ʻAkulikuli
Sesuvium portulacastrum (sea purslane)
| State-recognized | Indigenous |
Sesuvium, an indigenous plant called ʻakulikuli, has fleshy, succulent leaves, red stems, and purple flowers. The succulent leaves of Sesuvium are distinctive, resembling Portulaca oleracea only on Kure. Sesuvium leaves are much longer and more slender than Portulaca’s, and the purplish-red stems and magenta flowers are also good identifying characteristics.
With potential heavy metals still present in the freshwater lens from the Coast Guard era, and the threat of botulism to Laysan ducks, Kure needed a plant that could grow both in and out of the water. It was introduced using cuttings from Midway to provide low-profile marsh plants in preparation for translocating a small Laysan duck population in 2014.
It can remove nitrogen and heavy metals from water sources, create soil rich in beneficial microorganisms, and support high water quality. It also provides foraging habitat for shorebirds and ducks.
It is not common and has been successfully outplanted mostly in wet areas such as the seeps and at the West Landfill at the west end of the runway.
