Herbario Virtual del Mediterráneo Occidental
Àrea de Botànica, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears
Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L. Bolus
Family : AIZOACEAE
Genus : Carpobrotus
Catalan common name : Bàlsam. Patata frita.
Province distribution : Alicante. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castellón. Gerona. Lérida. Tarragona. Valencia.
Distribution in the islands : Cabrera. Formentera. Ibiza. Mallorca. Minorca.
General distribution : Mediterranean
Flowering time : April. May. June. July.
Life-forms : Chameophyte.
Habitat : Naturalizated in coastal areas.
IUCN Category : Poco preocupante
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.
Status : Alien species.
