Operation Wildflower
  • Home
  • Albums
  • Links
    • Botanical Gardens
    • Other Sites
    • OWF Sites
  • Information
    • About Us
    • Articles
    • Contact Us
    • Disclaimer
    • Glossary
    • Plant Records
      • Aloes
      • Bulbs
      • Climbers
      • Cycads
      • Euphorbias
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Herbs
      • Orchids
      • Parasites
      • Shrubs
      • Succulents
      • Trees
    • Sources of Information
    • Subject Index
Home Home » GENERA M-O » Mesembryanthemum » Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves big and small
Back to Category Overview
Total images in all categories: 12,762
Total number of hits on all images: 8,239,941

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves big and small

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves big and small
Start View full size
[Please activate JavaScript in order to see the slideshow]
Previous Previous
Image 8 of 54  
Next Next
Image 10 of 54  
  • Mesembryanthemum
  • Mesembryanthemum barklyi
  • Mesembryanthemum barklyi branching
  • Mesembryanthemum barklyi last gasp
  • Mesembryanthemum barklyi nearing the end
  • Mesembryanthemum bicorne
  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves
  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves big and small
  • Mesembryanthemum crystallinum stem-tip
  • Mesembryanthemum digitatum
  • Mesembryanthemum excavatum
  • Mesembryanthemum guerichianum
  • Mesembryanthemum guerichianum animal skin style
  • Mesembryanthemum guerichianum finding the spring weather hot
  • Mesembryanthemum guerichianum flower
  • Mesembryanthemum guerichianum leaves

Image information

Description

The sometimes large, fleshy Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves are lettuce-like and usually folded in along their midribs, the margins wavy. Leaves of several sizes are often seen on younger plants. The dark green to dull green blades are sometimes suffused with purple.

The water cells on the lower leaf surfaces are rich in saponins, chemical substances containing toxic glucosides that foam in water, resembling soap. The saponins occurring in various plant species, including soapworts, serve as a deterrent to herbivores (Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen, 2019; Grenier, 2019; Smith, et al, 2017; Smith, et al, 1998; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iNaturalist; Wikipedia).

Hits
347
Photographer
Judd Kirkel
Author
Ivan Latti
 
Back to Category Overview
Powered by JoomGallery