Aizoaceae

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Aizoaceae

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<<<Flowers>Ovary>Ovules>Ovule number

1-numerous1
1. 004-004-002-001

<<<Flowers>Ovary>Style>Style number

1-numerous2
2. 004-004-003-001

<<<Flowers>Perianth segments>Free portion>Shape

apiculate3
3. 004-002-002-001

<<Flowers>Ovary>Carpel number

(1-)5(-numerous)-carpellate4
4. 004-004-001

<<Flowers>Ovary>Ovules

ovules , anacampylotropous or campylotropous, placentation axile, basal or parietal,5
5. 004-004-002

<<Flowers>Ovary>Style

styles .6
6. 004-004-003

<<Flowers>Perianth segments>Free portion

free portions often unequal and with dorsal subapical, appendage, basally connate and adnate to filaments, thus forming a tube7
7. 004-002-002

<<Flowers>Perianth segments>Segment number

(3-)5(-8)8
8. 004-002-001

<<Flowers>Stamens>Anthers

anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits;9
9. 004-003-005

<<Flowers>Stamens>Filaments

filaments rarely connate at base,10
10. 004-003-004

<<Flowers>Stamens>Merosity

4-merous11
11. 004-003-002

<<Flowers>Stamens>Outer primordia

if numerous, outer primordia developing into petaloid staminodes12
12. 004-003-003

<<Flowers>Stamens>Stamen number

4-5 or 8-1013
13. 004-003-001

<<Flowers>Tepals>Colour

coloured inside and green outside14
14. 004-001-001

<<Fruits>Seeds>Embryo

embryo curved peripheral,15
15. 005-001-003

<<Fruits>Seeds>Endosperm

endosperm reduced to a layer around radicle.16
16. 005-001-005

<<Fruits>Seeds>Perisperm

perisperm copious, starchy,17
17. 005-001-004

<<Fruits>Seeds>Seed number

numerous18
18. 005-001-001

<<Fruits>Seeds>Shape

reniform19
19. 005-001-002

<<Leaves>Blade>Hairs

often pubescent20
20. 002-003-002

<<Leaves>Blade>Margin type

entire21
21. 002-003-001

<Flowers>Ovary

ovary superior, half-inferior or inferior, , syncarpous,22
22. 004-004

<Flowers>Perianth segments

perianth-segments , ;23
23. 004-002

<Flowers>Stamens

stamens , arranged in whorls or fascicles, ,24
24. 004-003

<Flowers>Tepals

tepals , or with petaloid staminodes;25
25. 004-001

<Fruits>Seeds

seeds , , mostly exarillate, rarely arillate (aril covering seed completely in Sesuvium),26
26. 005-001

<Inflorescences>Flowers

flowers often solitary by reduction from more complex forms.27
27. 003-002

<Inflorescences>Position

mostly a terminal dichasium in various forms, sometimes seeming axillary28
28. 003-001

<Leaves>Blade

blades succulent, , .29
29. 002-003

<Leaves>Petiole

petioles clasping or connate and surrounding stem;30
30. 002-001

<Leaves>Stipules

stipules present or absent;31
31. 002-002

Description

Predominantly succulent, annual to perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs. Leaves opposite, simple; petioles clasping or connate and surrounding stem; stipules present or absent; blades succulent, entire, often pubescent. Inflorescence mostly a terminal dichasium in various forms, sometimes seeming axillary; flowers often solitary by reduction from more complex forms. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; tepals coloured inside and green outside, or with petaloid staminodes; perianth-segments (3-)5(-8), free portions often unequal and with dorsal subapical, apiculate appendage, basally connate and adnate to filaments, thus forming a tube; stamens 4-5 or 8-10, arranged in 4-merous whorls or fascicles, if numerous, outer primordia developing into petaloid staminodes, filaments rarely connate at base, anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits; ovary superior, half-inferior or inferior, (1-)5(-numerous)-carpellate, syncarpous, ovules 1-numerous, anacampylotropous or campylotropous, placentation axile, basal or parietal, styles 1-numerous. Fruit a usually loculicidal, rarely septicidal or circumscissile capsule, sometimes hard and indehiscent, rarely a drupe and occasionally in aggregates; seeds numerous, reniform, mostly exarillate, rarely arillate (aril covering seed completely in Sesuvium), embryo curved peripheral, perisperm copious, starchy, endosperm reduced to a layer around radicle.

