Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Spanish: niño

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Flowering branchlets 7-13 cm long.  Leaves often scimitar-shaped, pale glaucous-green, 4-9 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter.  Flowers often 8-9 cm in diameter.  Calyx nearly globose, the lobes up to about 2.8 cm long.  Petals acute or obtuse, rose-purple, 2-3.6 cm long, up to 2.5 mm broad.  Stamens up to 1 cm long.  Ovary nearly flat above.  Stigmas 5-7 mm long" (Adamson & Salter, 1950).

Key to species:
Carpobrotus edulis: Calyx club-shaped; petals usually yellow, top of the ovary elevated.
Carpobrotus acinaciformis:  Calyx oblong or nearly globose; petals rose- or purplish-pink; top of the ovary flat or slightly concave (Adamson & Salter, 1950; p. 390).

Habitat/ecology:  "Frequent in sand near the sea" (Adamson & Salter, 1950; p. 390).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Cape Province, South Africa (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)

Comments:  Reported as possibly an invasive plant in the Galápagos Islands per Charles Darwin Research Station. Identification uncertain.

Additional information:  Additional online information about Carpobrotus acinaciformis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Carpobrotus acinaciformis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Adamson, R. S./Salter, T. M. 1950. Flora of the Cape Peninsula. Juta & Co.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.