AIZOACEAE  

Annual or perennial, prostrate to ascending herbs. Leaves opposite, petiolate, slightly succulent, with a membranous sheath at base of petiole; stipules 0. Flowers bisexual, sessile, in axillary clusters of 5-20. Perianth 5-lobed, connate in lower half; lobes with membranous margins, coloured within, dorsally mucronate. Stamens 5-15, free, arising from upper part of calyx tube. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, syncarpous, 2-locular, with 2 ovules per locule, arising from interlocular septum; stigmas 2, free. Fruit a 4-seeded capsule; operculum splitting septicidally into 2 valves. Seeds reniform.

Mostly succulent, annual herbs, rarely undershrubs, usually diffuse or prostrate. Leaves opposite, glabrous, papillose or hairy, with membranes or stipule-like lobes at base of petioles. Flowers bisexual, axillary, solitary or in fascicles, cymes or clusters, with 2 bracteoles each. Perianth 5-lobed; tube short or subelongated and campanulate; lobes small or large, with membranous margins, coloured within, dorsally mucronate. Stamens 5-many, sometimes unequal, separate or grouped, arising from base of calyx lobes; filament filiform; anthers small, rotund to oblong. Ovary superior, with 1 carpel, 1-locular; ovules 2-many, campylotropous; placentation basal or parietal; style 1(2), short; stigma longitudinal, papillate. Fruit a membranous or coriaceous capsule, transversely dehiscent. Seeds 1 or 2, round-reniform, arillate, reddish brown to black; embryo annular to coiled; cotyledons oblong, fleshy; endosperm starchy. x= 7, 8, 13 (polyploidy).

Annual or perennial herbs or undershrubs, creeping to erect, succulent, glabrous; stems several from a short tap root, often reddish; branches rarely rooting. Leaves opposite to alternate, sessile or petiolate, succulent; stipules 0, but with membranes at base of petiole. Flowers bisexual, solitary, sessile or pedunculate, axillary, with 2 basal bracteoles. Perianth 5-lobed; lobes triangular, with long unifacial dorsal appendages. Stamens 5-many, free or connate at base, arising from mouth of calyx tube; filaments filiform or subulate; anthers small, often reddish. Ovary superior, 2-5-locular; ovules many per locule, anacampylotropous; placentation axile; styles 2-5, linear, erect; stigma longitudinal, papillose. Fruit a circumscissile membranous capsule, enclosed within persistent perianth with +/- conical top. Seeds many, small, round to reniform, smooth, black, arillate; embryo annular; cotyledons oblong, fleshy; endosperm soft, starchy. x= 8, 9 (aneuploids, polyploidy).

Perennial shrublets or shrubs, rarely herbs, mostly branch-shedders, erect; branches woody at base, often forming dense mats, lateral branches alternate, secund, spreading. Leaves opposite or alternate, small, mostly obovate; stipules 0. Inflorescence often clearly separated from well-developed vegetative base. Flowers perigynous, bisexual, axillary, sessile or stalked, sometimes in terminal cymes, distal ones often with adnate bracts and bracteoles. Perianth 4- or 5-lobed; tube +/- campanulate. Stamens 8-10, in alternisepalous pairs; filaments flat, tapering upwards; anthers small, yellow. Ovary superior, 2-5-locular, usually glandular; ovule solitary in each locule, pendulous, campylotropous; styles 2(-5), free or united below; stigmatic along inner surface. Fruit a small, weakly hygrochastic or xerochastic capsule. Seeds compressed, reniform to orbicular.

Annual, variably papillose, prostrate or ascending, much-branched herbs. Leaves alternate, densely papillose, sessile or petiolate, +/- fleshy; stipules 0. Flowers perigynous, bisexual, solitary, terminal, often sessile in fork of branches. Stamens many; filaments connate, flattened towards base. Ovary superior, 5-10-locular, with 2-many pendulous ovules per locule. Fruit a capsule with rounded top, opening completely hygrochastically by long expanding keels reaching from centre of fruit to tip of valve. Seeds reniform, with concentric ridges, light to dark brown. x= 8 (1 report).