Heart-leaf Ice-plant

Scientific Name:

Aptenia cordifolia

Flowering plant of Heart-leaf Ice-plant
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to South Africa. Naturalised in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Plant Description:

Prostrate or scrambling, short-lived

perennial with angular and papillose (pimple-like) stems. Leaves rather flat and fleshy, opposite, broadly ovate to rhombic, 1-2 cm long on short stalks 0.5-1 cm long.

Flowers small (to about 1.5 cm diameter) and solitary in junction between stems and leaves, with mauve to red petals (actually sterile stamens). Fruit a capsule in 4 parts and with numerous hard seeds.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Western, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2	W0, W1

*mainly confined to coastal areas but also garden grown

Habitat

Mainly found in coastal areas but occasionally inland. Also commonly planted
as a garden rockery species.

Comments:

see Key to Pigfaces and similar plants.

Heart-leaf Ice-plant flower
Photo: A J Brown

Heart-leaf Ice-plant - leaves and angular stem

Leaves and angular stem of Heart-leaf Ice-plant
Photo: A J Brown

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