Hottentot Fig

Hottentot Fig photos

Family: Pigface (Aizoaceae)

Scientific Name:

Carpobrotus edulis

Hottentot Fig flower
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to South Africa. Naturalised in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Plant Description:

Trailing succulent perennial, often rooting at the nodes of its 2 m long stems. Leaves are opposite, triangular in cross section with slightly concave faces, 4-10 cm long and 5-12 mm thick, dull to bright shining green, smooth, with a reddish keel which is very slightly toothed in the upper half.

Flowers are 7-8.5 cm diameter with the petaloid staminodes (sterile stamens that look like petals) yellow, becoming flesh-pink and streaked with brown on drying out. Fruit hemispherical to subglobose.

Habitat:

Occasional in coastal dunes where planted for stabilisation.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Western, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2	W0, W1

*coastal dunes only

Comments:

Similar to other Pigfaces but distinguished by its yellow flowers (see Key to Pigfaces and similar plants).

Hottentot Fig Photos

Flowering plant of Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown	Drying flowers of Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown
Pinkish dried flower of the Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown	Fruit of the Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown
Leaves of Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown	Hottentot Fig leaves Photo: A J Brown
Young and maturing flowers of Hottentot Fig Photo: A J Brown

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