Sesuvium congense, Welw. ex Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr.

Bohley, Katharina, Winter, Pieter J. D. & Kadereit, Gudrun, 2017, Data from: A revision of Sesuvium (Aizoaceae, Sesuvioideae), Data in brief 48 (1), pp. 109071-109071 : 132

SESUVIUM CONGENSE Welw. ex Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr. [Oliver et al.] 2, 586. 1871 .

—TYPE: ANGOLA. Luanda: in mountainous places along the estuary of the river Onço in Mossul, near Ambriz , Nov 1853, Welaeitsch 2382 (holotype: LISU 214650 digital image!; isotypes: BM, BR, COI, K!)

Erect to decumbent, perennial herb, often much-branched and with many flowers; taproot strong; bladder cells bulging, globose to slightly conical (the latter only on shoots), loose to dense cover of the surface of internodes, leaves and outside of flowers; internodes can be reddish and are usually rough from bladder cells when young, later becoming smooth and also lignifying slightly. Leaves short (∼ 10 mm long) and narrow-elliptic; very succulent with semi-terete cross section; usually appearing revolute when dry. Bracts ca. 1 mm long and lanceolate; one pair. Flowers 4–6 mm long, sessile, tepals (narrow-) triangular; tepal teeth short and inconspicuous. Stamens numerous; thecae pinkish. Ovary with 2–3 carpels and the same number of styles. Fruit a many-seeded capsule. Seeds 0.9 mm long, elongate-reniform, laterally rounded, with a black, (almost) smooth, lustrous, and slightly iridescent testa.

Distribution and Habitat — The species is present in Angola ( Fig. 5A) and found in coastal areas. It grows on sand or gravely soil.

Notes — It differs from the other Angolan Sesuoium species by its shrubby habit and two to three locules. C 4 species ( Bohley et al. 2015). Halimus congense (Welw. ex Oliv.) O. Kuntze is an illegitimate combination.

Representative Specimens Examined — ANGOLA . Namibe: 9.7 km S of airport turn-off , 15°18′45.972″S, 12°10′1.999″E, 91 m, 23 Jan 2009, Winter 7766 ( PRE) ; Namibe: N of Namibe, road to Baba from Lucira road , 14°53′18.995″S, 12°17′38″E, 213 m, 23 Jan 2009, Winter 7779 ( PRE) .