Saturday 27 September 2008

Colour on the plains

This plant doesn't look like anything else on the grassy plains. In fact it almost looks like it doesn't belong. The big fleshy leaves and bright in-your-face pink flowers are unmistakable. It's Inland Pigface Carpobrotus modestus, seen growing here beside a little creek near Bannockburn today. Cotula coronopifolia, the yellow water buttons that 'they' took a long time to decide was not an Aussie plant but South African only, is also putting on a show.
Pigface is edible, but I think they should find a nicer common name to make it more palatable.

2 comments:

Mosura said...

We get Carpobrotus rossii here. The fruit (Kunnikungs) is said to be an acquired taste but personally I found it to be delicious from the start.

Gouldiae said...

G'day Boobook,
The 'Pig Face' can get pretty invasive can't it? We have small patches on the golf course - the golfers hate it of course, so we try to control it a bit. It's a shame when native species almost become invasive weeds - Kangaroo Thorn etc.
Gouldiae