Sesuvium portulacastrum

Sesuvium portulacastrum is a sprawling perennial herb in the family Aizoaceae that grows in coastal and mangrove areas throughout much of the world.[3] It grows in sandy clay, coastal limestone and sandstone, tidal flats and salt marshes,[4] throughout much of the world. It is native to Africa, Asia, Australia, Hawai`i, North America and South America, and has naturalised in many places where it is not indigenous.[5]

Sesuvium portulacastrum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae
Genus: Sesuvium
Species:
S. portulacastrum
Binomial name
Sesuvium portulacastrum
(L.) L.
Synonyms[2]
Synonymy
  • Portulaca portulacastrum L. 1753
  • Aizoon canariense Andrews 1802 not L. 1753
  • Aizoon montevidense Spreng. ex Rohr
  • Halimus maritima Kuntze
  • Halimus portulacastrum (L.) Kuntze
  • Mollugo maritima Ser.
  • Psammanthe marina Hance
  • Pyxipoma polyandrum Fenzl
  • Sesuvium acutifolium Miq.
  • Sesuvium brevifolium Schumach. & Thonn.
  • Sesuvium edule Wight ex Wall.
  • Sesuvium longifolium Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
  • Sesuvium ortegae Spreng.
  • Sesuvium parviflorum DC.
  • Sesuvium pedunculatum Pers.
  • Sesuvium pentandrum Elliott
  • Sesuvium repens Willd.
  • Sesuvium revolutifolium Ortega
  • Sesuvium revolutum Pers.
  • Sesuvium sessile Pers.
  • Sesuvium sessiliflorum Dombey ex Rohrb.
  • Trianthema americana Gillies ex Arn.
  • Trianthema polyandra Blume

It is commonly known as shoreline purslane[6] or (ambiguously) "sea purslane," in English, dampalit in Tagalog and 海马齿 hǎimǎchǐ in Chinese.

Description edit

Sesuvium portulacastrum is vine up to 30 centimetres (12 in) high, with thick, smooth stems up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) long. It has smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are linear or lanceolate, from 1–7 centimetres (0.39–2.76 in) long and 2–1.5 centimetres (0.79–0.59 in) wide.[7][4]

Its flowers come from at the leaf axils, they are tiny, 0.5 centimetres (0.20 in) in diameter and pink or purple in colour.[7][4] They close at night time or when the sky is cloudy, they are pollinated by bees and moths.[3]

The fruit is a round capsule, it has tiny black seeds that do not float.[3]

Taxonomy edit

It was first published as Portulaca portulacastrum by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.[8] Six years later Linnaeus transferred it into Sesuvium,[9] and it has remained at that name ever since, with the exception of an unsuccessful 1891 attempt by Otto Kuntze to transfer the species into a new genus as Halimus portulacastrum.[10]

Chemistry and medicine edit

Fatty acid composition:- palmitic acid (31.18%), oleic acid (21.15%), linolenic acid (14.18%) linoleic acid (10.63%), myristic acid (6.91%) and behenic acid (2.42%) The plant extract showed antibacterial and anticandidal activities and moderate antifungal activity.[11]

Human consumption edit

 
Atsara, a Philippine condiment often featuring dampalit
 

Sesuvium portulacastrum is eaten in the Philippines, where it is called dampalit in Tagalog and "bilang" or "bilangbilang" in the Visayan language.[12] The plant is primarily pickled and eaten as atchara (sweet traditional pickles).

References edit

  1. ^ Bárrios, S.; Copeland, A. (2021). "Sesuvium portulacastrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T124232167A192137469. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T124232167A192137469.en. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L." World Flora Online. World Flora Consortium. 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Tan, Ria (2023). "Gelang laut (Sesuvium portulacastrum)". Wild Singapore. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L." FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  5. ^ Sesuvium portulacastrum at the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)
  6. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sesuvium portulacastrum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b Prescott, A. & Venning, J. (1984). "Aizoaceae". Flora of Australia. Vol. 4. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
  8. ^ "Portulaca portulacastrum L." Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  9. ^ "Sesuvium portulacastrum (L.) L." Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  10. ^ "Halimus portulacastrum (L.) Kuntze". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  11. ^ Chandrasekaran M., Senthilkumar A., Venkatesalu V "Antibacterial and antifungal efficacy of fatty acid methyl esters from the leaves of Sesuvium portulacastrum L. ". European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 15 (7) (pp 775-780), 2011.
  12. ^ Jes B. Tirol's Kapulongnan Binisaya-Ininglis/Dictionary Bisaya-English, p. 71, 2010

External links edit