Useful information about the plant family

Family: Aizoaceae Martinov 1820

Description-internal

The plants are mostly succulent, many almost cactus-like, herbs or small shrubs. Many characteristics are adaptions to a hot and dry climate. C3 or C4 metabolism. Some species have very conspicious blossoms which are opened only when the sun shines or at a special time of the day. Other species make use of a mimicry by imitating the surface or colour of the substrate they grow on.

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical -often dry- regions, in South America, South Africa, Australia, south-west regions of North America; adapted to long periods without water and high temperatures

Floral characters

Inflorescence solitary or in thyrses; blossom radial, bisexual; C (3) 5 (8) K 0-endless A 1-10 (endless) G2; petals origin in stamina; ovary superior or inferior with 2 to many cells

Leaf characters

Usually opposite or whorled, rarely alternate; mostly simple and entire; often reduced to a pair of minute scales which grow in a spherical form to reduce the surface-to-volume ratio

Stipules

present or absent

Fruit characters

Most species have loculicidal, septicidal or circumscissile capsules, some species with berries or nuts

Glands

present

Hairs

absent or rarely present

Latex

absent

Uses

Tetragonia is used as a vegetable

Chemical characters

Often accumulation of organic acids (also oxalic acid), often alcaloids like mesembrine

Distribution maps

(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):

Unterfamilie Ruschioideae (Aizoaceae)
map: Pascale Chesselet, pers. comm. 2004

Unterfamilie Aizooideae (Aizoaceae)
map: see George 1984; Hartmann 2001a, b

Unterfamilie Mesembryanthemoideae (Aizoaceae)
map: see George 1984; Pascale Chesselet, pers. comm. 2004

Unterfamilie Sesuvioideae (Aizoaceae)
map: see George 1984; Hartmann 2001a, b; Hartmann et al. 2011; Fl. N. Am. 4: 2003