Aizoaceae
Carpet-Weed Family
The Aizoaceae family (Carpet-Weed Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Caryophyllales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 12 species across 8 genera. Its members are predominantly herbs. Well-represented genera include Mollugo, Glinus and Trianthema. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Prostrate Purslane, Sand Herbage and Hairy Carpet Weed.
Browse all 12 species ↓
Fleshy, water-storing leaves, often opposite and sometimes covered in glistening bladder-cells that sparkle like ice crystals, on low, mat-forming succulent herbs; many-petalled, daisy-like flowers open only in full sun.
Succulent tissue and salt-tolerant physiology let the family colonise coastal sands and saline, arid ground where few other herbs survive.
Which Aizoaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Aizoaceae species.
Typical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryActinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- InflorescenceCyme
- FruitCapsule
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
All 12 species in AIZOACEAE
- Prostrate PurslaneCorbichonia decumbens
- Sand HerbageGisekia pharnaceoides
- Hairy Carpet WeedGlinus lotoides
- Hill MollugoGlinus oppositifolius
- Heart-Leaf Ice PlantMesembryanthemum cordifolium
- Naked Stem CarpetweedMollugo nudicaulis
- Carpet WeedMollugo pentaphylla
- Sea PurslaneSesuvium portulacastrum
- Round-Leaved Portulaca, Horse PurslaneTrianthema portulacastrum
- Mollugo cerviana var. spathulifolia
- Trianthema triquetra var. triquetra
- Zaleya decandra
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