48.) AIZOACEAE to PORTULACEAE

AIZOACEAE - Dewplant family

APTENIA N.E. Br.

Aptenia cordifolia (L. f.) Schwantes (Heart-leaf Iceplant) General Rare Sparsely scattered as an introduction.

[Records need checking in case they're garden plants or mistakes.]

DROSANTHEMUM Schwantes

Drosanthemum hispidum (L.) Schwantes (Hairy Dewplant)? General Very Rare Found escaped from a planted rockery at Prince Consort Gardens, Weston-super-Mare in 2023 by D. Peters.

[Needs checking.]

CARPOBROTUS N.E. Br.

Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br. var. edulis (Hottentot-fig) Coasts Very Rare Established on pavements and at the bases of bollards around Weston-super-Mare where it has self-seeded from plantings. Also found at Sand Bay.

[BSBI records.]

PHYTOLACCACEAE - Pokeweed family

PHYTOLACCA L.

Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Indian Pokeweed) General Very Rare Recorded at Blaise Castle Estate in 2019 by ?.

[Recorded only at genus level. This is the most likely species - find out!]

NYCTAGINACEAE - Marvel-of-Peru family

MIRABILIS L.

Mirabilis jalapa L. (Marvel-of-Peru) General Very Rare Recorded for the first time in the Bristol Region when a single plant was found as a garden escape at the base of a wall on Cheltenham Road, Bristol in 2025 by D. Peters.

MONTIACEAE - Blinks family

CLAYTONIA L.

Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd. (Springbeauty) General Rare Well-naturalised in disturbed sandy areas along the seafront at Weston-super-Mare and Sand Bay and occurring as a rare kerbside casual in central Bristol. It's not nearly as established as it is in other parts of the country. First recorded on "waste ground at Redland, Bristol, June, 1888; H.S. Thompson" and as a "Garden weed at Failand, fugitive; Miss Agnes Fry." (White, 1912). A specimen was also collected as a garden weed from Clevedon in 1912 by M. Livett and was also found again in the Clevedon area in 1998 by C.S. Greenway.
Claytonia sibirica L. (Pink Purslane) General Very Rare Recently recorded on the dunes at Weston-super-Mare in 2019 by J. Mortin. Historically it occurred "In two private woods at Frenchay, G. - Cleeve Wood and Begbrook Wood...H.J. Wadlow." (White, 1912); and was found at what is probably the same locality near Downend in 1988 by A.G. Smith.

[1988 record says South of Baugh Farm in 1988 by Julian Scott on DB - check as its different to FOTBR.]

MONTIA L.

Montia fontana L. (Blinks) Wetland Rare Sparsely scattered and localised in damp, flushed short grassland, swampy ground and on the banks of rills and other wet places. It notably also appears in amenity grassland at Brandon Hill and Oldbury Court Estate and is first mentioned in our region from the former site in a list produced about 1835 by H.O. Stephens. In addition to the following three subspecies, ssp. variabilis might be expected to occur. It has somewhat shiny seeds with 1-4 rows of broad short-pointed tubercles along the margin.
ssp. fontana Wetland Extinct The nominate subspecies with seeds completely smooth and shiny. Was recorded at ST47 in 1990s [BSBI record].
ssp. amporitana Sennen Wetland Very Rare With somewhat shiny seeds, possessing three or more rows of narrow long-pointed tubercles along the margin. Was recorded at Walton-in-Gordano in 2010s by ? and first discovered here in 1990s by ?. Also an old record from ST67 in 1950s by ? [BSBI records].
ssp. chondrosperma (Fenzl) Walters Wetland Rare With dull seeds and broad rounded tubercles on both the faces and margins. It also has broader leaves and a more distinct petiole than the other subspecies. This appears to be the dominant subspecies in our area.

PORTULACEAE - Purslane family

PORTULACA L.

Portulaca oleracea L. ssp. oleracea (var. oleracea) (Common Purslane) General Very Rare A very rare casual. Recorded at ST67F in 1980s by ?; at the forecourt of a pet food warehouse at Bristol Docks in 1991 by R.J. Higgins, D. Lawrence and J.P. Martin; and more recently at ST57C and ST57D in 2020s by ? [BSBI records]; and a single plant (probably a birdseed alien) was found on a kerbside at the bottom of Church Rd, coming onto Gloucester Road, Bristol in 2025 by D. Peters. First recorded in the Bristol region at Avonmouth Docks in 1926 and Ashley Hill in 1932 by C.I. Sandwith; and Ashton Gate in 1933 by ? [BMAG].

List:

Aptenia cordifolia (L. f.) Schwantes (Heart-leaf Iceplant) General
Drosanthemum hispidum (L.) Schwantes (Hairy Dewplant)? General
Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br. var. edulis (Hottentot-fig) Coasts
Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Indian Pokeweed)? - [1 record from Blaise, Castle listed only at genus level. Find out species.] General
Mirabilis jalapa L. (Marvel-of-Peru) General
Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd. (Springbeauty) General
Claytonia sibirica L. (Pink Purslane) General
Montia fontana L. (which sspp.? ssp. fontana, ssp. variabilis Walters., ssp. amporitana Sennen (probably this), ssp. chondrosperma (Fenzl) Walters) (Blinks) Wetland
Portulaca oleracea L. (ssp. oleracea - Stace, var. oleracea - Kew) (Common Purslane) General

Species to add:

Aptenia cordifolia (L. f.) Schwantes (Heart-leaf Iceplant) /
Drosanthemum hispidum (L.) Schwantes (Hairy Dewplant)? /
Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br. var. edulis (Hottentot-fig) /
Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Indian Pokeweed)? - [1 record from Blaise, Castle listed only at genus level. Find out species.] /

Species added by me: