Family Anacampserotaceae
Description: Small shrubs to thick-stemmed perennial herbs, mucilaginous (except Grahamia), sometimes with a basal fleshy caudex or tuberous main root.
Leaves spiral, succulent to very succulent, terete to globose, rarely flattened, glabrous or tomentose; axils with hairs, bristles, or a pergamentaceous scale (Anacampseros sect. Avonia).
Inflorescence lateral or terminal few-flowered thyrsoids, sometimes with contracted internodes, sometimes with scorpioid partial inflorescences; flowers small to medium-sized, bisexual, usually showy; sepaloids 2, fleshy, persistent and becoming dry in fruit; petaloids 5; stamens 5–25; ovary superior, of 3 united carpels; calyptra formed by the perianth remains and stamens persistent at fruiting stage (Grahamia, Talinopsis) or deciduous as an entity (Anacampseros).
Fruits loculicidally dehiscent capsules with the caducous exocarp separating from the endocarp (except Grahamia), and the endocarp valves forming a small basket; seeds usually somewhat angular and voluminous, usually pale-colored to white, without strophiola or elaiosome, testa two-layered, the outer testa layer usually partially or almost completely separating from the inner layer of the seed; embryo parallel to the perisperm and rather straight.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 3 genera, 36 species, Southern and eastern Africa, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, United States.
External links:
Wikipedia Previously included in Portulacaceae.
Text by Nyffeler & Egli 2010 (Taxon); page created by H. Sauquet (Nov 2020)
Taxon concept: Nyffeler & Egli 2010 (Taxon); APG IV (2016)
| One genus in NSW: Anacampseros |
|
