Calandrinia balonensis

Aboriginal people traditionally eat the leaves raw or steamed, and roots steamed. The seeds are also ground and eaten as a paste. C. balonensis is also used in the arid regions of interior Australia as a feed for livestock.[2] The plant is known as parkily in the Pitjantjatjara language.

The species occurs in the arid regions of Australia centred on the Tropic of Capricorn[3] The fleshy leaves are 4–10 cm long. The flowers are 2–3 cm across, with light purple petals (usually 5) around numerous yellow stamens whose pollen is collected (and presumably transferred) by native bees.

A selection of this species, cv 'Mystique', has been registered.[4] and propagated as a clone.[5] Like other Calandrinia species, it is self-incompatible, and therefore does not set seed unless grown with other clones. It can be propagated by cuttings and the resulting plants flower prolifically, but they may be difficult to maintain for more than one year. Wild-type plants also make attractive garden plants[6] and, if several clones are grown together, they interpollinate and set abundant seed. The seed[7] germinates only sparsely without some form of scarification of the seed coat, but ~80% germination has been reported when the coat of the tiny seed is nicked with a scalpel, using a dissecting microscope.[8]