Aizoaceae
{{Taxobox
color = lightgreen | name = Aizoaceae | image = Sesuvium_p.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = Sesuvium portulacastrum | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Magnoliopsida | ordo = Caryophyllales | familia = Aizoaceae | familia_authority = Martynov | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = See text | Aptenia cordifolia or Rock Rose |
| Ice Plant (Carpobrotus edulis) |
The Family Aizoaceae (fig-marigold family or ice plant family) is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing some 126 genera and between 1100-2000 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds.
The family is widely recognised by taxonomists, although once it went by the botanical name "Ficoideae", now disallowed. The APG II system of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system of 1998) also recognises the family, and assigns it to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots.
Most species in this family come from southern Africa, but a few are from Australia and the Central Pacific.
Most fig-marigolds are herbaceous, rarely somewhat woody, with stems growing either erect or prostrate. Leaves are simple, opposite or alternate, and more or less succulent with entire (or rarely toothed) margins. Flowers are perfect in most species (but unisexual in some), actinomorphic, and appear singularly or in few-flowered cymes developing from the leaf axils. Sepals are typically 5 (3-8) and more or less connate (fused) below. True petals are absent. However, some species have numerous linear petals derived from staminoides. The fruit is a capsule with one to numerous seeds per cell.
A few species (especially the Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis) have been widely introduced and become invasive. A species known as New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is grown as a garden plant in somewhat dry climates and used as an alternative to spinach in upscale salads.Genera*
* - on line here
* Aizoaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants
* NCBI Taxonomy Browser
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