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: