Description :

• Annual or perennial herbs, undershrubs or sometimes shrubs
• Leaves alternate, opposite or crowded, sometimes very small, simple and entire, sometimes somewhat succulent, epidermis mostly with bladder idioblasts; stipules 0 or represented by membranes at base of petiole ( Sesuvium , Trianthema , Zaleya )
• Flowers regular, mostly bisexual, perigynous, (semi)epigynous or rarely hypogynous, solitary, in cymes, fascicles or pedunculate clusters, rarely a spike ( Tetragonia )
• Perianth elements (3-)5(-8), usually basally united, internally petaloid, externally sepaloid
• Stamens 5-many; filaments free or variously united, anthers tetrasporangiate, opening by longitudinal slits
• Ovary inferior to superior, 2-many-locular, with 1-many styles, free or fused at base; ovules 1-many per locule, sometimes pendulous; placentation axile, basal or parietal
• Fruit mostly a loculicidal, sometimes septicidal or circumscissile, sometimes hygrochastic capsule, sometimes a horn-shaped or winged nut
• Seeds with or without aril, with short funicle in Tetragonia and Tribulocarpus ; perisperm copious, true endosperm ± 0

Classification Notes: Controversy prevails around the delimitation of the Aizoaceae in a broad sense, with different authors favouring different interpretations. This is reflected in the references cited here for the Aizoaceae in a strict sense:

• Rudolphi: 53 (1830) ( Aizoaceae )
• Sonder: 386 (1862) ( Mesembryaceae )
• Phillips: 285 (1951) ( Aizoaceae including Molluginaceae and Tetragoniaceae )
• Adamson: 109 (1955) ( Aizoaceae )
• Adamson: 88 (1956) ( Aizoaceae )
• Adamson: 11 (1958a) ( Aizoaceae )
• Adamson: 67 (1958b) ( Aizoaceae )
• Adamson: 23 (1959) ( Aizoaceae )
• Adamson: 17 (1960) ( Molluginaceae )
• Adamson: 125 (1961) ( Aizoaceae )
• Jeffrey: 1 (1961) ( Aizoaceae including Molluginaceae and Tetragoniaceae )
• Friedrich: 1 (1967) ( Tetragoniaceae )
• Friedrich: 1 (1970) ( Aizoaceae )
• Dyer: 77 (1975) ( Aizoaceae including Molluginaceae and Gisekiaceae , excluding Mesembryanthemaceae )
• Gonçalves: 508 (1978) ( Aizoaceae in strict sense, excluding Molluginaceae , Mesembryanthemaceae and Tetragoniaceae )
• Bittrich & Hartmann: 239 (1988) ( Aizoaceae including Mesembryanthemaceae and Tetragoniaceae , excluding Molluginaceae and the genus Gisekia )
• Gilbert: 111 (1993) ( Aizoaceae including Mesembryanthemaceae and Tetragoniaceae , excluding Molluginaceae and Gisekiaceae ).
• Hartmann: 44 (1993) ( Aizoaceae including Mesembryanthemaceae and Tetragoniaceae , excluding Molluginaceae and the genus Gisekia )

The Aizoaceae in a strict sense, as accepted here, includes the subfamilies Aizooideae , Sesuvioideae and Tetragonioideae recognised by Bittrich & Hartmann: 239 (1988). The families Mesembryanthemaceae , Molluginaceae and Gisekiaceae are recognised as separate families and are treated as such.

Nomenclature:

• Aizoaceae
  • Rudolphi: 53 (1830)
  • Sonder: 387 (1862)
  • Pax & Hoffmann: 179 (1934)
  • Phillips: 285 (1951)
  • Adamson: 109 (1955)
  • Adamson: 87 (1956)
  • Adamson: 23 (1959a)
  • Adamson: 29 (1959b)
  • Adamson: 147 (1961)
  • Jeffrey: 1 (1961)
  • Friedrich: 1 (1967)
  • Gonçalves: 322 (1970)
  • Gonçalves: 508 (1978)
  • Friedrich: 1 (1970)
  • Bittrich & Hartmann: 250 (1988)
  • Hartmann: 44 (1993)
  • Gilbert: 111 (1993)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Genera 12, species ± 174, cosmopolitan, prominent in the tropics and subtropics of the southern hemisphere, with a centre of diversity in Africa
• Southern Africa : Genera 10, species ± 120, widespread

References:

• ADAMSON, R.S. 1955. The South African species of Aizoaceae . II. Tetragonia . Journal of South African Botany 21
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1956. The South African species of Aizoaceae . III. Galenia . Journal of South African Botany 22
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1958a. The South African species of Aizoaceae . IV. Mollugo , Pharnaceum , Coelanthum and Hypertelis . Journal of South African Botany 24
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1958b. The South African species of Aizoaceae . V. Corbichonia . Journal of South African Botany 24
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1959a. The South African species of Aizoaceae . VI. Acrosanthes . Journal of South African Botany 25
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1959b. The South African species of Aizoaceae . VII. Aizoon . Journal of South African Botany 25
• ADAMSON, R.S. 1961. The South African species of Aizoaceae . XI. Plinthus . Journal of South African Botany 27
• BITTRICH, V. & HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1988. The Aizoaceae - a new approach. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 97
• DYER, R.A. 1975. The genera of southern African flowering plants , Vol. 1. Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria
• FRIEDRICH, H.C. 1967. Tetragoniaceae . Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 28
• FRIEDRICH, H.C. 1970. Aizoaceae . Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 27
• GILBERT, M.G. 1993. Aizoaceae . Flora of Somalia 1
• GONÇALVES, M.L. 1970. Aizoaceae . Conspectus florae angolensis 4
• GONÇALVES, M.L. 1978. Aizoaceae sensu lato. Flora zambesiaca 4
• HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1993. Aizoaceae . In K. Kubitzki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich, The families and genera of vascular plants - dicotyledons 2. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
• JEFFREY, C. 1961. Aizoaceae . Flora of tropical East Africa . Aizoaceae
• PAX, F. & HOFFMANN, K. 1934. Aizoaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edn 2,16c
• PHILLIPS, E.P. 1951. ( Aizoaceae including Molluginaceae and Tetragoniaceae ). The genera of South African flowering plants, edn 2. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa 25
• RUDOLPHI, F.K.L. 1830. Aizoaceae . Systema orbis vegetabilium . Kunike (typ.), Greifswald
• SONDER, O.W. 1862. Mesembryaceae (excl. Tetragonia ). Flora capensis 2

Resources:

• Classification of Aizoaceae
• Key to Aizoaceae genera

• Aizoaceae genera: