Карпобротус эдулис: Оңтүстік Африканың шөлейт өсімдігі

Species of succulent

Carpobrotus edulis is a ground creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus Carpobrotus, native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot fig, sour fig, ice plant or highway ice plant.

Carpobrotus edulis is a creeping, mat forming succulent species. It grows year round, with individual shoot segments growing more than 1 m (3 ft) per year. It can grow to at least 50 m (165 ft) in diameter. The leaves are a dull green or yellow green colour. They are only very slightly curved and have serrated sides near the tips. The yellow flowers are produced from April to October, and range from in diameter. Two of the calyx lobes are longer, extending further than the petals. The flowers open in the morning in bright sunlight and close at night. The fruit is multi chambered, ripening from green to yellow. properties of the plant. It also contains procyanidins and propelargonidins.

The species is a member of the fig marigold family, Aizoaceae, one of about 30 species in the genus Carpobrotus. It was previously classified in Mesembryanthemum and is sometimes referred to as Mesembryanthemum edule.

The sour fig grows on coastal and inland slopes in South Africa from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape through the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape. It is often seen as a pioneer on disturbed sites.

The flowers are pollinated by solitary bees, honey bees, carpenter bees, and many beetle species. Leaves are eaten by tortoises. Flowers are eaten by antelopes and baboons. Fruits are eaten by baboons, rodents, porcupines, antelopes, who also disperse the seeds. The clumps provide shelter for snails, lizards, and skinks. Puff adders and other snakes, such as the Cape cobra, are often found in Carpobrotus clumps, where they ambush the small rodents attracted by the fruits.

Carpobrotus edulis has naturalised in many other regions throughout the world, and is an invasive species in several parts, notably Australia, California and the Mediterranean, all of which have similar climates. The ice plant has escaped from cultivation and has become invasive, posing a serious ecological problem by forming vast monospecific zones, lowering biodiversity, and competing directly with several threatened or endangered plant species for nutrients, water, light, and space. The success of Carpobrotus edulis as an invader can be attributed to several key adaptive mechanisms. The plant exhibits a high rate of clonal growth, a trait that is commonly associated with successful invasive species. Invasive ice plant also displays high levels of phenotypic plasticity, allowing it to best integrate into varied environmental conditions such as coastal cliff ranges as well as nutrient rich forests. Such plasticity has raised concerns about its continual spread, especially in the face of changing climatic conditions. Through hybridization, invasive Carpobrotus edulis gains genetic diversity and novel traits that further enhance its adaptability. The species readily engages in genetic exchanges with other Carpobrotus, such as Carpobrotus chilensis, leading to hybrid variants with unique genetic combinations that allow them to thrive and outcompete native flora. Analysis of chloroplast DNA has revealed a large amount of genetic similarities between Carpobrotus edulis and Carpobrotus chilensis, indicating that the two may share a common ancestor. in the south and east and on the cliffs of Howth Head, County Dublin.

On the Mediterranean coast, Carpobrotus has spread out rapidly and now parts of the coastline are completely covered. Moreover, another invasive species, the black rat, has been shown to enhance the spreading of the ice plant through its feces. As the ice plant represents a food resource for the rat, both benefit from each other which is referred to as invasive mutualism.

In New Zealand forms monocultures and has taken over vast areas of coastal sand dune ecosystem. C. edulis and its hybrids are classed as unwanted organisms and are listed on the National Pest Plant Accord.

Although the ice plant may have arrived by ship as early as the 16th century, C. edulis was actively introduced in the early 1900s to stabilize dunes The juice can also be mixed into a lotion base and used for external issues such as ringworm, bruises, sunburns, and cracked lips.