I don’t know whether there are any botanists who read this blog, but I have a question.
Does anyone know what happens in a war between Salpichroa organifolia and Carpobrotus chilensis? Both are said to be invasive in the sense that they take over and crowd out other species. But here the invaders are pitted against each other.
Any idea who will win? Salpichroa (long established and all but impossible to eradicate) is characterized by a massive, hellish underground rhizome root system that strangles other plants, while Carpobrotus (aka ice plant) eventually forms dense surface mats. (Which makes the latter far easier to eradicate.)
I’m hoping that Carpobrotus will eventually win out (because I love ice plants, and I am not alone), but there’s really no way to know for sure until the “war” is over.
I especially love the plant because of an utterly amazing recent discovery. I had read about Carpobrotus being a traditional African remedy for things like burns and sore throat, and I know it is safe to eat. (The Latin name means “edible fruit.”) A longtime canker sore sufferer, I recently had an outbreak, with THREE of them in my upper and lower lips. Plus, I had never eaten the stuff.
So, the other night, I grabbed a two inch spike and started chewing on it. Instantly, my mouth felt as it it was being dried out, and filled with a very strange, bitter astringent taste. I chewed it for a while and spat it out because it wasn’t exactly yummy, but my mouth was completely dry, and took a few minutes to return to normal. The next morning all three canker sores were completely gone! Never had anything worked so well or so fast. Googling ice plants+canker+sores turned up nothing, the same with Carpobotus+canker+sores. But Carprobrotus+aphthous (the medical term) did turn up one link — to a Traditional African Medicine site. It is a treatment for:
aphthous ulcer; cheilosis; glossitis; mucocoele; parotitis; salivary calculus; stomatitis; thrush
Wow. I have no knowledge about its efficacy for the rest of the conditions, but never in my life have I experienced such rapid and effective relief from something that typically drags on for over a week.
I can’t believe that more people don’t know about this. Seriously! I am in a state of total amazement.
And if it weren’t for my recent research into (even love affair with) the plant, I would never have thought to try it.
The dental community direly needs to know about this.