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Samolus repens
I spotted this flower plant while trekking the beach near Onoke lake (Ferry lake). Its a creeping plant, covering all the areas around the 2 small ponds, but it's not an aquatic plant, it's rather a bog/swamp plant, with tiny 5-petal white flowers, and oblong ash-green leaves, on reddish creeping stems. With the help of fellow Noah spotter @C. Daehler, it was identified as Samolus repens, wich is a species of water pimpernel native to Australia, New Zealand and adjacent Pacific islands, and South America (South Chile), where it is common in temperate and subtropic coastlines. This species has small white or occasionally pink flowers with a flowering period from September through to March or April. Common names include Creeping Brookweed and Creeping Bushweed. Maori name: Maakoako :)
Spotted on Dec 17, 2012
Submitted on Dec 25, 2012
9 Comments
Thank you dear @KarenL, it's an honour to see one of my spottings in Project Noah's blog!
Congrats Despina, your spotting is featured in teh Project Noah blog! http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/5213915...
Dear @C. Daehler, thanks for the suggestion, finally my spotting was identified:)
I'll update asap!
Lovely succulent Plant.
The nice picture you added of the flower makes a big difference! So I get to change my guess. Definitely not a Bacopa.
I think it is a native, Samolus repens
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1612759?t...
Added a pic, still the differences are too many. My initial impression was that even if it's not a monierri, it could be another bacopa species.
As about the file I was talking about, in table 2, page 22, it mentions the plants that are not naturalised in NZ, and bacopa monnieri is one of them. Of course the file is 12 years old, but there are several other newer examining the same subject
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/science...
Ok, can you add a closer picture of the flower? From what I can see on the first photo, top left flower, the position of the stamens and stigma look exactly like Bacopa monnieri, but maybe I imagine it since it is small. The flower will definitely tell you (the foliage can vary). This species is present in New Zealand - it is probably widespread due to the aquarium trade.
http://www.sella.co.nz/general/pets-anim...
http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fi...
Dear @C.Daehler, there are basic differences between bacopa monnieri and my spotting, and I have all ready checked the possibility, but it's impossible to be that species. First of all, the flower structure is different and so is the foliage. Plus that according to official NZ files, NZ is bacopa monnieri free, because of the tough biosecurity rules.
Check Bacopa monnieri
http://uruguay1.blogspot.com/2012/01/bac...
The plant is commonly used in aquaria and as an ornamental. Leaf/stem color can vary with growing conditions.