''Carpobrotus acinaciformis'' (commonly known as Elands sourfig, Elandssuurvy or Sally-my-handsome) is a

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

of the family

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...

, native to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Description

All species of ''

Carpobrotus ''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 ' "fruit" and ' "edible", ...

'' ("sour fig") form sprawling succulent groundcovers. The flowers of ''C. acinaciformis'' are a bright pink-purple colour. The five calyx lobes are all short, and of relatively similar length (unlike those of '' C. edulis''). The receptacle is sub-globose in shape (rarely slightly oblong), tapering only slightly down to where it meets the stalk. The top of the ovary is often slightly depressed in the centre. The leaves of ''C. acinaciformis'' are stout, scimitar-shaped ("acinaciform") and have the shape of an isosceles triangle in cross-section, if cut perpendicularly. They have a dull glaucous-green colour (sometimes with reddish edges or angles).

Distribution

This species is naturally endemic to the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

. Its natural habitat is coastal dunes, from as far north as

Melkbosstrand Melkbosstrand (Afrikaans for " Milkbush beach") is a coastal town located on the South West Coast of South Africa, 30 km north of Cape Town. It forms part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, the municipality governing Cape ...

, across the

Cape Peninsula The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of ...

, and eastwards to near Mossel Bay. It also occurs more rarely (as a more compact form) inland, from Cape Town to as far east as Riversdale. To the east of its natural range (east of Mossel Bay), it transitions into the related species ''

Carpobrotus deliciosus ''Carpobrotus deliciosus'' (commonly known as sweet Hottentots fig, perdevy, ghaukum, ghounavy) is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to a strip along the south coast of South Africa. Description The flowers of this Carpobro ...

''. To the west or north of its natural range (north of

in Cape Town), it transitions into the related species ''

Carpobrotus quadrifidus ''Carpobrotus quadrifidus'' (commonly known as west-coast sourfig, ) is a succulent perennial of the family Aizoaceae, native to the west coast of South Africa. A possible synonym is ''Carpobrotus sauerae''. Description This ''Carpobrotus'' (" ...

''.

Cultivation

The pink or purple flowers are very showy and the plant is frequently cultivated, especially in mild coastal climates. Its fruits are edible and are used in southern Africa to make a traditional jam. In the wild they are grazed by tortoises and other southern African herbivores. In some areas, such as the south-west of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, it has become naturalised on sea cliffs and can outcompete native species. The name "Sally-my-handsome" is derived from its former generic name of ''

Mesembryanthemum ''Mesembryanthemum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Aizoaceae; like many members of this family, it is characterized by long-lasting flower heads. Flowers of ''Mesembryanthemum'' protect their gametes from night-time dews or frosts ...

''.

References

acinaciformis Endemic flora of South Africa ~ Renosterveld Garden plants of Southern Africa Taxa named by Louisa Bolus Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Aizoaceae-stub