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Taxon  Report  
Conicosia pugioniformis  (L.) N. E. Br.
False ice plant,   Narrow leaved iceplant
Conicosia pugioniformis is a perennial herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: limited
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Observation Search
~283 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
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Bloom Period
Genus: Conicosia
Family: Aizoaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Habitat: coastal

Communities: Coastal Strand

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JM93Herrea elongata
JM93Mesembryanthemum elongatum
JEFMesembryanthemum pugioniforme
Information about  Conicosia pugioniformis from other sources

[Wikipedia] Native to South Africa: Conicosia pugioniformis is a species of succulent plant in the ice plant family known by the common names narrow-leaved iceplant and pigroot. It is native to South Africa and it is known on other continents as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It is an invasive species on the Central Coast of California, where it is a minor threat to native coastal vegetation, although not as harmful as other species of invasive iceplant.[1] This is a short-lived perennial herb growing from an underground caudex. It can sprout vegetatively from the caudex if its aboveground parts are destroyed. The fingerlike leaves are fleshy, gray-green, hairless, and up to 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a solitary, malodorous flower up to 8 centimeters wide. It has rings of up to 250 thin petals. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)

[Cal-IPC] Habitat and growth habits: Conicosia pugioniformis (narrowleaf iceplant) is a succulent perennial (family Aizoaceae) found on dunes, beaches, scrub and grassland along the central coast of California, especially in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Narrowleaf iceplant does not form mats like other invasive iceplants (i.e., Carpobrotus edulis or C. chilensis) so its impacts are less severe. However, it can become locally abundant and crowd out native plants, especially in dune habitats. Narrowleaf iceplant reproduces by seed, and buried root crowns can resprout after aboveground plant matter has been removed. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/27/2024).