Mesembryanthemum junceum in flower

Masses of small pink or purple flowers in one of several shades will cover M. junceum bushes in late spring, more profusely in good rain years. Flowers grow solitary from the many branched stem-tips on short pedicels that are thicker in their upper parts.

Four fleshy, pointed sepals hold the corolla, fused below into a short tube, the calyx top-shaped. Two of the sepals grow opposite each other, longer than the other pair.

The thin petals appear sparse and spidery in picture, the petals only a little longer than the calyx. The floral effect is achieved by the number of flowers collectively, more than the features of individual flowers. Flower diameter is about 1,5 cm.

The flowers are usually white in the centre from the cone of stamens and surrounding filamentous staminodes, plus some yellow from the viable anthers at the stamen tips. 

M. junceum pollinators include certain small dark butterflies, bees, ants and thrips (Thysanoptera).

M. coriarium plants that flower pink may be confused with this species. They also have a white-flowered form (not found in M. junceum) alleviating identification problems (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Smith, et al, 1998; iNaturalist).