General description:- Herbs or small shrubs.
Leaves:- Usually opposite and fleshy.
Flowers:- Calyx, tubular or inversely conical (turbinate), often with fleshy lobes.
Petals and stamens usually numerous. Ovary usually inferior or semi-inferior.
Fruit:- Woody and opening on moistening, or fleshy. Fruits not splitting open to
release their seeds (indehiscent).
Genus: AIZOON
General description:- Annual.
Leaves:- Usually alternate.
Flowers:- Subsessile. Petals absent. Stamens c. 20, connate in 5 bundles. Ovary
superior; stigmas 5.
Fruit:- Capsule opening by 5 valves at the apex; seeds numerous
Genus: APTENIA
Leaves:- Fleshy, flat or smooth and cylindrical, tapering (subterete), alternate or
opposite.
Flowers:- Solitary or in cymes. Petals and stamens numerous. Stigmas 4. Ovary
inferior; capsule with 4 cells (4-locular) with 4 valves, unwinged on the angles
Key features:-
1) At least the lower leaves stalked (petiolate).
2) Leaves heart-shaped (cordate) at base, with fine nipple-like projections
(papillose).
Genus: CARPOBROTUS
Genus description:- Procumbent, woody perennials forming large mats.
Leaves Opposite, 3-angled, fleshy.
Flowers Solitary, stalked (pedunculate). Petals and stamens numerous. Stigmas
8-20. Ovary inferior;
Fruit Fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds embedded in a jelly-like excretion (mucilage).
Key features:-
1) Petals present.
2) Ovary inferior or semi-inferior.
3) Stigmas 8-20.
4) Fruit fleshy.
5) Seeds embedded in mucilage.
Genus: MESEMBRYANTHEMUM
Leaves:- Fleshy, flat or smooth and usually cylindrical and tapering (subterete),
alternate or opposite.
Flowers:- Solitary or in cymes. Petals and stamens numerous. Stigmas 5. Ovary
inferior;
Fruit:- Capsule with 5 valves, winged on the angles.
Key features:-
1) Leaves not heart-shaped (cordate) at base, covered with small, thin, transparent
(hyaline) sacs (vesicles).
2) All leaves stalkless (sessile).
3) Annual.
4) Flowers short-stemmed (subsessile).
Comments:-
Most of the genera that occur in Europe originate from South Africa. They are
cultivated for ornamental use, and many have become naturalized in milder, more or
less frost-free, coastal regions of S. and W. Europe.