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Carpobrotus acinaciformis (L.) L.Bolus

Ficoïde à feuilles en sabre (fr), Griffe de sorcière (fr), Carpobrote à feuilles en sabre (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Aizoaceae > Ruschioideae > Carpobrotus

Characteristics

A low succulent shrub which keeps growing from year to year. It is a trailing plant and forms mats. It is woody at the base. The stems are angled and form roots at the nodes. It can be 30 cm high and spread 1 m wide. The leaves are opposite and united at the base. They are 3 angled. They are bluish-green and widest in the middle. The flowers are 11-12 cm across. They are bright purple or purple-red.
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Receptacle subclavate to globose, narrowed abruptly into pedicel. Succulent perennial with trailing stems. Leaves robust, sabre-shaped, 15-25 mm diam. Flowers magenta, 70-100 mm diam., top of ovary flattish or depressed towards centre, receptacle bicarinate, oblong or subglobose, not tapering into pedicel. Fruits ovoid.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.1
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows on rocky cliffs and sandy places. It will grow in most soils. It is best in a sandy soil and a sunny position. It is resistant to drought but damaged by frost.
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Sandy and rocky places near the sea. Naturalized on cliffs and banks by the sea in Cornwall and S. Devon.
Sandy and rocky places near the sea.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-5
Soil texture 5-9
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-10

Usage

The fruit are eaten raw. They are better once dried. They are also used in preserves.
Uses environmental use medicinal ornamental stabilisation of sandy soils
Edible fruits leaves
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by cuttings or seeds.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Carpobrotus acinaciformis habit picture by Collados Ana (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Carpobrotus acinaciformis leaf picture by Nathan Jander (cc-by-sa)
Carpobrotus acinaciformis leaf picture by López Coronel David (cc-by-sa)
Carpobrotus acinaciformis leaf picture by Isabelle RÉGIS (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Carpobrotus acinaciformis flower picture by Günter Adler (cc-by-sa)
Carpobrotus acinaciformis flower picture by Alex Frawley (cc-by-sa)
Carpobrotus acinaciformis flower picture by Hans-Jürgen Heuser (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Carpobrotus acinaciformis fruit picture by Collados Ana (cc-by-sa)
Carpobrotus acinaciformis fruit picture by Yannick Boulet (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Carpobrotus acinaciformis world distribution map, present in Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID -
WFO ID wfo-0000588254
COL ID 5XDQS
BDTFX ID 14650
INPN ID 89211
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Mesembryanthemum laevigatum Mesembryanthemum subalatum Mesembryanthemum acinaciforme Carpobrotus laevigatus Carpobrotus rubrocinctus Carpobrotus vanzijliae Carpobrotus concavus Abryanthemum acinaciforme Carpobrotus subalatus Mesembryanthemum rubrocinctum Mesembryanthemum acinaciforme var. purpureum Carpobrotus acinaciformis
WorldFloraDB 2024