Aizoaceae  

Annual or perennial usually succulent or subsucculent herbs. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled, stipulate or exstipulate, simple, entire Inflorescence of single axillary or terminal flowers or the flowers cymosely or fasciculately arranged. Flowers regular, bisexual. free or united below. Petals small or absent or replaced by petaloid staminodes. Stamen, 5-numerous staminodes often present, sometimes petaloid. Gynaecium of 2 -5 usually fused carpels, rarely free, ovary 2-5-celled with 1-many ovules in each cell; placentation basal or apical or axile or parietal. Fruit capsular opening by valves or a lid or splitting into 1- seeded mericarps or indehiscent.

A large family represented by 12 genera in Saudi Arabia.

Common in cultivation as ornamentals are the introduced Carpobrotus esculentus LBolus with the prominent, succulent, triangular leaves: Carpobrotus chilensis N.E Br. has more cylındrical leaves. These are perennial succulents with large showy flowers and are used as ground cover. Cryophytum crystallinum NE. Br. is an annual succulent with flat succulent leaves: it is called Ice Plant because of prominent glistening vesicles which densely cover the plant.