Carpobrotus modestus(Aizoaceae), a post-fire pioneer in semi-arid southern Australia

Carpobrotus modestusis an inland succulent perennial with fleshy fruits. In a semi-arid area carrying tall mallee shrublands with a range of different fire histories, it was shown thatC. modestuspopulations appear in the immediate post-fire period, then mature and die within 7 years as the regenerating mallee shrubland becomes taller and denser. This post-fire pioneer behaviour is also common in the related southern AfricanErepsia. In a germination trial of freshC. modestusseed, all seeds remained dormant. However, seeds found in rabbit and grey kangaroo faeces germinated readily. Fire ecology and frugivory in subfamily Mesembryanthemoideae are briefly reviewed