WorldFloraDB - Tetragonia decumbens

Characteristics

Decumbent or trailing undershrub with stout pale stems, densely papillose and with some vesicular hairs on young growth. Leaves thick, obovate, orbicular or oblong on lateral branches, with midvein and sometimes lateral veins visible below, 1–6 cm long, 5–30 mm wide, tapering to base, decurrent. Flowers in groups of 3–5 in upper axils; pedicels 5–15 mm long, stout, papillose. Perianth segments 4, broadly ovate, 5 mm long, papillose outside, yellow inside. Stamens many, in 2 ranks. Ovary papillose; styles 4, stout, recurved, 2–3 mm long. Fruit dry, with 2 large and 2 smaller coriaceous or woody lateral wings alternating with small ridges, c. 10 mm long and 15 mm broad, papillose, pale. Seeds 4, pear-shaped, c. 3 mm long, smooth, brown.

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Perennial herb, ± 0.5 m high; prostrate, covered with glistening papillae and some hairs, woody when old, terete but with narrow decurrent lines. Leaves narrow to base but not petiolate, oblong, obovate or nearly orbicular, edges recurved or revolute, papillose-hirsute. Flowers 3-5 per cyme. Perianth densely papillose, 4-lobed. Stamens many, yellow. Styles 4 or 5, or less in transitional flowers. Flowering time Dec., Jan. Fruit with 4 rigid wings, flat on top, small intermediate ridge between wings, yellow.

Sprawling perennial, with branches up to 1 m long. Leaves papillose-hirsute, obovate-oblong, fleshy. Flowers in branched axillary clusters, smaller than leaves, yellow. Fruit with rigid wings. Mainly Aug.-Nov.

Sepals free. Sprawling perennial with branches to 1 m. Leaves papillose-hirsute, obovate-oblong, fleshy. Flowers in branched axillary clusters shorter than leaves, yellow. Fruits with rigid wings.

A trailing herb or shrub. It grows 10-30 cm high. It can spread 2 m wide. The leaves are dark green. They are broad and succulent. The flowers are yellow. The fruit have 4 wings.

Life form	perennial
Growth form	herb
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Foliage retention	evergreen
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Mature width (meter)	2.0
Mature height (meter)	0.3
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Environment

It is a subtropical plant. It grows on coastal sand and sand dunes. It suits hot arid, sandy places. It is a subtropical plant. In Southern Africa it grows from near sea level to 700 m above sea level.

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Naturalised on coastal and estuarine sand dunes near Perth andGeraldton, W.A. and on the coast near Adelaide.

Coastal sand dunes.

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Usage

The leaves are cooked and used as a substitute for spinach. Adding butter or Oxalis leaves improves the flavour.

Uses	animal food environmental use food medicinal
Edible	leaves stems
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Cultivation

It can be grown from the winged fruit.

Mode	seedlings
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