Citation: N.E. Br., Gdnrs' Chron. 78: 433 (1925).

Derivation: Greek karpos, fruit; brotos, edible.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Pigfaces.

Description:
Prostrate partly succulent non-papillose shrubs rooting at the nodes, with opposite very succulent sessile trigonous exstipulate leaves which are connate at the base.

Flowers solitary or in threes, terminal; perianth lobes 4 or 5 of which 2 are trigonous and the rest with scarious margins, free; stamens numerous; staminodes numerous, petaloid, free, showy, pinkish or red to yellow; ovary inferior, 6-11-celled, with numerous parietal ovules; styles 6-11.

Fruit fleshy, indehiscent; seeds embedded in mucilage, striate or reticulate to smooth.

Distribution:  29 species, mainly in South Africa, also Chile, New Zealand and Australia (4 native).

Biology: Many have edible fruits and species are grown as garden ornamentals or for sand stabilising. (S. T. Blake (1969) Contrib. Qld Herb. 7:1-65).

Taxonomic notes: Records of C. acinaciformis (L.)L. Bolus, Fl. Pl.S. Afr. 7: t. 247 (1927) (Mesembryanthemum acinaciforme L., Sp. Pl. 148; 1753), by J. Black, Nat. Fl. S. Aust. 67 (1909) and H. Eichler, Suppl. 134 (1965), and of C. glaucescens (Haw.)Schwantes, Gartenflora 77:69 (1928) Mesembryanthemum glaucescens Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ. 236; 1812), by S.T. Blake in H. Eichler, Suppl. 134 (1965) have not been confirmed.

Key to Species:

1. Stamens usually 20-80; flowers c. 2 cm diam. or less, sessile or subsessile; fruit shortly pedunculate	C. modestus 3.
1. Stamens 100-600; flowers 3.5-8.5 cm diam.; peduncles 5-40 mm
2. Petaloid staminodes yellow becoming pinkish; stamens 400-600; leaf keel serrulate at least in upper part	C. edulis 2.
2. Petaloid staminodes pinkish at all times; stamens 100-400; leaf keel smooth to slightly or minutely crenulate in upper parts
3. Petaloid staminodes white at the base, streaked only along the mid-line; stamens 100-250; leaves when fresh usually thicker than wide	C. rossii 4.
3. Petaloid staminodes pale but not white at the base, streaked over the greater part when dry; stamens usually 250-400; leaves when fresh more or less equilateral around the middle	C. aequilaterus 1.

Author: Not yet available