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Family Crassulaceae

Description: Herbs or small shrubs, usually with succulent leaves and stems, chiefly annual.

Leaves usually simple, opposite or occasionally alternate; stipules absent. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, mostly 4- or 5-merous (range 3–12).

Inflorescences terminal, of several dichasia or rarely flowers solitary. Sepals usually 4 or 5, free or fused, persistent. Petals as many as sepals, free or fused, persistent. Stamens equal to or twice as many as petals, in 1 or rarely 2 whorls, hypogynous or slightly perigynous; anthers 2-locular, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, carpels as many as and opposite the petals, ± free or fused at base; ovules 1–many.

Fruits often a star-shaped cluster of follicles.


Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 30 genera, 900 species, cosmopolitan. Australia: 4 genera, c. 19 species, all States.

External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Crassulaceae, Order: Saxifragales)
Wikipedia

Text by J. Everett & E. H. Norris
Taxon concept:

 Key to the genera 
1Stamens as many as petalsCrassula
Stamens twice as many as petals2
2Petals free or fused only at base; leaves alternateSedum
Petals fused into a tube for half their length; leaves opposite
                       Back to 1
3
3Flowers 5-merousCotyledon
Flowers 4-merous
                       Back to 2
4
4Flowers erect or spreading; filaments fused to corolla tube at or above middleKalanchoe
Flowers pendent; filaments fused to corolla tube in lower third
                       Back to 3
Bryophyllum

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