Aizoaceae
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox The Aizoaceae (Template:IPAc-en), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to as vygies in South Africa. Some of the unusual Southern African genera—such as Conophytum, Lithops, Titanopsis and Pleiospilos (among others)—resemble gemstones, rocks or pebbles, and are sometimes referred to as 'living stones' or 'mesembs' (short for mesembryanthemums).
DescriptionEdit
The family Aizoaceae is widely recognised by taxonomists. It once went by the botanical name "Ficoidaceae", now disallowed. The APG II system of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system of 1998) also recognizes the family, and assigns it to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots. The APG II system also classes the former families Mesembryanthemaceae Fenzl, Sesuviaceae Horan. and Tetragoniaceae Link under the family Aizoaceae.
The common Afrikaans name "vygie" meaning "small fig" refers to the fruiting capsule, which resembles the true fig.<ref name="SSP">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Glistening epidermal bladder cells give the family its common name "ice plants".<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Most fig-marigolds are herbaceous, rarely somewhat woody, with sympodial growth and stems 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 five (3–8) and more or less connate (fused) below. True petals are absent. However, some species have numerous linear petals derived from staminodes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The seed capsules have one to numerous seeds per cell and are often hygrochastic, dispersing seeds by "jet action" when wet.<ref name=":0" />
DistributionEdit
Most species (96%, 1782 species in 132 genera) in this family are endemic to arid or semiarid parts of Southern Africa in the Succulent Karoo.<ref name="Mesembryanthemaceae">Template:Cite journal</ref> Much of the Aizoaceae's diversity is found in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, which is the most plant-diverse temperate region in the world.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A few species are found in Australia and the Central Pacific area.<ref name="WOS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EvolutionEdit
The radiation of the Aizoaceae, specifically the subfamily Ruschioideae, was one of the most recent among the angiosperms, occurring 1.13–6.49 Mya. It is also one of the fastest radiations ever described in the angiosperms, with a diversification rate of about 4.4 species per million years.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> This diversification was roughly contemporaneous with major radiations in two other succulent lineages, Cactaceae and Agave.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The family includes many species that use crassulacean acid metabolism as pathway for carbon fixation. Some species in the subfamily Sesuvioideae instead use [[C4 carbon fixation|Template:C4 carbon fixation]], which might have evolved multiple times in the group.<ref name="BohleyJoos2015">Template:Cite journal</ref>
TaxonomyEdit
Because of the hyperdiversity of the Aizoaceae and the young age of the clade, many generic and species boundaries are uncertain.<ref name=":1" />
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Subfamily AcrosanthoideaeEdit
Genera:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Acrosanthes Eckl. & Zeyh.
Subfamily AizooideaeEdit
Genera:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Aizoanthemopsis Klak
- Aizoanthemum Dinter ex Friedrich
- Aizoon L.
- Gunniopsis Pax
- Tetragonia L.
Subfamily MesembryanthemoideaeEdit
Genera:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Subfamily RuschioideaeEdit
Genera:
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* no longer recognised |
- Tribe Ruschieae<ref>{{#invoke
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- Acrodon N.E.Br
- Aloinopsis Schwantes
- Amphibolia L.Bolus ex A.G.J.Herre
- Antegibbaeum Schwantes ex C.Weber
- Antimima N.E.Br
- Arenifera Herre, synonym of Mesembryanthemum
- Argyroderma N.E.Br
- Astridia Dinter
- Bergeranthus Schwantes
- Bijlia N.E.Br, synonym of Pleiospilos
- Braunsia Schwantes
- Brianhuntleya Chess. et al.
