Angled Pigface

Angled Pigface Photos

Family: Pigface (Aizoaceae)

Scientific Name:

Carpobrotus aequilaterus

Angled Pigface flowers
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to South Africa. Naturalised throughout Australia except for the Northern Territory.

Plant Description:

Trailing succulent perennial, with 2 m long stems and often rooting at the nodes. Leaves are opposite, triangular in cross section with flat or slightly convex faces, 3.5-9 cm long and 5-12 mm thick, dull green to glaucous and smooth.

Flowers 3.5-8 cm in diameter on short stalks to 4 cm long, with the petaloid staminodes (sterile stamens that look like petals) in three series, light purple throughout or paler towards the base and streaked brown across their width when dry. Stamens in 4-6 series Fruit obovoid to ellipsoid and distinctly 2 angled, 1.5-3 cm long.

Habitat:

Planted for erosion control on sandy and saline soils

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2	W0, W1, W2

Comments:

Similar to other Pigfaces and particularly other Carpobrotus species. Derives its name from its distinctively angled fruit. Distinguished by its lack of white at the base of its petaloid staminodes and their broad brown streaking on drying (see Key to Pigfaces and similar plants).

Angled Pigface Photos

Dried flower and forming fruit of Angled Pigface Photo: A J Brown	Flower bud of Angled Pigface Photo: A J Brown
Angled Pigface leaves Photo: A J Brown

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