Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Lampranthus falciformis

Family

Aizoaceae

Flowering season

June to September

English distribution

It is found in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Suffolk and Lundy

Island, Devon.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Sickle-leaved Dewplant

Habitat

It is a neophyte intoduced to the UK from South Africa in

the early 1800s and is cultivated in coastal gardens.

It was found to have escaped and naturalised by the early

1900s and is found in hedge banks and rocky places

such as cliffs, quarrries and walls.

Description

Sickle-leaved Dewplant is a small, evergreen succulent

shrub growing up to 30cm.

Flowers are terminal on erect stems.

They are up to 4.5cm across and range in colour from

pink to purple.

There are numerous narrow petals and numerous

yellow stamens.

There are 5 broad stigmas.

The fruit capsules are dark and comprise 5 valves.

 Reproduction is by vegetative regeneration and by seed.

The leaves are up to 2cm long with 1 straight side giving

the sickle-like shape. They are triangular in cross-section

 succulent and spotted.

The stems are red and woody.