The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, are a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly named ice plants or carpet weeds. The Aizoaceae are also referred to as vygies in South Africa. Some of the unusual Southern African genera—such as Conophytum, Lithops, Titanopsis, and Pleiospilos (among others)—resemble gemstones, rocks, or pebbles, and are sometimes called living stones or mesembs (short for mesembryanthemums).
Description
The family Aizoaceae is widely recognised by taxonomists. It once went by the botanical name "Ficoidaceae", now disallowed. The APG II system of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system of 1998) also recognizes the family, and assigns it to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots. The APG II system also classes the former families Mesembryanthemaceae Fenzl, Sesuviaceae Horan. and Tetragoniaceae Link under the family Aizoaceae.
The common Afrikaans name "vygie" meaning "small fig" refers to the fruiting capsule, which resembles the true fig. Glistening epidermal bladder cells give the family its common name "ice plants".
Most fig-marigolds are herbaceous, rarely somewhat woody, with sympodial growth and stems either erect or prostrate. Leaves are simple, opposite or alternate, and more or less succulent with entire (or rarely toothed) margins. Flowers are perfect in most species (but unisexual in some), actinomorphic, and appear singularly or in few-flowered cymes developing from the leaf axils. Sepals are typically five (3–8) and more or less connate (fused) below. True petals are absent. However, some species have numerous linear petals derived from staminodes. The seed capsules have one to numerous seeds per cell and are often hygrochastic, dispersing seeds by "jet action" when wet.
Distribution
Most species (96%, 1782 species in 132 genera) in this family are endemic to arid or semiarid parts of Southern Africa in the Succulent Karoo. Much of the Aizoaceae's diversity is found in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, which is the most plant-diverse temperate region in the world. A few species are found in Australia and the Central Pacific area.
Carpobrotus is found as an introduced species on the western coast of the United States, New Zealand, the Mediterranean coast of Europe and the southern coast of Brazil.
Evolution
The radiation of the Aizoaceae, specifically the subfamily Ruschioideae, was one of the most recent among the angiosperms, occurring 1.13–6.49 million years ago. It is also one of the fastest radiations ever described in the angiosperms, with a diversification rate of about 4.4 species per million years. This diversification was roughly contemporaneous with major radiations in two other succulent lineages, Cactaceae and Agave.
The family includes many species that use crassulacean acid metabolism as pathway for carbon fixation. Some species in the subfamily Sesuvioideae instead use carbon fixation, which might have evolved multiple times in the group.
Taxonomy
Because of the hyperdiversity of the Aizoaceae and the young age of the clade, many generic and species boundaries are uncertain.
Subfamily Acrosanthoideae
Genera: Acrosanthes Eckl. & Zeyh.
Subfamily Aizooideae
Genera: Aizoanthemopsis Klak Aizoanthemum Dinter ex Friedrich Aizoon L. Gunniopsis Pax Tetragonia L.
Subfamily Mesembryanthemoideae
Genera:
Aptenia N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Aridaria N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Aspazoma N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Brownanthus Schwantes, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Dactylopsis N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Mesembryanthemum L. Phyllobolus N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Prenia N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Psilocaulon N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Synaptophyllum N.E.Br, synonym of Mesembryanthemum
Subfamily Ruschioideae
Genera: Tribe Apatesieae Apatesia N.E.Br Carpanthea N.E.Br Caryotophora Leistner, synonym of Skiatophytum Conicosia N.E.Br Hymenogyne Haw. Saphesia N.E.Br Skiatophytum L.BolusTribe Dorotheantheae Aethephyllum N.E.Br, synonym of Cleretum Cleretum N.E.Br Dorotheanthus Schwantes, synonym of Cleretum Tribe Ruschieae
