Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L. Bolus

Spice Flower detail Flower In the field

Family: AIZOACEAE

Genus: Carpobrotus

Catalan common name: Bàlsam. Patata frita.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Beaches and dunes, sandy soils. Rocky coastlines. Garden plants. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Naturalizated in coastal areas.

Characteristics: This plant that comes originally from South Africa is often used in garden plantings as it has a great ability to quickly cover the available surface with very little water demand. Unfortunately it has naturalized and has converted into an invasive plant that has colonized the rocky and dunar littoral, displacing the local flora. It extends its large branches along the ground surface forming a well-established carpet. It can be recognized by its succulent leaves with a triangular cross section (equi-distant), opposite and in the form of a small banana. Large flowers, up to ten centimetres in diameter, and yellow in colour. The fruits are meaty inside and are edible. Can live amongst Carpobrotus acinaciformis, of the same origin and similar morphology, but we can tell them apart as the later has purple coloured flowers and wider leaves (with a isosceles triangle cross section). Flowers in April.