Distribution

Guianas present, drier parts of New and Old World tropics and subtropics present, winter rainfall region of southern Africa present
Approximately 2500 species in 127 genera, occurring in the drier parts of New and Old World tropics and subtropics, with a center of frequency in the winter rainfall region of southern Africa; 1 genus and 1 species in the Guianas.

Flowers

Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic;32
32. 004

Fruits

Fruit a usually loculicidal, rarely septicidal or circumscissile capsule, sometimes hard and indehiscent, rarely a drupe and occasionally in aggregates;33
33. 005

Habit

Predominantly succulent, annual to perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs.34
34. 001

Individuals Association

Suriname, Reijenga, Th.W. 8 Suriname, Jonker-Verhoef, A.M.E. & F.P. Jonker 660 Granville, J.J. de 1953 Suriname, Soeprato 80 Suriname, Jonker-Verhoef, A.M.E. & F.P. Jonker 515 Suriname, Focke, H.C. 557 Skog, L. & C. Feuillet 7541 Suriname, Pons, T.L. LBB 12644 Suriname, Schulz, J.P. LBB 10524 Guyana, Irwin, H.S. 294 Suriname, Lanjouw, J. 1100 Guyana, Hitchcock, A.S. 16567 Tostain, O. 73 Cremers, G.A. 687 Suriname, Kramer, K.U. 2108 Suriname, Lanjouw, J. & J.C. Lindeman 1066 Granville, J.J. de 8217 Suriname, Focke, H.C. 272 Goff, A. le & M. Hoff 155 Hoff, M. 5496 Suriname, Lanjouw, J. & J.C. Lindeman 1509 Cremers, G.A. 8741 Suriname, Lanjouw, J. 547 Suriname, Florschütz, P.A. et al. 1913 Guyana, Jenman, G.S. 5847 Suriname, Sterringa, J.T. LBB 12385 Guyana, Grewal, M.S. & H. Lall 293 Suriname, Lanjouw, J. & J.C. Lindeman 1060 Suriname, Wessels Boer, J.G. 530 Suriname, Reijenga, Th.W. 9 Guyana, Harrison, S.G. & R. Persaud 1718 Cremers, G.A. 8399 Rossignol, - 5 Descoings, B. & C. Luu 20279 Rothery, H.C. 110 Guyana, Leechman, A., s.n. s.n. Suriname, without coll. s.n. Guyana, Pipoly, J.J. 11245 Suriname, Pulle, A. II 373 Suriname, LBB Guyana, Jenman, G.S. 5635 Suriname, Soeprato 378 Suriname, Reijenga, Th.W. 8a Suriname, Lanjouw, J. & J.C. Lindeman 1522 Guyana, Mutchnick, P. 372

Inflorescences

Inflorescence ;35
35. 003

Leaves

Leaves opposite, simple;36
36. 002

Notes

Regarding the AIZOACEAE, Endress & Bittrich (1993, in same volume as Hartmann, cited above) note that morphologically the family differs from MOLLUGINACEAE by characters in the structure of the androecium and calyx, funicle length and the epidermis of leaves and stems. On a practical basis for distinguishing the families in the Guianas, the following characters can be used:
  • AIZOACEAE (Sesuvium): opposite, succulent cauline leaves, flowers pinkish-purple inside, perianth-segments with an adaxial apical horn, stamens c. 25, and circumscissile capsules containing smooth seeds.
  • MOLLUGINACEAE (Mollugo): whorled, membranaceous cauline leaves, flowers white inside and the segments not apically horned, stamens 3, and valvately dehiscent capsules containing ridged seeds.


Still enigmatic is the identity of a species described as Mesembryanthemum guianense by , a succulent with dark red flowers collected in the village of Pirara, Guyana in December 1842. mentioned that he could not find a specimen either at B or K, and apparently there are no later collections of it from the vicinity of Pirara or elsewhere. According to H. Jacobsen (), M. guianense is a doubtful species.