Hottentot-fig (Carpobrotus edulis) is a
plant that was introduced to Great Britain from southern Africa in the late 17th
century. It is only found on cliff-tops in the far southwest of England, and
near Dublin in Ireland.
The name derives from the native tribesmen
of southern Africa who ate the fleshy fruit of this plant.
It is a low-growing spreading plant, never
reaching a height greater than three or four inches. It has trailing stems that
bear fleshy upward-growing leaves that are triangular in cross-section and are
often red at the tip.
It has many-petalled daisy-like flowers
that are magenta or yellow. These appear from May to August. The fruit is
surrounded by five leaf-shaped lobes.
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