WorldFloraDB - Carpobrotus

Characteristics

Subshrubs, succulent, glabrous. Roots fibrous. Stems trailing, mat-forming, 5-30 dm; rooting at nodes; inflorescence branches ascending. Leaves cauline, opposite, slightly connate basally, sessile, those of each pair equal; stipules absent; blade straight or curved, rounded-triangular to sharply 3-angled in cross section, thick, fleshy, margins entire or dentate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, flowers solitary; bracts absent or 2, leaflike; pedicel [absent or 1-]10-60[-100] mm, erect. Flowers showy, tubular, 3-10[-15] cm diam.; calyx lobes 4-5, unequal, 2 larger ± opposite, sometimes leaflike, 2-3 inner, smaller, with expanded membranous margins; petals (including petaloid staminodia) to 250, distinct, magenta, pink, yellow, cream, or white; nectary absent; stamens to 600, erect; pistil 8-12[-25]-carpellate; ovary inferior, 8-12[-25]-loculed; placentation parietal; style absent; stigmas 8-12[-25], radiate, linear, plumose. Fruits berries, fleshy, edible, indehiscent; valves absent. Seeds to 1000, brown, obovoid, compressed, shiny, slightly tuberculate; arils absent.

More

Succulent glabrous perennials with prostrate stems to 2 m long, rooting at nodes. Leaves triquetrous, opposite, connate, ensheathing stem; keel acute, smooth or denticulate, often denticulate only on upturned part. Flowers solitary, on short shoots in axils, sessile or pedicellate. Sepals 5, 2 large and opposite, 3 smaller with broad membranous margins. Petal-like staminodes many, yellow, pink, purple or white; stamens many. Styles 6–14, free or shortly fused at base; ovary inferior; locules 6–14; placentation parietal. Fruit indehiscent, fleshy. Seeds many, ovate, elliptic or oblong, laterally compressed, mucilaginous, light to dark brown.

Prostrate perennial succulent herbs; stems trailing. Lvs opposite, sessile, united at base, sharply 3-angled, smooth, bitter-tasting. Fls solitary, terminal, ebracteate. Sepals 5, sharply 3-angled: 2 large, denticulate on keels, 3 smaller with expanded membranous margins. Petals numerous, > sepals, free; stamens numerous; staminodes 0. Placentation parietal. Stigmas 8-16, plumose. Fr. indehiscent, fleshy, mucilaginous; locules as many as stigmas. Seeds slightly compressed, obovoid, smooth.

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Cultivation

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