- Carpobrotus N.E.Br
- × Carruanthophyllum Template:Small (Carruanthus × Machairophyllum)
- Carruanthus (Schwantes) Schwantes
- Cephalophyllum N.E.Br
- Cerochlamys N.E.Br
- Chasmatophyllum Dinter & Schwantes
- Cheiridopsis N.E.Br
- Circandra N.E.Br
- Conophytum N.E.Br
- Corpuscularia Schwantes, synonym of Delosperma
- Cylindrophyllum Schwantes
- Delosperma N.E.Br
- Dicrocaulon N.E.Br
- Didymaotus N.E.Br
- Dinteranthus Schwantes
- Diplosoma Schwantes
- Disphyma N.E.Br
- Dracophilus (Schwantes) Dinter & Schwantes
- Drosanthemum Schwantes
- Eberlanzia Schwantes
- Ebracteola Dinter & Schwantes
- Ectotropis N.E.Br, synonym of Delosperma
- Enarganthe N.E.Br
- Erepsia N.E.Br
- Esterhuysenia L.Bolus
- Faucaria Schwantes
- Fenestraria N.E.Br
- Frithia N.E.Br
- Gibbaeum Haw. ex N.E.Br
- Glottiphyllum Haw. ex N.E.Br
- Hallianthus H.E.K.Hartmann
- Hereroa (Schwantes) Dinter & Schwantes
- Ihlenfeldtia H.E.K.Hartmann, synonym of Cheiridopsis
- Imitaria N.E.Br, synonym of Gibbaeum
- Jacobsenia L.Bolus & Schwantes
- Jensenobotrya A.G.J.Herre
- Jordaaniella H.E.K.Hartmann
- Juttadinteria Schwantes
- Khadia N.E.Br
- Lampranthus N.E.Br
- Lapidaria (Dinter & Schwantes) N.E.Br.
- Leipoldtia L.Bolus
- Lemonanthemum Klak
- Lithops N.E.Br
- Machairophyllum Schwantes
- Malephora N.E.Br
- Malotigena Niederle
- Marlothistella Schwantes<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Mestoklema N.E.Br. ex Glen
- Meyerophytum Schwantes
- Mitrophyllum Schwantes
- Monilaria (Schwantes) Schwantes
- Mossia N.E.Br
- Muiria N.E.Br
- Namaquanthus L.Bolus
- Namibia (Schwantes) Schwantes
- Nananthus N.E.Br
- Nelia Schwantes
- Neohenricia L.Bolus
- Octopoma N.E.Br
- Odontophorus N.E.Br, synonym of Cheiridopsis
- Oophytum N.E.Br
- Orthopterum L.Bolus
- Oscularia Schwantes
- Ottosonderia L.Bolus
- Phiambolia Klak
- Pleiospilos N.E.Br
- Polymita N.E.Br, synonym of Schlechteranthus
- Psammophora Dinter & Schwantes
- Rabiea N.E.Br
- Rhinephyllum N.E.Br
- Rhombophyllum (Schwantes) Schwantes
- Roosia van Jaarsv.
- Ruschia Schwantes
- Ruschianthemum Friedrich, synonym of Stoeberia
- Ruschianthus L.Bolus
- Sarcozona J.M.Black
- Schlechteranthus Schwantes
- Schwantesia Dinter
- Scopelogena L.Bolus
- Smicrostigma N.E.Br
- Stayneria L.Bolus
- Stoeberia Dinter & Schwantes
- Stomatium Schwantes
- Tanquana H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede
- Titanopsis Schwantes
- Trichodiadema Schwantes
- Vanheerdea L.Bolus ex H.E.K.Hartmann
- Vanzijlia L.Bolus
- Vlokia S.A.Hammer
- Wooleya L.Bolus
- Zeuktophyllum N.E.Br
Subfamily SesuvioideaeEdit
This subfamily includes a number of Template:C4 species.<ref name="BohleyJoos2015"/>
Genera:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Anisostigma Schinz, synonym of Tetragonia
- Sesuvium L.
- Trianthema L.
- Tribulocarpus S.Moore
- Zaleya Burm.f.
Unplaced generaEdit
Include;
UsesEdit
Several genera are cultivated. Lithops, or "living stones", are popular as novelty house plants because of their stone-like appearance.
Some species are edible, including:
- Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig, highway ice plant) has edible leaves and fruit.<ref name=PFAF183>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Mesembryanthemum crystallinum has edible leaves.<ref name=PFAF183/>
- Tetragonia tetragonoides ("New Zealand spinach") is grown as a garden plant in somewhat dry climates and used as an alternative to spinach in upscale salads.<ref name=PFAF183/><ref name=PFAF194>Template:Cite book</ref>
C. edulis was introduced to California in the early 1900s to stabilize soil along railroad tracks and has become invasive.<ref name=CAL-IPC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In southern California, ice plants are sometimes used as firewalls;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> however, they do burn if not carefully maintained.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web
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ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
External linksEdit
- Aizoaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- P. Chesselet (2004 onwards). Interactive Mesembs2
- Plants of southern Africa (2005 onwards). SANBI
- Aizoaceae of South Africa
- Family Aizoaceae Flowers in Israel
- Aizoaceae in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database
Template:Angiosperm families Template:Taxonbar Template:Authority control