108,275).  The English word gas has the same meaning as the Greek, chaos and Gasoul may refer to the fact that the plant in covered with colorless vesicles.  Latin, nodus, knobby.  (Jaeger 167).  See G. crystallinum for an explanation of the old Genus name, Mesembryanthemum.

General:  Very common in some parts of the study area, one of these is along Back Bay Dr. from San Joaquin Hills Rd. to Big Canyon.  Photographed specimens were in this area and along Back Bay Dr. from the Dunes to San Joaquin Hills Dr.  (my comments).      These plants add salt to the soil after death and may prevent natives from growing on such spots.  (Dale 40).      Introduced species often invade native communities following disturbance, and some become a common part of that community even when disturbance is peripheral.       The genus Gasoul has been changed back to Mesembryanthemum.  (Fred Roberts 1987).      Munz does not list the number of species in the genus.  The Jepson Manual, 1993, lists 74 species in the genus.  (Hickman Ed. 129).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 129; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 57; Roberts 6.

Photo Ref:  June 2 83 # 18; June 6 83 # 32,33..

Identity: by R. De Ruff.  

First Found:  June 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 122

No plant specimen.

Last edit 6/12/05.  

                                       June Photo                                                                      June Photo