User:Carpobrotus modestus/sandbox

The Inland Pigface,Carpobrotus modestus, is a perennial succulent native to the coasts of Australia. Member of the family Aizoaceae, its flowers are purple in color and produce fruit. It is mainly used as a groundcover succulent or as a drought tolerant plant.

Distribution
Carpobrotus modestus is situated in heath, shrubland, and woodland area with clayey-sand. It is recorded in Walpole-Nornalup National Park. The distribution can reach all the way north of Kalbarri, east to Eyre and inland to Newdegate. It is also found in the South Australian-Victorian border.

Habitat and Ecology
The inland pigface is found in coasts, plains, and dunes near the coast. They can be found in areas of Western Australia, Southern Australia and certain areas of Victoria. It is also found in areas of low rainfall. They flourish in all forms of soil which include sandy, loamy, and clay. Though the habitat plays a large part in a plant's growth and development, the inland pigface can grow in acidic, basic, and neutral soil pHs that are well-drained. In these tough environments, the Inland Pigface can tolerate harsh habitual influences such as droughts, frost, and salinity in the soil(since it can grow in coastal areas which are close to the ocean). The Inland Pigface is perennial and flowers during the summer and winter.

Morphology


Individuals of this species are, here include a detailed description of the plants appearance, such as its habit (such as herb, shrub, vine, tree, prostrate, decumbent, erect, etc.), branching pattern, leaf array

The roots of the plant extend up to 50cm .The carpobrotus modestus has thick fleshy leaves since it is a perennial succulent. Leaves are usually around 3-7cm and curve in a triangular shape towards the tip. Near the points of the leaves are usually tinted pink, but occasionally have a bluish hue to it. The flowers are open-petalled once it blooms outwards in a linear direction. The petals are purple and are almost shaped like sunflower petals, but much narrower. These petals surround the stamen scattered inside which are thin, light yellow, and shaped like letter T’s Species contain both male and female reproductive organs (hermaphrodite.)

The habit of the inland pigface is prostrate and spreading. A prostrate plant has stems that grow parallel to the soil, so the surface of the plant appears to be flat and sprawling. (insert imagehttps://castlemaineflora.org.au/pic/c/carpo/camod50c.jpg) as we can see, the growth of inland pigface gives the appearance of a form of flat “cover” on the ground. In the fruiting stage of the Inland pigface, the bulb is surrounded by the thick tri-edged leaves that surround it. The fruit is egg-shaped, and as it develops, pushes the thick leaves outwards and has petals sprout out of it.

Flowers and fruit


The flowers of “Carpobrotus modestus' ' grow to be about 2cm when they are fully open. The Inland Pigface flowers in spring in summer with light purple petals that transition to white at their bases. The fruit it produces is fleshy, purple when ripe, and appears fig-like about 15-20 mm long with a recurved stalk. It is erected with sepals as long as the fruit.

Food
Both the fruit and leaves of the Inland Pigface were once used by indigenous people in Australia as a source of food, whether it be raw or cooked. The fig-like fruit produced by the plant is edible.

Medicinal
No medicinal uses for Carpobrotus modestus