title: Trianthema
text: # Trianthema
  
  Trianthema is a genus of flowering plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are annuals or perennials generally characterized by fleshy, opposite, unequal, smooth-margined leaves, a prostrate growth form, flowers with five perianth segments subtended by a pair of bracts, and a fruit with a winged lid. The genus contains about 30 described species growing in tropical and subtropical regions, especially Australia. One common species, Trianthema portulacastrum, desert horse purslane, is frequent as a weed in agricultural areas and is widely distributed.
  
  ## Taxonomy
  
  The genus Trianthema was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum.
  
  ### Species list
  
  The following is a list of species of Trianthema according to Plants of the World Online as at October 2020:
  
  * Trianthema argentinum Hunz. & A.A.Cocucci (Argentina)
  * Trianthema ceratosepalum Volkens & Irmsch. (Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania)
  * Trianthema clavatum (J.M.Black) H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (South Australia)
  * Trianthema compactum C.T.White (Queensland, Northern Territory))
  * Trianthema corallicola H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (Kenya, Somalia)
  * Trianthema corymbosum (E.Mey. ex Sond.) H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (South Africa)
  * Trianthema crystallinum (Forssk.) Vahl (Bangladesh, Myanmar, Africa, Yemen, South Africa)
  * Trianthema cussackianum F.Muell. (Western Australia)
  * Trianthema cypseleoides (Fenzl) Benth. (New South Wales)
  * Trianthema glossostigma F.Muell. (Northern Territory, Western Australia)
  * Trianthema hecatandrum Wingf. & M.F.Newman (Venezuela)
  * Trianthema hereroense Schinz (Namibia)
  * Trianthema kimberleyi Bittrich & K.M.Jenssen (Western Australia)
  * Trianthema megaspermum A.M.Prescott (Northern Territory)
  * Trianthema mozambiquense H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (Mozambique)
  * Trianthema oxycalyptrum F.Muell. (Northern Territory, Western Australia)
  * Trianthema pakistanense H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (India, Pakistan)
  * Trianthema parvifolium E.Mey. ex Sond. (Angola, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Free State, Namibia, Northern Provinces)
  * Trianthema patellitectum A.M.Prescott (Northern Territory, Western Australia)
  * Trianthema pilosum F.Muell. (Australia)
  * Trianthema portulacastrum L. – Desert horse purslane (many continents)
  * Trianthema rhynchocalyptrum F.Muell. (Northern Territory, Queensland)
  * Trianthema salsoloides Fenzl ex Oliv. (Angola, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Free State, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Sudan, Tanzania))
  * Trianthema sanguineum Volkens & Irmsch. (Kenya, Tanzania)
  * Trianthema sheilae A.G.Mill. & J.Nyberg (Eritea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen)
  * Trianthema triquetrum Willd. ex Spreng. (Sahara to Sahel to South Africa, Indian subcontinent, to Thailand, North-east Jawa to Lesser Sunda Island, Australia)
  * Trianthema turgidifolium F.Muell. (Northern Territory, Western Australia)
  * Trianthema ufoense H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia)
  * Trianthema vleiense H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede (Cape Provinces, Free State, Northern Provinces)
  