Family: Aizoaceae
Carpobrotus
Citation:
N.E. Br., Gdnrs' Chron. 78: 433 (1925).
Derivation: Greek karpos, fruit; brotos, edible.
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Pigfaces.
Description:
Prostrate partly succulent non-papillose shrubs rooting at the nodes, with opposite very succulent sessile trigonous exstipulate leaves which are connate at the base.
Flowers solitary or in threes, terminal; perianth lobes 4 or 5 of which 2 are trigonous and the rest with scarious margins, free; stamens numerous; staminodes numerous, petaloid, free, showy, pinkish or red to yellow; ovary inferior, 6-11-celled, with numerous parietal ovules; styles 6-11.
Fruit fleshy, indehiscent; seeds embedded in mucilage, striate or reticulate to smooth.
Distribution:
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29 species, mainly in South Africa, also Chile, New Zealand and Australia (4 native).
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Biology:
Many have edible fruits and species are grown as garden ornamentals or for sand stabilising. (S. T. Blake (1969) Contrib. Qld Herb. 7:1-65).
Taxonomic notes:
Records of C. acinaciformis (L.)L. Bolus, Fl. Pl.S. Afr. 7: t. 247 (1927) (Mesembryanthemum acinaciforme L., Sp. Pl. 148; 1753), by J. Black, Nat. Fl. S. Aust. 67 (1909) and H. Eichler, Suppl. 134 (1965), and of C. glaucescens (Haw.)Schwantes, Gartenflora 77:69 (1928) Mesembryanthemum glaucescens Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ. 236; 1812), by S.T. Blake in H. Eichler, Suppl. 134 (1965) have not been confirmed.
Key to Species:
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1. Stamens usually 20-80; flowers c. 2 cm diam. or less, sessile or subsessile; fruit shortly pedunculate |
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C. modestus 3. |
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1. Stamens 100-600; flowers 3.5-8.5 cm diam.; peduncles 5-40 mm |
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2. Petaloid staminodes yellow becoming pinkish; stamens 400-600; leaf keel serrulate at least in upper part |
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C. edulis 2. |
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2. Petaloid staminodes pinkish at all times; stamens 100-400; leaf keel smooth to slightly or minutely crenulate in upper parts |
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3. Petaloid staminodes white at the base, streaked only along the mid-line; stamens 100-250; leaves when fresh usually thicker than wide |
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C. rossii 4. |
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3. Petaloid staminodes pale but not white at the base, streaked over the greater part when dry; stamens usually 250-400; leaves when fresh more or less equilateral around the middle |
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C. aequilaterus 1. |
Author:
Not yet available
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