''Carpobrotus'', commonly known as pigface, ice plant, sour fig, Hottentot fig, and clawberry is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of ground-creeping plants with succulent leaves and large daisy-like flowers. The name comes from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

' "fruit" and ' "edible", referring to its edible fruits. The genus includes some 12 to 20 accepted species. Most are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

, but there are at least four Australian species and one South American.

Distribution and habitat

''Carpobrotus'' chiefly inhabits sandy coastal habitats in mild Mediterranean climates, and can be also found inland in sandy to marshy places. In general, they prefer open sandy spaces where their wiry, long roots with shorter side branches form dense underground network, which extends much further than above-ground prostrate branches. Plants thrive well in gardens, but can easily escape to other suitable places. They easily form wide-area ground covers over a sandy soil, which easily suppresses indigenous sand dune vegetation when ''Carpobrotus'' is introduced to a non-native area. ''Carpobrotus'' is native to South Africa, south Australian coast and coastal Chile. As an introduced species, it became widespread on similar habitats in the Northern Hemisphere: Pacific coast of the United States; Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe; and New Zealand.

Ecology

The fruit of various species of ''Carpobrotus'' is eaten by many animals and birds that also spread its seed. Ice plants everywhere (11724)

Various ''Carpobrotus'' species are invasive

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived the ...

in suitable climates throughout the world. The harm they do is variable, and sometimes hotly debated, when balanced against their value as

firebreak A firebreak or double track (also called a fire line, fuel break, fireroad and firetrail in Australia) is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebre ...

s and as food for wildlife. Seeds are spread by mammals such as deer, rabbits, and rodents eating mature fruit.

Uses

'' Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' and ''

Carpobrotus edulis ''Carpobrotus edulis'' is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus '' Carpobrotus'', native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot-fig, sour fig, ice plant or highway ice plant. Description ''Carpobrotus edulis ...

'' are often used for

groundcover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought. In an ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as ...

due to their rapid growth, dense habit, and resistance to fire. ''Carpobrotus'' are also drought tolerant.

Medicinal and nutritional value

'' C. glaucescens'' is noted for its salty fruit, a rare property in fruits. ''Carpobrotus'' leaf juice can be used as a mild

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pl ...

. Applied to the skin, it is a popular emergency treatment for jellyfish and similar stings. When mixed with water it can be used to treat

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin ...

and stomach cramps. It can also be used as a

gargle Gargling is the act of bubbling liquid in the mouth. It is also the washing of one's mouth and throat with a liquid, such as mouthwash, that is kept in motion by breathing through it with a gurgling sound. A traditional home remedy of gargling ...

for sore throat, laryngitis, and mild

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...

l infections of the mouth. It can also be used externally, much like

aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

, for wounds, mosquito bites and sunburn. It is also used to treat skin conditions. It was a remedy for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

mixed with honey and olive oil. The fruit has been used as a

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lub ...

.Watt, John Mitchell; Breyer-Brandwijk, Maria Gerdina: The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa 2nd ed Pub. E & S Livingstone 1962

Species

The following list excludes names regarded as synonyms, but includes species whose status still is unresolved. *'' Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' (L.) L.Bolus *'' Carpobrotus aequilaterus'' (Haw.) N.E.Br. *''

Carpobrotus chilensis ''Carpobrotus chilensis'' is a species of succulent plant known by the common name sea fig. It grows on coastal sand dunes and bluffs and is used as an ornamental plant, and it is also edible. However, along with its even more troublesome cousin ...

'' (Molina) N.E.Br. *'' Carpobrotus deliciosus'' (L.Bolus) L.Bolus *'' Carpobrotus dimidiatus'' (Haw.) L.Bolus *''

'' (L.) N.E.Br. *''

Carpobrotus glaucescens ''Carpobrotus glaucescens'', commonly known as pigface or iceplant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a succulent, prostrate plant with stems up to long, glaucous leaves, daisy-l ...

'' (Haw.) Schwantes *'' Carpobrotus mellei'' (L.Bolus) L.Bolus *'' Carpobrotus modestus'' S.T.Blake *'' Carpobrotus muirii'' (L.Bolus) L.Bolus *'' Carpobrotus praecox'' (F.Muell.) G.D.Rowley ''specific status unresolved.'' *'' Carpobrotus pulleinei'' J.M.Black ''specific status unresolved.'' *'' Carpobrotus quadrifidus'' L.Bolus *''

Carpobrotus rossii ''Carpobrotus rossii'' is a succulent coastal groundcover plant native to southern Australia. It is known by various common names, including karkalla, pig face, sea fig and beach bananas. ''C.rossii'' can be confused with rounded noon-flowe ...

'' (Haw.) Schwantes *'' Carpobrotus virescens'' (Haw.) Schwantes File:Carpobrotus sauerne.JPG, '' Carpobrotus quadrifidus'' Image:Carpobrotus glaucescens 01.jpg, ''

'' Image:Carpobrotus acinaciformis-P1020551.jpg, '' Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' Image:CarpobrotusAequilaterus.jpg, '' Carpobrotus aequilaterus''

References

External links

NSW Flora online - ''Carpobrotus''

PlantZAfrica.com - ''Carpobrotus edulis''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134968 Aizoaceae genera Taxa named by N. E. Brown