Mesembryanthemum guerichianum seedling, showing the epidermal bladder cells that inspired the name "ice plant" Pronunciation of the South African colloquial name,Vygie, for Aizoaceae
The family Aizoaceae is widely recognised by taxonomists. It once went by the botanical name "Ficoidaceae", now disallowed. TheAPG II system of 2003 (unchanged from theAPG system of 1998) also recognizes the family, and assigns it to the orderCaryophyllales in the cladecore eudicots. The APG II system also classes the former familiesMesembryanthemaceaeFenzl,SesuviaceaeHoran. andTetragoniaceaeLink under the familyAizoaceae.
The common Afrikaans name "vygie" meaning "small fig" refers to thefruiting capsule, which resembles the true fig.[3] Glistening epidermal bladder cells give the family its common name "ice plants".[4]
Most fig-marigolds areherbaceous, rarely somewhat woody, withsympodial growth andstems either erect or prostrate.Leaves are simple, opposite or alternate, and more or less succulent with entire (or rarely toothed) margins.Flowers are perfect in most species (but unisexual in some), actinomorphic, and appear singularly or in few-flowered cymes developing from the leaf axils.Sepals are typically five (3–8) and more or less connate (fused) below. Truepetals are absent. However, some species have numerous linear petals derived from staminodes.[5] The seed capsules have one to numerous seeds per cell and are oftenhygrochastic, dispersing seeds by "jet action" when wet.[4]
Most species (96%, 1782 species in 132 genera) in this family are endemic to arid or semiarid parts of SouthernAfrica in theSucculent Karoo.[6] Much of the Aizoaceae's diversity is found in the GreaterCape Floristic Region, which is the most plant-diverse temperate region in the world.[7] A few species are found inAustralia and theCentral Pacific area.[8]
Carpobrotus is found as an introduced species on the western coast of the United States, New Zealand, the Mediterranean coast of Europe and the southern coast of Brazil.
The radiation of the Aizoaceae, specifically the subfamily Ruschioideae, was one of the most recent among theangiosperms, occurring 1.13–6.49 Mya. It is also one of the fastest radiations ever described in the angiosperms, with a diversification rate of about 4.4 species per million years.[9] This diversification was roughly contemporaneous with major radiations in two other succulent lineages,Cactaceae andAgave.[10]
C. edulis wasintroduced to California in the early 1900s to stabilize soil along railroad tracks and has become invasive.[24] In southern California, ice plants are sometimes used as firewalls;[25] however, they do burn if not carefully maintained.[26]
^abKlak, C., Hanáček, P. and Bruyns, P.V. (2024), Phylogeny and reclassification ofLampranthus (Ruschieae, Aizoaceae) in southern Africa.Taxon, 73: 818-853.https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.13166
^Klak, C., Hanáček2, P. and Bruyns, P.V. (2017), Disentangling the Aizooideae: New generic concepts and a new subfamily in Aizoaceae.Taxon, 66: 1147-1170.https://doi.org/10.12705/665.9
^abcFacciola. S. (1990).Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications.ISBN0-9628087-0-9.
^Low. T. (1989).Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson.ISBN0-207-14383-8.
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