''Disphyma crassifolium'' subsp. ''clavellatum'' is the subspecies of '' Disphyma crassifolium'' (round-leaved pigface) that occurs in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and New Zealand. It is sometimes known by the common name rounded noon-flower Also called "karkalla" in the Australian native foods trade. However, this name originally only described ''

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-flow ...

'' and has been misapplied to ''D.crassifolium'' as a vegetable.

Description

It grows as a prostrate, succulent shrub or annual herb, from two to 30 centimetres high. Unlike the other pigfaces its leaves are round in cross-section. Flowers are pink, purple or violet.

Taxonomy

This subspecies was first published under the name ''Mesembryanthemum australe'' by Georg Forster in 1786, based on New Zealand material. Forster failed to give a description, however, so valid publication of the name falls to William Aiton, who published a description in 1789. In 1803, Adrian Hardy Haworth published ''M. clavellatum'' based on plants raised at Kew from seeds collected in Australia. In 1830, N. E. Brown transferred ''M. australe'' into ''Disphyma'' as ''D. australe''. In 1971 Robert Chinnock published a new species name, ''D. blackii'', for some New Zealand material, and five years later he transferred ''M. clavellatum'' to ''Disphyma''. In the early 1980s, Hugh Francis Glen determined, on the basic of a multivariate analysis, that ''Disphyma'' was monotypic. All other names were therefore given synonymy with ''D. crassifolium''. This situation remained until 1986, when it was decided that the South African populations differed sufficiently from the Australian and New Zealand populations to merit distinct subspecies. ''D. crassifolium'' subsp. ''clavellatum'' was then erected to encompass the Australian and New Zealand populations, with the autonym ''D. crassifolium'' subsp. ''crassifolium'' defined as encompassing the South African plants. ic/ref>

Distribution and habitat

''Disphyma crassifolium'' is widely distributed in Australia and New Zealand. It grows in saline areas such as coastal dunes and samphire flats, and tolerates a range of soils including sand, loam and clay.

Uses

The leaves have become a popular native vegetable in Australia marketed under the name "karkalla". It typically has a salty flavour and can be used fresh or as a pickled ingredient.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5282595 Aizoaceae Eudicots of Western Australia Flora of New Zealand Caryophyllales of Australia Plant subspecies