With few exceptions, loculicidal, hygrochastic capsules, which repeatedly open when wet, and close when dry, are characteristic of the Mesembryanthemaceae. Schwantes' (1952) early work on mesemb fruits was refined by Hartmann (1988) who described nine unique functional syndromes for fruit capsules of the entire group. Fruit types are here arranged in alphabetical order
Apatesia type
Expanding sheet predominant but expanding properties reduced
Covering membranes absent
Valve wings absent
Delosperma type
Expanding keels ± radial, distinct from expanding sheets
Covering membranes absent or vestigial, derived entirely from inner endocarpal valvar tissue declining into the empty locules
Closing bodies absent
Valve wings broad
Drosanthemum type
Expanding keel distinct from expanding sheet, divergent over the valves with a ± free, radial elongation, the keel-awn broadened towards the centre of the valve
Covering membranes compound: proximal part derived from valvar endocarp including the epidermis, marginal parts derived from inner endocarpal tissue (the complementary epidermis forms the extension of the expanding keel); persistent in shape, translucent, ± flat, and of ± equal diameter throughout
Closing bodies absent
Valve wings broad
Lampranthus type
Expanding keels divergent, sometimes broadened
Covering membranes rigid, stout, of persistent convex shape, with a distinct recurved rim above and a closing ledge below their distal ends
Closing bodies absent but with bunches of sterile funicular hairs at exits of locules
Valve wings present or absent
Leipoldtia type
Expanding keels divergent, with distinct radial awns, not broadened; expanding sheets present
Covering membranes persistent, resilient, of permanent concave shape with curved radial upper edges, distally and distinctly recurved; endocarp forming a ± pronounced boss or ledge below the expanding keel
Closing bodies large, distinctly stalked, outer layers sclerenchymatous, inner corky tissue well developed
Valve wings broad
Mesembryanthemum type
Expanding keels strictly septal, radial on valves and reaching the central axis (in closed fruit)
Expanding sheets absent
Covering membranes absent
Closing bodies absent
Valve wings broad, entirely connate to valves
Mitrophyllum type
Expanding sheets dominant, transgrading into an expanding keel in central valvar position; consequently expanding keels ± flat and appressed to valves
Covering membranes derived from parts of valvar endocarp that do not develop into expanding tissue, simple, translucent, persistent in shape, ± flat with an inconspicuous marginal edge from inner endocarpal tissue
Closing bodies infrequently developed from a broad base in the shape of a ledge, boss or bracket consisting of spongy cutinised tissue situated above the placenta and below the expanding sheet which diminishes on the closing bodies or bosses
Valve wings broad
Ruschia type
Expanding keels widely divergent, short, without a radial extension, not higher than broad
Covering membranes stout, of persistent convex shape with distal upright rims and prominent closing rodlets below
Closing bodies small, rodlet-shaped, each with a small central corky part
Valve wings narrow or absent
Titanopsis type
Expanding keels distinct from expanding sheets, divergent and broadened towards the centre of the valve
Covering membranes compound (as in the Drosanthemum type), but central parts thicker than marginal parts, and boundaries slightly raised into low ridges, and marginal parts bent into the empty locules, translucent and descending centrifugally; extension of very floppy, thin covering membranes reduced
Closing bodies absent or small
Valve wings broad
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Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
The system is still under development, so you may find a few bugs/issues. If you do, please report it via the error reporting button available in various sections of the website or provide us with any useful feedback you may have via the ‘Give us feedback’ option available in the sidebar menu. You can create a free account for yourself by clicking on the user profile icon which will take you through to the login page. Here you can choose the ‘Create an account’ option or simply fill in your details if you have an account already. Having an account on Biodiversity Advisor will provide users with free access to biodiversity resources.
In future, Team SANBI will be able to log in using their day-to-day login details, BGIS users will be able to use their existing accounts and details, and general users will be able to log in using their LinkedIn profile, but for now you will need to create an account.