Cliff Pig
A coastal succulent found in rocky terrain all over Talioche, and on the eastern coast of Lareena, Cliff pig is a small ground creeping plant with open, purple daisy like flowers. It has been used as a food source and as a folk medicine for as far back as anyone can remember, and is supposed to bring a sailor fortune if he carries its dried flowers with him on his voyage.
Basic Information
Anatomy
As a succlent, Cliff Pig has fleshy engorged leaves, usually 3-6 cm long, and tapering to a triangular cross section near the tip. It is a prostate plant, sprawling flat over the available ground, and sending roots up too 50cm deep wherever it can find suitable soil. These ground resting stems usually stretch up to 2m in length. Flowers, during spring, are a bright purple with a yellow centre, and about 2cm across. They develop into small petalled fruits, about the size of a rasberry, that are incredibly sour until fully ripened, and a dull shiny purple. The fruits are square at their end, giving the plant its common name for the animals head it resembles.
Genetics and Reproduction
Cliff pig is a flowering plant, and is pollinated by insects and wind. Its seeds are small and hard, taking only a short time to develop once in suitable terrain, and are spread by sea birds eating the fruits. The species is genetically compatible with many other varieties of Carpobrotus, and hybrids where two species coexist are common, though infertile.
Growth Rate & Stages
Cliff Pig is a perrenial, growing all year round, and usually living up too 6 years. Its seeds pass through the digestive tract of most birds unharmed, and grow quickly when deposited. They grow to full size in a matter of months, including when grown from cuttings.
Ecology and Habitats
The cliff pig is found in rocky and sandy soil along the coastlines of Talioche and eastern Lareena. It tolerates high salinity and harsh winds well, and its probing roots and tendrils let it find suitable soil and water quite well.
Biological Cycle
During the spring, Cliff Pig will flower, and then fruit in early summer.
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