Compiled by
P. Chesselet, G.F. Smith, P.M. Burgoyne, C. Klak, S.A. Hammer, H.E.K. Hartmann, H. Kurzweil, E.J. van Jaarsveld, B-E. van Wyk & O.A. Leistner
Description
:
Annual to perennial succulents, ranging from minute to compact and tufted to prostrate to decumbent; herbs, dwarfshrubs, subshrubs or shrubs, rarely spiny
Leaves
opposite, rarely alternate, simple, free at base to almost completely united into single, conical to ± spherical bodies, often sheathing stem, flat to 3-angled to cylindric, all similar (plant homophyllous) or different types of leaf pairs present (plant heterophyllous, e.g.
Mitrophyllum
Group), members of a leaf pair similar (plant isophyllous) or dissimilar (plant anisophyllous), surface heterocellular (with cells of different sizes) or homocellular (cells of similar size), ephemeral to persistent, with or without bladder cells, sometimes tuberculate or punctate; stipules 0
Flowers
bisexual, regular, in cymose inflorescences, sometimes representing ± entire plant, to solitary
Calyx
4-6-lobed, sometimes forming a short tube above ovary
Corolla
of many ± linear petals of staminodial origin, either free or shortly connate at base
Stamens
many, often surrounded by few to many filamentous staminodes
Nectary
either koilomorphic: represented by usually 4 or 5 shell-shaped depressions (in
Mesembryanthemoideae
), or lophomorphic: raised into a crested ring, continuous or broken into ± 5 crested glands (in
Ruschioideae
)
Ovary
inferior to half-inferior (in
Mesembryanthemoideae
), (3, 4)5(-25)-locular; placentas ranging from axile through basal to parietal; ovules usually many; style 0; stigmas usually as many as locules, subulate to filiform, sometimes fused at base, sometimes plumose
Fruit
a loculicidal capsule, splitting open when dry or mostly when wetted by means of hygroscopic expanding keels, rarely schizocarpic with winged or nut-like mericarps, or fleshy and indehiscent; valves with or without wings, expanding keels parallel to divergent, locules open or with covering membranes, closing bodies blocking distal exits of locules present or 0
Seeds
± reniform, glossy to rugose or papillate and rough, black to brown to pale cream; embryo curved around perisperm
Nomenclature:
Mesembryanthemaceae
Schwantes: 1 (1957)
Friedrich: 1 (1970)
Herre: 1 (1971)
Hartmann: 313 (1988)
Hartmann: 75 (1991a)
Hartmann: 95 (1991b)
Hartmann: 37 (1993)
Chesselet et al.: 197 (1995)
Hammer: 195 (1995)
Smith et al.: 1 (1998)
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Genera ± 123, species ± 1 680, mostly in the southwestern parts of the African continent, from ± 16° N in Angola down to the Western Cape Province, extending well into the east over the central plateau of South Africa and reaching into Zimbabwe and Botswana
Southern Africa
: Genera ± 122, species ± 1 662
Notes
:
Outside this core area, several species of
Delosperma
are found from N Tanzania up to the Yemen and also in the Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar
A few species of
Mesembryanthemum
occur around the Mediterranean Sea, and most species of the genus
Disphyma
are found in Australia, New Zealand and the adjacent islands
The genus
Sarcozona
and some species of
Carpobrotus
are restricted to Australia, but species of
Ruschia
and
Lampranthus
may not be indigenous to Australasia
It is also not clear whether species of
Malephora
and
Carpobrotus
are recent introductions to South America, but the populations of
Carpobrotus
found along the west coast of North America were certainly introduced by man.
References:
BITTRICH, V. 1986. Untersuchungen zu Merkmalsbestand, Gliederung und Abgrenzung der Unterfamilie
Mesembryanthemoideae
(
Mesembryanthemaceae
Fenzl).
Mitteilungen aus dem Institut für Allgemeine Botanik
. Hamburg 21
BITTRICH, V. & HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1988. The
Aizoaceae
- a new approach.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
97
CHESSELET, P., MÖSSMER, M. & SMITH, G.F. 1995. Research priorities in the succulent plant family
Mesembryanthemaceae
Fenzl.
South African Journal of Science
91
FRIEDRICH, H.C. 1970.
Aizoaceae
.
Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika
27
GERBAULET, M. 1995.
Phyllobolus
N.E.Br. emend. Bittrich (
Aizoaceae
): A reassessment of generic boundaries.
Botanische Jahrbücher
117
GERBAULET, M. 1996a. Revision of the genus
Aridaria
N.E.Br. (
Aizoaceae
)
Botanische Jahrbücher
118
GERBAULET, M. 1996b. Revision of the genus
Prenia
N.E.Br. (
Aizoaceae
).
Botanische Jahrbücher
118
GERBAULET, M. 1996c. Revision of the genus
Sceletium
N.E.Br. (
Aizoaceae
)
Botanische Jahrbücher
118
GERBAULET, M. 1997. Revision of the genus
Phyllobolus
N.E.Br. (
Aizoaceae
).
Botanische Jahrbücher
119
HAMMER, S.A. 1995. Mastering the art of growing mesembs.
Cactus and Succulent Journal
(US) 67
HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1988. Fruit types in
Mesembryanthema
.
Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen
63
HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1991a.
Mesembryanthema
.
Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium
13
HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1991b. Keys to the genera of
Mesembryanthema
.
South African Journal of Botany
57
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
HARTMANN, H.E.K. 1998a. A Letter to the MSG.
Mesemb Study Group Bulletin
2
HERRE, H. 1971.
The genera of the
Mesembryanthemaceae
. Tafelberg, Cape Town
HERRE, H. & VOLK, O.H. 1948.
Mesembryanthemaceae
Herre et Volk, familia nova.
Sukkulentenkunde
2
KLAK, C. & LINDER, H.P. 1998. Systematics of
Psilocaulon
N.E.Br. and
Caulipsolon
Klak gen. nov. (
Mesembryanthemoideae
,
Aizoaceae
).
Botanische Jahrbücher
120
SCHWANTES, G. 1957.
Flowering stones and mid-day flowers
. Ernest Benn Limited, London
SMITH, G.F., CHESSELET, P., VAN JAARSVELD, E.J., HARTMANN, H., HAMMER, S., VAN WYK, B-.E., BURGOYNE, P., KLAK, C. & KURZWEIL, H. 1998.
Mesembs of the world
. Briza, Pretoria
WALLACE, R.S. 1998. Systematic implications of evolutionary relationships within the
Aizoaceae
s.l. Proceedings: Programme & Abstracts of the 25th Congress of the International Organization for Succulent Plant Study
. 31 August to 4 September 1998
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