Fauna
Plant

Angular Sea-fig

Carpobrotus glaucescens

Also known as Pigface, Iceplant, Angular Pigface, Coastal Pigface

Angular sea-figs form sprawling, salt-tolerant mats across coastal dunes and rocky headlands along eastern Australia, anchoring shifting sand with trailing stems up to 2 m long. Thick, triangular, blue-green leaves store fresh water to endure sea spray and drought, while bright pinkish-purple daisy-like flowers open in full sun to attract native bees and beetles. After pollination, fleshy red-to-purple fruits ripen mainly in summer and autumn, providing moisture and food for coastal birds, reptiles, and small mammals that disperse the seeds.

SucculentCoastalFlowering
Angular Sea-fig reference1 / 7
(c) ronavery, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by ronavery · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil minerals
Predators
  • Coastal birds
  • Eastern Blue-tongued Lizards
  • Wallabies
ThreatsCoastal development, foot traffic, and competition from introduced Carpobrotus species
HabitatsCoastal sand dunes, headlands, cliffs, and salt-spray zones of eastern Australia
Life spanPerennial (several years to decades)
Classification
  1. FamilyAizoaceae
  2. SpeciesCarpobrotus glaucescens
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance; wild fruits can have toxic look-alikes, so never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Leaf Shape: Check for a distinctly triangular cross-section with a bluish-green waxy coating.
  • Dune Protection: Stay on marked boardwalks to avoid crushing shallow roots that hold coastal sand in place.
  • Look-alikes: Compare flower color and leaf size carefully, as introduced Carpobrotus species often grow in the same dunes.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…