Acrodon N.E.Br Aloinopsis Schwantes Amphibolia L.Bolus ex A.G.J.Herre Antegibbaeum Schwantes ex C.Weber Antimima N.E.Br Arenifera Herre, synonym of Mesembryanthemum Argyroderma N.E.Br Astridia Dinter Bergeranthus Schwantes Bijlia N.E.Br, synonym of Pleiospilos Braunsia Schwantes Brianhuntleya Chess. et al. Carpobrotus N.E.Br × Carruanthophyllum (Carruanthus × Machairophyllum) Carruanthus (Schwantes) Schwantes Cephalophyllum N.E.Br Cerochlamys N.E.Br Chasmatophyllum Dinter & Schwantes Cheiridopsis N.E.Br Circandra N.E.Br, synonym of Erepsia Conophytum N.E.Br Corpuscularia Schwantes, synonym of Delosperma Cylindrophyllum Schwantes Delosperma N.E.Br Dicrocaulon N.E.Br Didymaotus N.E.Br Dinteranthus Schwantes Diplosoma Schwantes Disphyma N.E.Br Dracophilus (Schwantes) Dinter & Schwantes Drosanthemum Schwantes Eberlanzia Schwantes Ebracteola Dinter & Schwantes Ectotropis N.E.Br, synonym of Delosperma Enarganthe N.E.Br Erepsia N.E.Br Esterhuysenia L.Bolus, synonym of Lampranthus Faucaria Schwantes Fenestraria N.E.Br Frithia N.E.Br Gibbaeum Haw. ex N.E.Br Glottiphyllum Haw. ex N.E.Br Hallianthus H.E.K.Hartmann Hereroa (Schwantes) Dinter & Schwantes Ihlenfeldtia H.E.K.Hartmann, synonym of Cheiridopsis Imitaria N.E.Br, synonym of Gibbaeum Jacobsenia L.Bolus & Schwantes Jensenobotrya A.G.J.Herre Jordaaniella H.E.K.Hartmann Juttadinteria Schwantes Khadia N.E.Br Lampranthus N.E.Br Lapidaria (Dinter & Schwantes) N.E.Br. Leipoldtia L.Bolus Lemonanthemum Klak Lithops N.E.Br Machairophyllum Schwantes Malephora N.E.Br Malephoropsis Klak, C., Hanáček, P. and Bruyns, P.V. (2024), Phylogeny and reclassification of Lampranthus (Ruschieae, Aizoaceae) in southern Africa. Taxon, 73: 818-853. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.13166 Malotigena Niederle Marlothistella Schwantes Mestoklema N.E.Br. ex Glen Meyerophytum Schwantes Mitrophyllum Schwantes Monilaria (Schwantes) Schwantes Mossia N.E.Br Muiria N.E.Br Namaquanthus L.Bolus Namibia (Schwantes) Schwantes Nananthus N.E.Br Nelia Schwantes Neohenricia L.Bolus Octopoma N.E.Br Odontophorus N.E.Br, synonym of Cheiridopsis Oophytum N.E.Br Orthopterum L.Bolus Oscularia Schwantes Ottosonderia L.Bolus Phiambolia Klak Pleiospilos N.E.Br Polymita N.E.Br, synonym of Schlechteranthus Psammophora Dinter & Schwantes Rabiea N.E.Br Rhinephyllum N.E.Br Rhombophyllum (Schwantes) Schwantes Roosia van Jaarsv., synonym of Lampranthus Ruschia Schwantes Ruschianthemum Friedrich, synonym of Stoeberia Ruschianthus L.Bolus Sarcozona J.M.Black Schlechteranthus Schwantes Schwantesia Dinter Scopelogena L.Bolus Sederbergia Smicrostigma N.E.Br Stayneria L.Bolus Stoeberia Dinter & Schwantes Stomatium Schwantes Tanquana H.E.K.Hartmann & Liede Titanopsis Schwantes Trichodiadema Schwantes Vanheerdea L.Bolus ex H.E.K.Hartmann Vanzijlia L.Bolus Vlokia S.A.Hammer Wooleya L.Bolus Zeuktophyllum N.E.Br
Subfamily Sesuvioideae This subfamily includes a number of species.
Genera: Tribe AnisostigmateaeKlak, C., Hanáček2, P. and Bruyns, P.V. (2017), Disentangling the Aizooideae: New generic concepts and a new subfamily in Aizoaceae. Taxon, 66: 1147-1170. https://doi.org/10.12705/665.9 Anisostigma Schinz Tribulocarpus S.Moore
Tribe Sesuvieae Sesuvium L. Trianthema L. Zaleya Burm.f.
Unplaced genera Include; Hammeria Peersia
Uses
Several genera are cultivated. Lithops, or "living stones", are popular as novelty house plants because of their stone-like appearance.
Some species are edible, including: Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig, highway ice plant) has edible leaves and fruit. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum has edible leaves. Tetragonia tetragonoides ("New Zealand spinach") is grown as a garden plant in somewhat dry climates and used as an alternative to spinach in upscale salads.
C. edulis was introduced to California in the early 1900s to stabilize soil along railroad tracks and has become invasive. In southern California, ice plants are sometimes used as firewalls; however, they do burn if not carefully maintained.
References
Further reading
External links
Aizoaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants NCBI Taxonomy Browser P. Chesselet (2004 onwards). Interactive Mesembs2 Plants of southern Africa (2005 onwards). SANBI Aizoaceae of South Africa Family Aizoaceae Flowers in Israel Aizoaceae in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database