pig-face

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

Pig-faces, and Pig's-face,or Pig's-faces.


Names given to an indigenous «iceplant,» Mesembryanthemum aequilaterale, Haw., N.O. Ficoideae, deriving its generic name fromthe habit of expanding its flower about noon.

1834. Ross, `Van Diemen's Land Annual,' p. 133:

« Mesembryanthemum aequilaterale, pig faces; called bythe aborigines by the more elegant name of canagong. The pulpof the almost shapeless, but somewhat ob-conical, fleshy seedvessel of this plant, is sweetish and saline; it is about aninch and a half long, of a yellowish, reddish, or greencolour.»

1844. Mrs. Meredith, `Notes and Sketches of New South Wales,'p. 45:

«Great green mat-like plants of the pretty Mesembryanthemumaequilaterale, or fig-marigold, adorned the hot sandy banksby the road-side. It bears a bright purple flower, and afive-sided fruit, called by the children `pig-faces.'»

1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 132:

«The pig's face is an extremely common production of theAustralian soil, growing like a thick and fleshy grass, withits three-sided leaf and star-shaped pink or purple flower,occupying usually a rocky or dry light soil.»

1879. C. W. Schuermann, in `The Native Tribes of SouthAustralia,' p. 217:

«Though this country is almost entirely destitute of indigenousfruits of any value to an European, yet there are various kindswhich form very valuable and extensive articles of food for theaborigines; the most abundant and important of these is thefruit of a species of cactus, very elegantly styled pig's-facesby the white people, but by the natives called karkalla. Thesize of the fruit is rather less than that of a walnut, and ithas a thick skin of a pale reddish colour, by compressingwhich, the glutinous sweet substance inside slips into themouth.»

1889. J. H. Maiden, `Useful Native Plants,' p. 44:

«Pig-faces. It was the canajong of the Tasmanianaboriginal. The fleshy fruit is eaten raw by the aborigines:the leaves are eaten baked.»

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

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