Aptenia

Small perennial shrubs or climbers, prostrate or decumbent, with fibrous roots, rarely with fleshy rootstock; stems 4-angled or terete, weakly lignified, green and succulent with additional vascular bundles, epidermal bladder cells tall and closely packed. Leaves decussate or occasionally becoming alternate in inflorescences, with or without petiole, flat or semicylindrical, heart-shaped, ovate or linear, papillose with loosely arranged bladder cells, rarely deciduous. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered dichasia, pedicellate, 15-35 mm in diameter; open in daylight. Sepals 4, 2 often larger, basally fused or free towards base. Petals united at base into a short tube; white, pale pink, cream to yellowish, staminodes 0 or present. Nectary consisting of 4 separate grooves. Ovary conical above; placentas axile; stigmas 4, subulate, minute. Fruit a 4-locular capsule, of Mesembryanthemum type, with or without valve wings; expanding keels extending to centre of fruit. Seeds D-shaped, 1.3-1.5 mm long, rough, blackish brown. x = 9. F lowering spring, summer and autumn. D istinguishing characters: green succulent stems with closely arranged bladder cell idioblasts; seeds large and blackish brown.