Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Disphyma crassifolium

Other names

Rounded Noon-flower, Round-leaved Pigface

Family

Aizoaceae

Flowering season

March to July

English distribution

It is mainly confined to Cornwall and the Scillies, but it

can be found elsewhere on the coast (Isle of White,

Kent and Suffolk).

It carpets sea-cliffs on the Lizard peninsular .

See the BSBI distribution map for Purple Dewplant

Habitat

It is a neophyte, introduced into the UK from South

Africa in the 1720s, and first seen as a naturalised

escape in the Scillies in the 1930s. 

It is classed in the UK as a non-native invasive alien,

but it has not been banned from sale by DEFRA.

The Global Compendium of Weeds describes it

variously as a cultivation escape, a garden thug and

a naturalised weed.

Description

Purple Dewplant is a perennial, low-growing, carpeting,

salt-tolerant, succulent herb, growing up to 30cm.

The daisy-like flowers are up to 5cm across and have

2-toned petals, white at the base and bright purple at

the top.

There are numerous stamens with white fillaments and 

anthers.

There are 5 large stigmas in the centre of the corolla.

The leaves are stubby and rounded (swollen-looking) and

dark green. They turn red and orange in the autumn.

It carpets sea-cliffs on the Lizard peninsular (final picture).

.