Carpobrotus rossii

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Eudicots > Basal Asterids > Caryophyllales > Aizoaceae > Carpobrotus  rossii

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:         ...

Conservation status: ...

Etymology:   

Flowers

Fruit:                            

Leaves:         

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

Additional notes:     

Common name:                Pig face

• Also, karkalla, sea fig and beach bananas

Conservation status:  . . .

Etymology:   

• x

Flowers:                  

• The flowers are light purple in colour, and 6 cm wide

Fruit:                         

• The globular purplish red fruit is about 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide

Leaves:         

• Karkalla leaves are succulent, 3.5–10 cm long and 1 cm wide,

• They are curved or rarely straight

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A succulent coastal groundcover plant

Habitat:   

•  It can be found year-round in large patches covering sand dunes close to the ocean

• This is due to its hardy nature and salt resistance

• 
  

Distribution:                  

• Native to southern Australia

• The species occurs in the states of Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria

Additional notes:     

• C.rossii can be confused with rounded noon-flower Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum, which has also been erroneously called "karkalla" and "beach bananas" in the Australian native food trade

• Uses

  • Aboriginal people eat the fruit traditionally, fresh and dried

  • The salty leaves were also reported to have been eaten with meat

  • The salty edible leaves should not be confused with rounded noon-flower, which also has edible leaves and is marketed as "karkalla"

  • Extracts of the plant have significant in vitro antioxidant, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory activity

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus_rossii (2023)