Honckenya peploides (L.) Ehrh.
Seabeach sandwort, seaside sandplant
Seabeach sandwort appears in clumps on coastal ocean beach sand, in sand dunes or rocky or gravelly areas. They need full sun.
Plants: Low growing plants inhabit sand dunes, forming clumps that are less than 8″ (20 cm) tall, and up to 3′ (1 m) around. Stems may reach 12″ (30 cm) in length, coiling on or near the ground.
Leaves: Leaves are succulent, in opposite pairs along each stem. Leaf blades are quite variable: elliptic, ovate, lanceolate or oblanceolate, ⅛–1¾ ⨉ 1/32–¾″ (4–46 ⨉ 1–20 mm). They have crenate or smooth edges.
Flowers: White or greenish-white, ½–¾″ (1.5–2 cm) around, with five petals. They have a strong honey scent. Flowers appear from May to August.
Habitats: Coastal ocean beach sand, in sand dunes or rocky or gravelly areas.
Fruits: Roughly ovoid capsules ⅛–⅜ ⨉ ⅛–⅜″ (5–10 ⨉ 5–12 mm) contain seeds that are 1/16–⅛″ (2–4 mm) around. They appear from July to September.
Edibility: Young shoots are edible, raw or cooked. They are harvested prior to flowering and used in baking or as a garnish. However, their diminutive size makes them difficult to obtain.
Online References:
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 2 × 1½′ (71 × 53 cm) 
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 2 × 1½′ (69 × 49 cm) 
6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 15 × 10″ (37 × 25 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Caryophyllidae | Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts |
| Order | Caryophyllales | Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants |
| Family | Caryophyllaceae | Pink or carnation family |
| Genus | Honckenya | For the German botanist Gerhard August Honckeny (or Honkeny) (1724–1805) |
| Species | peploides | Means “resembling Peplis (now Lythrum) portula” and describes the appearance of the plant when it grows on exposed mud, rather than underwater |
Honckenya peploides description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.