(Photograph = Mesembryanthemum crystallinum seed pods, Jon Sullivan)

Introduction

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum is an annual succulent member of the Aizoaceae from southern Africa. It is remarkable because it is covered with glands that hold water and salt water and which can give the plant a glistening look. The glands are especially prominent on the receptacles of flowers.

The Details

M. crystallinum has spread to other continents and now even grows in the Atacama Desert where it benefits by associating with the cactus, Eulychnia acida. Soil underneath E. acida holds more available nutrients (N, P, and K) than soils far from the base of the cactus. In one study, the aboveground biomass of M. crystallinum individuals was 4-fold higher under the influence of E. acida plants than away from the plants.

Thus, the authors concluded that for a variety of reasons, M. crystallinum has colonized parts of the Atacama Desert due to the beneficial influence of E. acida.

Additional Reading: Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Eulychnia acida in the Atacama Desert