Dhapa / Sea Purslane
Sesuvium portulacastrum
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- November-May
How to identify Dhapa
Identify Dhapa by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Fleshy coastal groundcover (sea purslane).
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous.
- Confirm fruit type: Capsule.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: November-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and nearby regions.
Plant Details
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“It has smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are linear or lanceolate, from 1–7 centimetres (0.39–2.76 in) long and 2–1.5 centimetres (0.79–0.59 in) wide.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“It has smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves that are linear or lanceolate, from 1–7 centimetres (0.39–2.76 in) long and 2–1.5 centimetres (0.79–0.59 in) wide.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Dhapa itself; the rest are typical of the Aizoaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is a round capsule, it has tiny black seeds that do not float.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Dhapa itself; the rest are typical of the Aizoaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- கடல் வழுக்கைக்கீரை Katal valukkaikkirai, பவளவங்காரவாச்சி Pavala-vankaara-vaacci, கடல் வழுக்கைக்கீரை
- Malayalam
- കൊഴുപ്പ Kozhuppa, സാമ്പാർ ചീര Saambar cheera
- Marathi
- धापा Dhapa
About Dhapa
Sea Purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum) is a herb in the Aizoaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and 4 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from November to May.
Aizoaceae
Carpet-Weed Family
Dhapa belongs to the Aizoaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Aizoaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides