About Disphyma crassifolium (L.) L.Bolus
Disphyma crassifolium is a prostrate, succulent annual or short-lived perennial shrub. It usually reaches 2 to 30 cm (0.79 to 11.81 inches) in height, and its stems can grow as long as 2 m (6 feet 7 inches). Its leaves are club-shaped, with cross-sections that are roughly round to three-sided. Leaves are 5 to 70 mm (0.20 to 2.76 inches) long and 1 to 7 mm (0.039 to 0.276 inches) wide. Flowers are 20 to 50 mm (0.79 to 1.97 inches) wide, with a perianth tube 6 to 12 mm (0.24 to 0.47 inches) wide. The longer flower lobes are 2 to 30 mm (0.079 to 1.181 inches) long. Petal-like purple staminodes are 10 to 30 mm long, and are white on their lower surface. Flowering mostly occurs between October and February. The fruit is a conical capsule that measures roughly 10 mm (0.39 inches) in both length and width before it opens. Disphyma crassifolium is widely distributed in South Africa and Australia. It grows in saline environments like coastal dunes and samphire flats, and tolerates multiple soil types including sand, loam, and clay.
