General/Distribution
A family of 128 genera and c. 1170 species, many of which are cultivated. S. and tropical Africa, S. America, W. Indies, Mediterranean and tropical Asia. Represented here by 8 species.
Description
Annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs. Leaves fleshy or scale-like, opposite or alternate, exstipulate or with membranous stipules. Flowers usually bisexual, regular. Calyx tubular, 4-8 lobed. Petals more commonly absent or numerous and linear. Stamens 5 to many, the outer ones petaloid staminodes; filaments free or basally connate, anthers bilocular, dehiscing lengthwise. Pistil monocarpellary or 2-5 and syncarpous; ovary inferior or semi-inferior, 1-5 locular or many loculed; placentation axile, parietal or basal, with usually many ovules per locule. Fruit a berry, a loculicidal capsule or of 1-seeded dehiscent or indehiscent parts. Seeds endospermic.
Key for Identification
1. Capsule dehiscence operculate
2. Capsule 3-5 locular
2. Capsule 1-2 locular
3. Styles 2, free. Pyxidium 4-seeded, dehiscing by a bivalved lid longitudinally
3. Styles usually 1. Pyxidium 2-many seeded, dehiscing by a circumscissile lid
1. Capsule fissile dorsally or fruit of separate cocci or of 1-seeded indehiscent parts
4. Capsule fissile dorsally
5. Herbs with a dewy or crystalline appearance. Flowers large, possesing petals. Capsule hygroscopic
5. Herbs with glabrous to pubescent parts. Flowers small, lacking petals. Capsule not hygroscopic
6. Glabrous herbs. Capsule more or less papery
6. Papillose to tomentose herbs or under-shrubs. Capsule sub-woody
4. Capsule of separate cocci or fruit of 1-seeded indehiscent parts
7. Leaves with abundant raphides. Fruit of 5 one Seeded indehiscent parts
7. Leaves glabrous or papillose to glandular. Cocci 2 in number
7. Leaves glabrous or papillose to glandular. Cocci 2 in number
Floral diagram of Aizoaceae
Floral Formula of Aizoaceae
* K (5) ó 5, C muchos, A 5-muchos, G 3-5
Lower Taxa
!Aizoon L.
Diplochonium Fenzl
Gasoul Adans. = Mesembryanthemum L.
!Mesembryanthemum L.
Papularia Forssk. = Trianthema L.
Portulacastrum Juss. ex Medik. = Trianthema L.
Sesuvium L.
Trianthema L.
Zaleya Burm. f.
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