Aptenia Cordifolia

Taxonomy:       

Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophytes Class: Angiosperms Class: Eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Aizoaceae Genus: Aptenia Species: A.Cordifolia

             

Aptenia cordifolia is usually an introduced ornamental in Algeria, not an endemic rare species, use keywords selectively and mark it as an introduced garden escape in the post.

Introduction

Aptenia cordifolia (synonym of Mesembryanthemum cordifolium) is a low, mat-forming succulent in the Aizoaceae family widely used as a groundcover and ornamental. It produces glossy heart-shaped leaves and small daisy-like reddish-purple flowers. In many regions it is an introduced garden escape; records show it is present in Algeria (reported as an alien/introduced species).

Synonyms

Mesembryanthemum cordifolium

Litocarpus cordifolius

Ludolfia cordifolia

Tetracoilanthus cordifolius

How to identify it?

Aptenia cordifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant with shiny, succulent, thick and green leaves that can be heart-shaped, native to South Africa, belonging to the Aizoaceae family. It is found in abundance in Algeria and the Mediterranean region. A creeping plant with forked stems, low height that does not require much water, its flowers are pink to red.

Habit: Low, mat-forming or sprawling perennial succulent groundcover, typically 5–20 cm tall, spreading into dense mats.

Stems: Succulent, trailing to creeping stems that root at nodes.

Leaves: Opposite, fleshy, glossy, broadly heart-shaped (cordate) to ovate, typically shiny and green (variegated cultivars exist

Flowers: Small, daisy-like (approx. 12–20 mm), often pink to reddish or magenta with yellow center; open in sunshine.

Fruit/seed: Typical Aizoaceae capsule; seeds small. Identification is easiest from the leaf shape, matting habit and showy small flowers.

 

Type Of Plant	Life Cycle	Height	Flowering Time	Altitude
Herbaceous	Perennial	5  to 25 c m	Feb to Sep	0 - ? m

 

Mediterranean	Edible	Color	Abundance	Toxicity
Yes	Yes	Red/Purple/Pink	Very common	No

 Other Common Name:

Arabic	Berber/Targui	English	French	Other Name
Kater E-nnada		Ice Plant	Apténie  cordée	Baby sun rose

 

Algerian Distribution: Where to find it in Algeria

Status in Algeria: Reports and invasive/alien plant checklists record Aptenia cordifolia as present in Algeria (classified as an introduced/alien species in national/regional datasets). Exact herbarium GPS points are not widely published online, but national invasive-species inventories include it.

Likely habitats in Algeria: Urban gardens and landscaped areas, coastal cliffs and roadside verges, disturbed ground and gardens where it was planted as groundcover and has escaped; coastal north-eastern sites and Mediterranean littoral are typical establishment zones for ornamental Aizoaceae escapes.

Practical localities to search: If you are surveying in Algeria, check public parks, hotel/sea-front plantings, coastal promenades, and abandoned gardens in Mediterranean coastal cities (Algiers, Oran, Skikda, Annaba), and disturbed coastal cliffs or urban margins these are the typical places where garden succulents naturalize. (Note: these are practical search suggestions based on habitat type and records of similar Aizoaceae escapes; exact published coordinates are not available in the open datasets I consulted).

Botanical Characteristics

Life form: Perennial succulent groundcover (in horticulture often grown as an evergreen mat in warm climates

Growth & cultivation: Fast-spreading, tolerates poor, well-drained soils, coastal exposure and drought once established; commonly used in rock gardens, walls and containers.

Flowering season: Typically spring through summer in temperate/warm climates; flowers open in sun.

Ecological and Ethnobotanical Traits

Ecology: In non-native ranges it is often a garden escape, capable of establishing in disturbed coastal sites, roadside verges and open urban habitats. It forms dense mats that can out-compete tiny native annuals where it naturalizes. Records and invasive species datasets list Aptenia cordifolia among alien taxa recorded from Algeria.

 

Ethnobotany / uses: Widely used horticultural as an ornamental groundcover for erosion control and low-water landscaping. Some local uses elsewhere include minor traditional uses, but it is primarily valued for ornament and groundcover.

 

Related species:

§  Aptenia  geniculiflora

§  Aptenia  haeckeliana

§  Aptenia lancifolia