Aizoaceae family key

The Aizoaceae is a family of succulents that is rich in indole and tryptamine alkaloids. Initial research suggests that these alkaloids are distributed in groups of closely related species, which makes accurate taxonomic information paramount in researching this family. Presented here is a key to the subfamilies within the family Aizoaceae. The information is taken from the excellent publication "Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants - Aizoaceae", Volume 1 (A-E) & Volume 2 (F-Z), by Heidrun E.K.Hartmann, published by Springer and currently available from www.amazon.com.

The Aizoaceae are divided into 5 subfamilies (see table at end- subfamilies in bold). Each subfamily holds many genera (see table at end - genus not bold).

Key to the subfamilies:

1	Petals of staminoidal origin present. Petals absent; perigone-lobes petaloid inside, sepaloid outside.	go to 2 go to 3
2	Placentation central; nectaries shell-shaped to tubular (koilomorphic); petals and stamens mostly united into a tube. Placentation basal or parietal, extremely rarely central; nectaries crest-shaped (lophomorphic), petals mostly free.	Mesembryanthemoideae Ruschioideae
3	Fruit indehiscent, a winged or horned nut, rarely a drupe; plants often andromonoecious. Fruit as capsule; inflorescences of hermaphrodite flowers only.	Tetragonoideae go to 4
4	Capsule circumscissile; aril present, covering the seed completely. Capsule loculicidal or septicidal, often hygrochastic; seeds never arillate.	Sesuvioideae Aizooideae

Notes to the subfamily key:

1	Petals of staminoidal origin present. Petals absent; perigone-lobes petaloid inside, sepaloid outside.
2	Placentation central; nectaries shell-shaped to tubular (koilomorphic); petals and stamens mostly united into a tube. Placentation basal or parietal, extremely rarely central; nectaries crest-shaped (lophomorphic), petals mostly free.
3	Fruit indehiscent, a winged or horned nut, rarely a drupe; plants often andromonoecious. Fruit as capsule; inflorescences of hermaphrodite flowers only.	Tetragonoideae go to 4
4	Capsule circumscissile; aril present, covering the seed completely. Capsule loculicidal or septicidal, often hygrochastic; seeds never arillate.	Sesuvioideae Aizooideae

Aizoaceae
Aizooideae	Mesembryanthemoideae	Ruschioideae				Sesuvioideae	Tetragonoideae
Acrosanthes Aizoanthemum Aizoon Galenia Gunniopsis Plinthus	Aptenia Aridaria Aspazoma Brownanthus Caulipsolon Mesembryanthemum Phyllobolus Prenia Psilocaulon Sceletium Sceletium	Acrodon Aethephyllum Aloinopsis Amphibolia Antegibbaeum Antimima Apatesia Arenifera Argyroderma Astridia Bergeranthus Bijlia Braunsia Carpanthea Carpobrotus Carruanthus Caryotophora Cephalophyllum Cerochlamys Chasmatophyllum Cheiridopsis Circandra Cleretum Conicosia Conophytum Corpuscularia Cylindrophyllum	Deilanthe Delosperma Dicrocaulon Didymaotus Dinteranthus Diplosoma Disphyma Dorotheanthus Dracophilus Drosanthemum Eberlanzia Ebracteola Ectotropis Enarganthe Erepsia Esterhuysenia Faucaria Fenestraria Frithia Gibbaeum Glottiphyllum Hallianthus Hammeria Hartmanthus Hereroa Hymenogyne Ihlenfeldtia	Jacobsenia Jensenobotrya Jordaaniella Juttadinteria Khadia Lapidaria Lampranthus Leipoldtia Lithops Machairophyllum Malephora Marlothistella Mestoklema Meyerophytum Mitrophyllum Monilaria Mossia Muiria Namaquanthus Namibia Nananthus Nelia Neohenricia Octopoma Odontophorus Oophytum Orthopterum	Oscularia Ottosonderia Peersia Pleispilos Polimyta Prepodesma Psammophora Rabiea Rhinephyllum Rhombophyllum Ruschia Ruschianthemum Ruschianthus Saphesia Schlechteranthus Schwantesia Scopelogena Skiatophytum Smicrostigma Stayneria Stoeberia Stomatium Tanquana Titanopsis Trichodiadema Vanheerdea Vanzijlia Vlokia Wooleya Zeuktophyllum	Cypselea Sesuvium Trianthema Zaleya	Tetragonia Tribulocarpus