| Carpobrotus quadrifidus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Genus: | Carpobrotus |
| Species: | C. quadrifidus |
| Binomial name | |
| Carpobrotus quadrifidus | |
Carpobrotus quadrifidus (commonly known as west-coast sourfig, Weskus suurvy) is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the west coast of South Africa.
A possible synonym is Carpobrotus sauerae.
This Carpobrotus ("sour-fig") species has the largest flowers produced by any species in its Mesembryanthemaceae family. The flowers are typically a bright pink colour, although some white-flowered forms can be found in the far northern limits of its distribution range. They appear in spring.
The receptacle is typically subclavate, with a base that narrows abruptly into the stalk. The top of the ovary is flat or slightly raised in the centre. Its fruits are sweet when ripe, and are edible raw. They are also grazed by tortoises and other southern African animals.
This is an extremely robust species, and its leaves are much larger than those of other Carpobrotus species. They leaves are glaucous-grey in colour, and have a distinctive smooth, hard, firm-textured surface, with cartilaginous margins. The leaves are erect and relatively straight (or only slightly acinaciform), and have an isosceles triangle shape to their cross-section. [1]
Their natural habitat is the low-lying coastal strip along the west coast of South Africa, from as far south as Melkbosstrand in Cape Town, northwards along the coast through Saldanha Bay and Langebaan where it is extremely common, to the coast around Lambert's Bay, with further sporadic populations even further north in the Northern Cape province.
In Cape Town, to the south of its natural distribution range, it transitions into the related species Carpobrotus acinaciformis . [2]
Carpobrotus edulis is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus Carpobrotus, native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot-fig, sour fig, ice plant or highway ice plant.
Searsia lucida, previously known as Rhus lucida, and commonly known as the varnished kuni-rhus (English) or blinktaaibos (Afrikaans).
Carpobrotus, commonly known as pigface, ice plant, sour fig, Hottentot fig, and clawberry is a genus of ground-creeping plants with succulent leaves and large daisy-like flowers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek karpos "fruit" and brotos "edible", referring to its edible fruits.
Gasteria is a genus of succulent plants, native to South Africa and the far south-west corner of Namibia.
Carpobrotus acinaciformis is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to South Africa.
The angulate tortoise is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and coastal scrub vegetation in South Africa. This tortoise is the only known member of the genus Chersina.
The West Coast National Park lies 88 km (55 mi) north of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The park is found inside of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve, part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the R27 coastal road, and runs from the town of Yzerfontein in the south, up to the Langebaan Lagoon. The park is particularly well known for its bird life and for the spring flowers which occur in the months from August to September, especially in the Postberg flower reserve section of the park. The park, with the islands in Saldanha Bay, has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. The park was proclaimed in 1985, and is 36,259.8 hectares (140.000 sq mi) in size.
The Namaqua dwarf chameleon or the western dwarf chameleon occurs in beach vegetation, along the west coast of South Africa and Namibia.
Aloe perfoliata, the rubble aloe or mitre aloe, is a hardy creeping aloe, found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout the Western Cape, South Africa.
Aloiampelos, formerly Aloe ser. Macrifoliae is a genus of succulent plants in the subfamily Asphodeloideae, comprising seven species found in Southern Africa. They are typically multi-branched climbing or sprawling shrubs, with long spindly stems and a large woody base on the ground. These characteristics, as well as their soft, narrow, triangular leaves whose lower part ensheathes the stem, make them easy to distinguish.
Carpobrotus dimidiatus is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Carpobrotus deliciosus is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to a strip along the south coast of South Africa.
Carpobrotus muirii is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the Overberg region in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Carpobrotus mellei is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the inland mountain ranges of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Cleretum bellidiforme, commonly called Livingstone daisy, Bokbaaivygie (Afrikaans), or Buck Bay vygie, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae, native to the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. It is a low-growing succulent annual growing to 25 cm (10 in), and cultivated for its iridescent, many-petalled, daisy-like blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, cream, pink and crimson. In temperate areas it is popularly grown as a half-hardy annual, and lends itself to mass plantings or as edging plants in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. It is still widely referenced under its former names, Mesembryanthemum criniflorum and Dorotheanthus bellidiformis.
Ixia monadelpha, also known as the pied kalossie or bontkalossie, is an endangered species of geophyte found in wet sandy flats in the southwestern Cape of South Africa.
Tetragonia nigrescens is a plant native to southern Africa.
Tulista kingiana is a species of succulent plant, from the Western Cape, South Africa. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN global Red List.
Carpobrotus modestus, commonly known as inland pigface, is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the coasts of Australia. It produces purple flowers which mature into fruits and is mainly used as a groundcover succulent or as a drought tolerant plant.
Drosanthemum lavisii is a succulent plant in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae, indigenous to the Overberg region of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
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