Inland Pigface

Scientific Name:	Carpobrotus modestus	Inland Pigface - leaf Photo: A J Brown

Status	Native to Australia.
Plant Description:	Perennial succulent with trailing stems to 50 cm long, which often root at the nodes. Leaves opposite, generally 3-7 cm long and 4-9 mm thick (often thicker than wide), glaucous (blue-green with a whitish bloom) but sometimes tinged pink, smooth and triangular with more or less flat (slightly concave) faces and sharp angles. Flowers are about 2 cm diameter when open and of numerous linear light purple petals which merge to white at their bases. The fruit is fig-like, fleshy and indehiscent, slightly compressed and oblong to ellipsoid in shape, 1.5-2 cm long and purplish in colour. Flowers in spring and summer.
Habitat:	Not uncommon on shallow, rocky or deep sandy soils in Mallee communities of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Also found in western and central districts of Victoria.
Comments:	Both the fruit and leaves were used as a food source by indigenous Australians. Similar to other Pigfaces (see Key to Pigfaces and similar plants). May be confused with Rounded Noon-flower (Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum) which can grow in the same habitats, but the leaves of the Noon-flower have rounded angles.

Inland Pigface - developing fruit Photo: A J Brown	Inland Pigface - leaves Photo: A J Brown	Inland Pigface - plant Photo: A J Brown
Inland Pigface - spent flowers Photo: A J Brown