Individual plants spread stems along the ground and send up the knobby flowers at intervals.

The plant is native to southern Africa, as well as New Zealand, but it has been introduced to other parts of the world (Europe, North + South America, etc.).

The plant has fat, fleshy leaves that store water during times of saline inundation.

The reddish stems and green, blade-shaped leaves are coated with a shiny cuticle to retain moisture.

[3][10] It has been present in the British Isles since the late 1800s, especially on the Cheshire coast and is considered a neophyte naturalised plant.